City of Portland, OR

08/19/2026 | News release | Distributed by Public on 08/19/2026 18:21

Safer crosswalk now open at West Burnside Street & St. Clair Avenue

Label: News article
Crosswalk fills a gap on one of Portland's highest-crash streets.
Published
August 19, 2026 3:55 pm

The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) activated the new pedestrian hybrid beacon at West Burnside Street & St. Clair Avenue today. This marks the last major milestone for the project, which began construction earlier this year.

The pedestrian hybrid beacon allows pedestrians to give people driving a red "stop" signal when crossing busy West Burnside Street.

In addition to the pedestrian hybrid beacon, the project features:

  • Pedestrian push-buttons equipped with Accessible Pedestrian Systems
  • Rebuilt curb ramps that meet current standards for accessibility.
  • A curb extension that reduces the crossing distance and keeps the narrow sidewalk clear of signal equipment.
  • New left turn restriction from Southwest St. Clair Avenue to West Burnside Street to protect crosswalk users.
  • Enhanced streetlighting illumination.
Traffic signal equipment ensures the crosswalk functions reliably and in coordination with nearby signals.

Multiple funding sources for a priority project

West Burnside Street is on Portland's High Crash Network and is a priority for safety improvements.

This safer crossing was funded thanks to grant funding from the Oregon Department of Transportation's All Roads Transportation Safety program with additional matching support from the NW Parking District and Vision Zero cannabis revenue. West Burnside Street has also been identified for paving maintenance to be phased over the next several years.

The new crosswalk fills a pedestrian crossing gap of approximately 1,000 feet between the signals at 21st and 23rd avenues. It connects the NW District to Goose Hollow, serves commercial destinations on West Burnside Street, and supports a high-ridership TriMet bus stop serving lines 15, 18, and 20.

Transit users may have observed the replacement of a transit shelter with boulders at this location last year. These changes are unrelated to the project. The transit shelter was situated on private property, and its removal was initiated at the property owner's request. PBOT and TriMet will continue to identify opportunities to provide shelter for transit users.

Thank you for your patience as we completed this project.

City of Portland, OR published this content on August 19, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on August 20, 2026 at 00:21 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]