Hayhurst Neighborhood Association

Category: Transportation in SW Portland

  •  SW Shattuck at Illinois and 60th: Advocacy for Intersection Safety

     SW Shattuck at Illinois and 60th: Advocacy for Intersection Safety

    The intersection of three roads: SW Shattuck Road, SW Illinois Street and SW 60th Avenue, has long been a confusing and dangerous place to navigate. With hundreds of new residents arriving soon at Raleigh Crest, traffic in the area will increase. Recently, Hayhurst Neighborhood Association board members and others have advocated for a safer situation at this multi-access corner.

    Background

    In 2024, Raleigh Crest submitted an application to build 263 new homes on the former Alpenrose Farm site. The traffic study for the application identified speeding as an issue on SW Shattuck Road and estimated that there would be 2,200 more daily vehicle trips on SW Shattuck. The development’s main entrance would be a westbound extension of SW Illinois Street. During the Land Use review, Hayhurst neighbors advocated for needed safety improvements to surrounding roads, especially to the SW Shattuck/Illinois/60th intersection. This included stop signs on Shattuck at the new crossing, improving Shattuck north to Beaverton-Hillsdale Hwy (BHH), a flashing beacon marked crosswalk, and  speed cushions on SW Shattuck. 

    As those improvements were not approved in the City of Portland’s November 2024 land use decision, ongoing concerns about the safety of the SW Illinois/60th/Shattuck intersection, especially for schoolchildren crossing to Hayhurst Elementary School and catching the bus, led neighbors to propose that SW 60th be converted to a one-way street southbound to help with safety concerns and relieve some of the intersection congestion.

    Outreach

    The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) approved the proposal subject to outreach to the neighbors in the affected area. Volunteers prepared and distributed 177 letters supported by PBOT to all neighbors on SW 60th Ave, SW Idaho St (50th to 60th), SW Nebraska St (50th to 60th), SW 55th Dr (Illinois to Idaho) and SW Illinois St (55th to 60th) in early September 2026 asking for feedback by September 30th. Seven people responded to HNA by email, with two in support and five opposed to the change. Two more emails addressed traffic on SW Nebraska, but did not take a position on the change. All feedback was forwarded to PBOT. Additionally, some neighbors wrote directly to PBOT, and some posted on Facebook and Nextdoor.

    Neighborhood Association Meeting September 2026

    Hayhurst Neighborhood Association invited neighbors and Portland Bureau of Transportation to the monthly meeting on September 14th to discuss the proposal. PBOT representatives Carlos Hernandez and Matthew Machado attended the meeting to listen to neighbors’ concerns and talk about ideas and plans to improve traffic safety. . Nine neighbors living in the affected area joined to share their concerns and suggestions. 
    You can watch the meeting recording here. The discussion starts at 17:00.

    Portland Bureau of Transportation Presentation

    At the September meeting, PBOT representatives provided the following information about the status of the intersection:

    • They will request traffic counts on SW 60th between SW Nebraska and SW Illinois to provide data on numbers and types of vehicles and their speeds to help them evaluate the intersection.
    • The Raleigh Crest Public Works permit for Stage 1 is final so any changes to the intersection would need to be considered as part of Stage 2 or a separate work order.
    • The Stage 1 permit calls for extensions to tighten the intersection for crosswalk safety.
    • According to traffic engineering rules, stop sign installation on Shattuck would require 200 cars per hour. An unwarranted stop sign could contribute to more speeding.
    • The Oregon DMV data through 2024 does not show any reported crashes for the intersection. However, a crash at the intersection in March 2025 was reported to them by the neighborhood.
    • Portland Fire Bureau is still evaluating whether speed cushions can be added to SW Shattuck Road. PBOT noted at the meeting that Shattuck is a Major Emergency Route south of BHH, but not north of BHH which is why that section has speed cushions. However, per the Southwest In Motion Plan (SWIM), all of Shattuck is a Major Emergency Response Route and eligible for speed cushions. PBOT submitted a plan for speed cushions between Vermont and BHH to the Fire Bureau.
    • The planned traffic study that Hayhurst is holding funds for will help identify what changes may be needed, e.g. stop signs on Shattuck.

    Neighbors’ Issues

    Neighbors reported the following concerns about the intersection and SW Shattuck Road:

    • Vehicles entering the intersection northbound from SW 60th need to swing across Illinois to see out and make a turn onto Shattuck. School buses have to swing out across both lanes of Shattuck to turn right onto Shattuck from Illinois.
    • It’s an awkward wide open intersection and there is poor visibility at the intersection,It’s made worse by excess vegetation in the right-of-way.
    • The existing stop signs on 60th and Illinois are too far back to be effective.
    • Traffic using the intersection is uncontrolled by the existing layout.
    • Excessive speeding on SW Shattuck
    • The SW Illinois Greenway already has too much traffic for safe walking and biking, but the speed bumps help slow vehicles down.
    • There is speeding on SW 60th, which could get worse if made one-way.
    • Vehicles coming up 60th have nearly t-boned vehicles driving west on Illinois at the intersection.                                      
    • Drivers will likely cut through the neighborhood due to increasing traffic on Shattuck.
    • Traffic is increasing on SW Nebraska possibly due to drivers avoiding the speed cushions on SW Illinois.
    • The SW 55th and Illinois intersection is unsafe.

    Neighbors’ Suggestions

    In addition to converting SW 60th to one-way, Hayhurst neighbors made the following suggestions to help improve safety at the intersection and on Shattuck:

    • Completely close off SW 60th vehicle access to the intersection, turning it into a walk/bike way.
    • Better position the stop signs for SW 60th and Illinois.
    • Cut back vegetation on both the north and south sides of the intersection.
    • Separate the intersection into four lanes — two for SW 60th and two for Illinois.
    • Add a median or planter to separate the traffic in the intersection.
    • Add stop signs to SW Shattuck to protect the new crossing.
    • Add speed cushions to SW Shattuck to reduce speeding.
    • Add speed cushions to SW 60th.
    • Add speed cushions to SW Nebraska.
    • Wait until Raleigh Crest homes for Stage 1 are built to better identify the solution(s).
    • Improve SW Shattuck for walking and biking north of Raleigh Crest to BHH.
    • Make the intersection a roundabout.

    Follow-up

    After the meeting, PBOT contacted the Raleigh Crest developer to remove the one-way striping and signs from the intersection plans but the striping had already been done. PBOT then requested that they paint over it. More intersection striping and wands were added to tighten the intersection, and neighbors started reporting on October 12 that they cannot safely turn onto Shattuck from SW Illinois Street. PBOT’s Matthew Machado visited the intersection the next day to determine what corrections are needed. He has submitted revised intersection plans including relocating some of the white curbing and modifying some of the striping. A revised plan has been sent over to Public Works Construction to send to the contractor. He will be meeting with the contractor on site early the week of October 20 to walk them through the changes, and will know when the changes can be made after the meeting.

    Here are some images of the intersection (photos by Alissa Cattone):

    SW Shattuck Road at SW Illinois Street intersection in SW Portland Oregon
  • Raleigh Crest / Alpenrose site updates

    Raleigh Crest / Alpenrose site updates

    Drive down Shattuck Road, and you’ll see the landscape changing at the old Alpenrose Dairy site, almost by the hour. Gone are all of the dairy buildings, and the open fields are dotted with mounds of dirt and heavy equipment. Over the last month, excavators and graders have been leveling out roadways, and diggers have been carving trenches for sewer and utility lines for the new Raleigh Crest development.

    At the monthly “Good Neighbor” meeting on June 3, development managers from AKS Engineering reported on the construction schedule updates for this summer:

    Utilities and curbs

    Stormwater and utility conduits will be installed on SW Shattuck Road the week of June 8. Traffic control will run along Shattuck and will be needed at times near SW Pendleton Court during that week.

    The stormwater connection across SW Dover Street will be installed between June 18 and 26.

    Construction of onsite curbs will also begin in June.

    The City of Portland will be connecting the water main at SW Illinois, which will require a road closure.This should be a one-day project—the exact date is not yet known.

    Home construction is expected to begin in early fall.

    Raleigh Crest construction on the old Alpenrose Dairy site, SW Shattuck Road at SW Illinois St.

    View of the Raleigh Crest Site from the corner of SW Illinois and SW Shattuck June 8, 2026

    Construction vehicles at SW 60th near Shattuck Road, near Raleigh Crest development at the Alpenrose Dairy site
    credit: Beth Blenz-Clucas

    Red ElectricTrail and Shattuck pathway

    The foundation is in place for the new Red Electric Trail. The Holt Homes landscaping team will design the transition from Shattuck to the trail. 

    The multi-use pathway along Shattuck will no longer have the two-foot landscape buffer between the walkway and bikeway due to future maintenance needs. The current plan is to create a wider buffer of street trees and water catchment planted with the City of Portland’s choice of native plants between Shattuck traffic lanes and the path.

    Shattuck Road speed cushions

    Meanwhile, Hayhurst Neighborhood Association is still advocating with the City of Portland to install speed cushions along SW Shattuck Road. Board members are communicating with Portland Fire Chief Lauren Johnson, who expressed reservations about adding the bumps, due to Shattuck’s status as a Major Emergency Response Route. Chief Johnson stated, “Installing speed cushions on a Major Emergency Response Route that only has one lane each way, no improved shoulders, and no room for cars to pull off onto a shoulder can really slow Fire responses.This area of Portland already experiences longer response times and I am concerned about additional delays.” The city’s transportation bureau will continue to look for ways to make the street and intersections safer for pedestrians and bicyclists, and they are making plans for crosswalk striping and sidewalks at the intersection of Shattuck and SW Illinois. Read the Fire Chief’s letter to Hayhurst N.A. here.

    But, as Hayhurst Neighborhood Association Board member Alissa Cattone noted in a response to the Chief, “These updates don’t appear to go far enough, particularly to keep children safe. We are very concerned about the currently perilous conditions on SW Shattuck Road, and at the SW 60th/Illinois/Shattuck intersection in the Hayhurst neighborhood that aren’t adequately being addressed.” Cattone and other neighbors point to the existing Shattuck Road speed cushions to the north of Hayhurst in the Bridlemile neighborhood between Beaverton-Hillsdale Highway and SW Patton Road, which were constructed with gaps to ease emergency vehicle travel.


    Here is the current intersection crosswalk plan at SW Shattuck and Illinois/ 60th:

    Map of crosswoalk ar SW Shattuck Road at SW Illinois Street.
    Source: Portland Bureau of Transportation 2026

    Note: Hayhurst Neighborhood Association holds a reserve fund to conduct a traffic study of the area surrounding Raleigh Crest development. The study will be done once Phase 1 of the development is occupied and a real-time assessment of actual increased traffic is possible. Neighbors are invited to participate in discussions about SW transportation issues at the monthly Hayhurst N.A. meetings.

    Submit your thoughts about the SW Shattuck Road traffic developments to Marita Ingalsbe, Hayhurst N.A. Chair, at hayhurstna@gmail.com. 

    Alissa Cattone, Marita Ingalsbe and Beth Blenz-Clucas contributed to this article.

  • Volunteers Needed: Traffic Safety Event March 30

    Volunteers Needed: Traffic Safety Event March 30

    Help promote Safe Routes to School. Join friends, family and neighbors for a public Traffic Safety Event on Monday, March 30, 7:30 to 9 am.  Adult volunteers RSVP and report to SW 50th Ave and Vermont St. Receive signage to display that encourages drivers to slow down and yield at crosswalks in this school zone as well as the Vermont corridor to the east of 50th, including the intersection at 45th.

    Traffic Safety event Hayhurst March 30

    For inspiration, check out this interview with event organizer and community volunteer Pam Fox.

     RSVP here

    City Councilor Mitch Green helped local volunteers at our event in October and will join the volunteers at this spring event, along with his District 4 City Councilor colleague Eriz Zimmerman. Also, our State Representative Dacia Grayber will be joining the volunteers!

    Build community, meet neighbors and promote safe routes to school for all!  This event is brought to you by West Hills Montessori School in partnership with PBOT Safe Routes to School; Portland Police Bureau; District Four Coalition; and the Maplewood, Multnomah and Hayhurst Neighborhood Associations.
    Registration is limited to adult participants, please.

    traffic safety vigil October 2025

    Event contact Pam Fox: community@westhills-montessori.com

  • Raleigh Crest – Alpenrose Site Update February 2026

    Raleigh Crest – Alpenrose Site Update February 2026

    Neighbors met on February 4, 2026 for the monthly update with the Raleigh Crest Construction Manager (AKS Engineering) and Holt Homes. This month they are completing the sewer pipe installation, followed by the stormwater pipe installation and then water. The City of Portland approved public works plan is now at 90 percent.

    The fourth quarter 2025 wildlife camera footage was just completed and sent to the Bureau of Environmental Services. There will be another series of camera deployments after construction of the retaining wall on SW Shattuck Road. Neighbors requested an eDNA water sampling in Vermont Creek early this Spring, but that was denied by the developer due to safety and insurance concerns. The easements for Bureau of Environmental Services access cannot be recorded until all of the utilities are set in place.

    There are no renderings for the home designs yet, and no price points have been established. The home pictured on the sign on the site is not what will be built on the site.

    Beaverton Traffic Management Plan

    Hemstreet Heights neighbors asked about the packet they received in early February from the City of Beaverton traffic engineer. It included a survey about installation of four speed cushions using markups of AKS Engineering drawings with responses due by February 11. AKS was not aware of the proposed plan or the preparation of the packet.

    The information in the packet did not follow the Raleigh Crest Land Use decision, which required that Beaverton coordinate with neighbors according to Beaverton’s Neighborhood Traffic Calming Program. The Program calls for meetings with the neighbors and a 21-day response timeline, not 14 as provided. Approval of the Traffic Management Plan is required before the Stage 2 plat is recorded, which will be several months out. Construction of the new Dover Terrace will be part of Stage 2.

    Neighbors are following up with the City of Beaverton to schedule the required meetings. There are concerns about the location of the speed cushions, lack of bike lane striping on SW Dover St. for the Red Electric Trail, and other safety options that should be considered.

    Red Electric Trail

    Neighbors asked why the western trail access at SW Dover St. was moved from where it was initially proposed, which followed the long established walking path on the south side of the fence. The City of Portland said that installing the 12-foot wide trail there would impact the roots of the large trees along Dover St. so access was moved to the east. If the city should approve changing it back, it would require new permits which could likely cause a delay. AKS will install whatever the city requires.

    Get more history and updates about the Alpenrose site at Friends of Alpenrose.

  • Transportation Funding Open House February 19

    Transportation Funding Open House February 19

    “Portland has a transportation crisis. There are potholes everywhere, our streets are deteriorating, our bridges are aging and we can’t afford the safety improvements our community needs. The cost of construction has gone up, and funding has not increased to pay for it. The longer we wait to repair our streets, the more expensive and expansive the problems get”
    –Portland City Council Member Olivia Clark – District 4

    Transportation Open House

    Councilor Clark has introduced a resolution to Portland City Council to consider how to solve these problems. The Council needs feedback from SW Portland community members. Portland Bureau of Transportation is hosting this and other open houses for the community to weigh in on issues including:

    • the options to raise more money
    • the kinds of things that the city would spend the money on
    • ways to review and monitor the spending

    Join the conversation on Thursday, February 19, 6:30 to 8:30 pm at the Rieke Elementary School Gym (1405 SW Vermont Street).

    Hundreds of Hayhurst residents turned up for the Transportation Conversation relating to the Alpenrose site back in summer 2024. Let’s continue the advocacy for improvements to SW Shattuck, SW Vermont and other streets in our neighborhood!

  • SW 45th Avenue Paving Project Update

    SW 45th Avenue Paving Project Update

    Portland Bureau of Transportation Project Manager Geren Shankar joined our December neighborhood meeting for an update on the SW 45th Avenue paving project from
    SW Vermont Street north to SW Flower Place. Geren reported that the 60% design is being revised due to cost overruns. He will send us the updated plans when ready.

    Geren thanked neighbors on SW Kanan Drive for walking the site with him. One of the neighbors posted a traffic mirror on SW 45th across from Kanan. Geren agreed 100% that there is poor visibility, and that southbound traffic flies over the hill from SW Cameron Road at high speeds. He said that the Portland Fire Bureau did not approve speed cushions on SW 45th as it is a main artery for emergency response vehicles. Geren added that he would provide updates.

    The Neighborhood Association members plan to continue to advocate for traffic calming on SW 45th Avenue, Shattuck Road, Cameron and other neighborhood streets.