At the intersection of the Going Street Bicycle Boulevard and Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) constructed a median refuge island to shorten the crossing distance for bicyclists. MLK Boulevard is a 58’ four-lane arterial road and former state highway with a peak hour PM vpd of 2400. It is a major North-South traffic street built up with commercial storefronts. Immediately north of the intersection runs a pre-existing tree-lined median. The median refuge island constructed in 2010 effectively extends that median, blocking turning traffic and creating a cut through for cyclists using the Going Street Bicycle Boulevard. Because of the high level of motor vehicle traffic at the intersection, this reconfiguration boasts a significant amount of signage to warn motorists of crossing bicyclists and creates a barrier to east-west traffic and turning vehicles. The intersection includes an advanced stop bar, ladder-bar crossings for pedestrians, and a combined bicycle and pedestrian sign to alert motorists at the crossing. Users report that motorists yield to bicyclists at the same rate as pedestrians. Follow-up counts have measured PM peak cyclist counts of up to 83 cyclists per hour at the crossing.
Going Street NCHRP 562 based Analysis Summary Worksheet
Median Refuge Island Construction Plan
Median Refuge Island Signage Plan
Median Refuge Island Markings Plan
Median Refuge Island Crossing Side Signage Plan