Neighbors continue to be concerned about the safety of bicyclists trying to get from the intersection of Barnes and Cornell to south of Highway 26 ever since the intersection was redeveloped in 2023. A reader recently shared this, “When crossing Barnes southbound on Cedar Hills Boulevard it becomes a “no-man’s land” for bikes. You get in the way of one of the two south turning lanes and there is just nowhere safe to ride.”

When the Life Time development was approved at the southwest corner of Barnes and Cedar Hills Boulevard (CHB) it triggered a complex remodel of the intersection, adding lanes and bicycle/pedestrian facilities. The development was approved by the City of Beaverton. Washington County has jurisdiction over the roads, but the highway onramps and underpass is managed by Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT). 

The proposed bike/ped route called for an underpass/tunnel to be built beneath the westbound onramp to the Highway 26. Beaverton’s approval included a requirement for Life Time to build the facility or pay into a fund towards future construction. The underpass will be very expensive. ODOT set aside partial funding, and around $530,000 is held by Washington County. According to ODOT spokesman David House, “the available funding will likely not cover the cost of design, let alone construction. There is no identified funding source by either ODOT or Washington County to make up the difference.”

Beaverton’s Planning Manager Jana Fox notes that, “It is possible that a future phase of the Sunset Station and Barnes Road PUD (Planned Unit Development) would be required to build a portion of it or pay a fee toward it.” The PUD includes Peterkort Co. properties on all four sides of the intersection and up both sides of Barnes to the east, including the area around the Sunset Transit Center.

Washington County Land Use & Transportation (LUT) shared this information: “Currently, there are not enough funds to cover all transportation projects on the lists maintained by Washington County, ODOT, and the City of Beaverton. Funds paid in by future development is the most likely way this project will move forward. Other possibilities include grant funding or the project rising to the top of one of the agencies’ priority lists, though those options are considered less likely.

“Money already set aside will remain in the fee-in-lieu account for this specific project until it’s ready to advance. This could happen when additional funds are added from nearby development, or when another funding source is identified to make up the difference.”

Since adequate funding seems unlikely in the near future, we asked if the funds could be used for another nearby improvement. LUT noted, “The funds already collected cannot be reassigned to benefit a different nearby improvement. The improvements that were a condition of approval are the only ones the money may be used on.”

As we noted in this 2023 article, a safer route would be to cross CHB and use the sidewalk on the east side of the road, but that would add several minutes to a commute—waiting for the light and walking a bicycle on the sidewalk. LUT adds, “As for whether the alternate route on the east side of Cedar Hills Boulevard could serve as a permanent solution, there is currently no timeline for improvements on the west side of the road and with that, no discussions of alternatives.”

As federal, state, and local transportation funding has dwindled, it seems the county’s commitment to the Bicycle Element of the long term Transporation System Plan has hit some speed bumps. Cycling advocates should stay aware of future development plans and make sure they include funding for the underpass.