• Section of OR 217 north closed for two weekends in August
• Thompson Road reopens in the new alignment
• Median barrier removed from Old Thompson Road
• Oregon e-bike rules
• Sight distance in the Timberland complex

Section of OR 217 north closed for two weekends in August

The final two weekend directional closures to complete paving on OR 217 north are currently scheduled for August 8-11 and August 15-18. The closure area during the weekend paving will be OR 99W to Scholls Ferry Road. During the weekend work, crews will pave the ramps, shoulders, and new auxiliary lanes. The remaining lanes within the project area will be paved during nighttime lane closures.

Similar to the weekend paving work on southbound OR 217 in June, these closures will start on Friday night at 9 pm and reopen by 5 am. the following Monday. Paving is dependent on weather and equipment availability, which means details may change suddenly. Please check the project website and your inbox regularly for the most up-to-date information.

Thompson Road reopens in the new alignment

Contractors finished up the main task of realigning Thompson Road early, opening the road on August 1. Some work will continue on Old Thompson and on the nearby road margins.

Neighbors are concerned about the 40 mile per hour posted speed. The presentation during the 2022 Open House stated that the speed would be 35 mph.

Here’s the information we received from Land Use & Transportation:

“There was no posted speed limit on the prior Kenney Terrace alignment. As it was less than a quarter mile long, it did not qualify for one.

“The Thompson Road Realignment was designed for 40 mph, which is consistent with the posted speed on the portions of Thompson Road on either end of the project.  The two curves did have a design exception for 35 mph, which acknowledges the road will be posted at 40 mph until a study establishes the permanent posted speed. 

“As is general practice, we wait six months after a project is substantially complete before asking ODOT to perform a speed zone investigation to determine the appropriate speed zone is for both the new and old sections of Thompson Road.  

“In the meantime, the 40 mph signs on the new alignment are posted with temporary plaques indicating it is a temporary speed.”

Median barrier removed from Old Thompson Road

As work progressed on realigning Thompson Road, CPO leader Bruce Bartlett wondered if the median at 135^th Terrace was still necessary. It had been required when that segment of the road was still labeled with a 40 mile per hour speed limit. Bartlett wrote “The Old Thompson remnant that provides access to Findley Elementary School could not possibly “require” a 40 MPH speed limit. That is a very short road span. It is in a speed-limited school zone, goes past a TVF&R Fire Station and has a sharp angle approach to the stop sign at new Thompson Road. That is surely a 25 MPH design.”

After an analysis by county engineers, the team agreed, and the median was removed in late July as part of the work of the realignment project.

Oregon e-bike rules

A reader noted that they had observed dangerous behavior from “kids on e-bikes” in her neighborhood. When the topic was brought up during a CPO meeting, Meghan Rasmussen, Community Outreach specialist for the sheriff’s office, sent us a link for the Oregon Micromobility, Moped, and Mini Motorcycle Guide that has an overview of regulations.

We also found useful information on the Oregon Department of Transportation site, that notes that although e-bikes are considered bicycles under the vehicle code, a few different rules apply. The minimum age to operate an e-bike is 16. People riding e-bikes may ride in bicycle lanes and on paths, but not on sidewalks. If there is not a bicycle lane, you can ride an e-bike or e-scooter in the lane with traffic. Electric scooters, or “e-scooters,” are subject to the same rules as e-bikes, except people of all ages must wear a helmet while riding an e-scooter and travel at a maximum speed of 15 miles per hour. 

We hope this information helps parents guide their kids to safe behavior.

Sight distance in the Timberland complex

Several readers have noted difficulty being able to see oncoming traffic at intersections in Timberland, particularly around 118^th. Either landscaping had been planted that blocked the view, or weeds had grown up to obscure visibility. That area is in the City of Beaverton, so we reached out to them. We were told by Public Works that “in newer areas as these, it is typically the adjacent commercial property that takes ownership of their maintenance. For example, the shopping center may have one of the medians and Beaverton School District may have one that is closer to the school. Their landscaping company is usually the one to address it.”

We asked them for help contacting those parties and were told the issue would be forwarded to Beaverton Code Compliance. The web page has a link to email the program, so if anyone has similar problems in areas of Beaverton, or these problems don’t seem resolved, we urge you to reach out to them. Washington County makes it a lot easier with their Request a Road Service form!