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Willamette Falls Drive Streetscape Improvements benefit businesses, multimodal use

Submitting Firm: Harper Houf Peterson Righellis Inc.
Location: West Linn
Client/Owner: City of West Linn
Other Consultants/Key Participants: DKS Associates, GeoDesign Inc. (NV5)

Located within the heart of historic Willamette Main Street, this project transformed the Willamette Falls Drive business district by replacing existing auto-centric facilities with a street section that provides a better balance for bicycles and pedestrians.

The City of West Linn, in partnership with the Historic Willamette Main Street nonprofit, developed preliminary concepts for the corridor鈥檚 revitalization. In addition to the multimodal improvements, their goal was to provide ample places along the corridor for businesses to offer outdoor seating and amenities, creating a more inviting storefront atmosphere for restaurant patrons and window shoppers.

The HHPR team worked with the pair to refine the design elements, develop construction documents, and assist in overseeing construction details. The project incorporated intersections, innovative parking treatments, cycle track, and physical separation of restaurants and businesses from the roadway.
The two primary elements were the grade-separated cycle track with protected intersections and back-in angled parking. The section was capped off with the addition of landscaping, street furniture, and a state-of-the-art holiday lighting and sound system that will enhance the out-of-car experience and promote businesses within the corridor.

The holiday lighting and sound system required the integration of electrical circuits, conduit for the lighting controls and poles for Wi-Fi and speaker placement. The team worked with the holiday lighting contractor throughout construction to incorporate these components into the streetscape project.

The project needed to begin in winter 2020 to maximize construction when restaurants and businesses along the corridor relied less on their outdoor spaces. In a rare positive impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the shutdown of businesses in March 2020 presented an opportunity to change the construction staging and expedite aspects of construction that were most impactful to the adjacent businesses.

Erich Lais, PE, assistant city engineer for West Linn, credited the HHPR team with quickly developing unique design details for effective construction of the project.

鈥淭he HHPR team provided outstanding coordination and exceeded my expectations throughout all aspects of the project,鈥� he wrote in a letter recommending the project for an ACEC honor. 鈥淭he team coordinated the complex construction details, and worked closely with us during construction to provide staging solutions to keep this busy commercial corridor open and available to the public. The result is a vibrant, multimodal corridor for the city of West Linn.鈥�

One of the primary challenges for the design team was integrating facilities for each mode with the elevation grade difference across the corridor. The team developed two different cross section templates to address grade, and then developed detailed grading of each curb along the corridor to match between the existing road and the building entrances.

The curbs were designed for consistency along the corridor so that pedestrians crossing the bicycle facility have a consistent and informed experience. This was modified through construction to include additional striping and modifications to curb heights to help address concerns and potential tripping hazards associated with the corridor.

This approach to safely accommodating all modes within the corridor provides a truly Complete Street for the Willamette Falls Drive business district and community.