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As the city of Beaverton pursues its vision of a vibrant downtown and builds upon a decade of planning and public engagement, it’s preparing to take the next step. The aim of the Beaverton Downtown Loop project is to improve walking, biking and transit on Southwest Hall Boulevard and Southwest Watson Avenue.

The project’s planning phase is nearing completion. A draft plan will be published for Beaverton City Council action in early 2023.

鈥淭he project team, led by city staff and consultants, developed design alternatives, conducted extensive technical analysis, and engaged in broad-based community involvement to develop the plan,鈥� Beaverton transportation project manager Dan Turk stated in an email.

The lead consultant on the city’s project team is landscape architecture, urban design and planning firm Walker Macy. Other team members include DKS Associates (transportation planning and engineering), Nelson\Nygaard (transportation planning), Communitas (public engagement), and Emerio Design (engineering).

The project team does not have a total cost estimate yet, according to Turk, but work is expected to cost tens of millions of dollars at full build-out. Some of the Beaverton Downtown Loop will be constructed by the city and other segments will be built as part of private redevelopment. The city is working to offset costs via federal and state funding.

The city of Beaverton received a $2 million Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant, according to a federal announcement in August. The city will enter into an agreement with the U.S. Department of Transportation for the grant, and staff will then develop the scope of the work and request proposals for consultant selection for the next phase of work.

鈥淚n winter 2023, city staff will quickly move into project development and preliminary design,鈥� Turk said.

The loop connects central Beaverton and Old Town along Southwest Hall Boulevard and Southwest Watson Avenue between Crescent Street and Fifth Street. From end to end, the loop is about a 15-minute walk. People walking or biking along the route currently face challenges, including difficult and inconsistent roadway and sidewalk conditions, fast-moving cars, and imposing crossings at Southwest Canyon Road, Southwest Farmington Road, and Union Pacific railroad tracks.

Community feedback has helped the project team understand existing roadway and sidewalk conditions, clarify the project vision, and identify opportunities and constraints. A 22-member Community Advisory Committee is providing the team with local knowledge and expertise.

鈥淭hese active transportation investments will improve mobility and access for the Central Beaverton neighborhood, an area that has been directly impacted by redlining and historically disenfranchised,鈥� Mayor Lacey Beaty stated.

Development work, funded by the RAISE grant, will help the project team refine the concept plan, cost estimates and implementation strategy, identify other grant opportunities, and determine where to leverage future redevelopment.