PORTLAND, Ore. -- Neighbors on a nine-block stretch of Spokane Street in southeast Portland braced for the construction of a new bike boulevard on Sunday.

Between Sixth and 19th avenues, Spokane Street will become hallowed ground and a safer route for the city's bicyclists. By becoming a bike boulevard, the street gives priority to bicyclists. Cars will be allowed, but drivers will have to make way for those on two wheels.

The Bicycle Transportation Alliance defines bike boulevards as low-traffic neighborhood streets optimized for bicycling, where stops signs are turned to keep cyclists moving and drivers are discouraged from using the streets for cut-throughs.

Southeast Clinton Street is already a bike boulevard where speed bumps slow traffic and the traffic circles discourage speed.

More than 6 percent of Portlanders regularly commute to work by bicycle -- a rate that is eight times greater than most American cities.

Starting Monday, city workers will begin making safety improvements on Spokane Street. Paul Notti, who lives on the street, pushed for it to become a bike boulevard. He believes more Portlanders would use their bikes more often if the streets were safer.

"The No. 1 reason that people don't ride their bikes on city streets is fear -- fear they're going to be killed," he said.

The bike safety improvements on Spokane Street will come at a cost of 11 on-street parking spaces, according to the city's plans. While the street is not heavily traveled, the speed limit will soon be 20 mph. If drivers want a faster route, Southeast Tacoma Street is available one block away.

"It's worth giving up a little bit of convenience as a motorist for other modes of transportation," said Cal Noling, who lives in the area.

Spokane Street is the first of eight bike boulevard projects by the city. When the projects are complete, there will be 15 miles of new bike boulevards.

"It creates a safer route for kids on bikes and parents with strollers," Notti said.

Mayor Sam Adams said he eventually hopes to have more than 100 miles of bike boulevards in Portland.