City taking control of 82nd Avenue as part of ‘Build a Better 82nd’

PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) - 82nd Avenue is getting a new boss. Portland City Council made it official Thursday as it unanimously passed a resolution to take over management of one of the city’s deadliest arteries currently owned by O-DOT.

Specifically, P-BOT will absorb a seven-mile stretch of the highway as part of the “Build a Better 82nd” project, with improvements planned from Northeast Killingsworth, down to Southeast Clatsop on the Clackamas County border.

Cartlandia, is just of 82nd where cart owners are eager to see and feel the impact.

“It’s really busy and there’s a lot of traffic here,” said one cart operator. “I did notice there isn’t a lot of crosswalks, so maybe it would be great if the city did take it over and make sidewalks for people. It would be safer and we’d have more customers.”

Funding comes from the federal government, state legislature, O-DOT and the city.

Initial projects include spending $80 million on new lighting, new and safer crossings, pavement repair and making sidewalks more accessible.

It’s something community members here have long demanded for the busy and dangerous road, as P-BOT says 19 people have died crossing the street in the last 15 years.

“I’m happy about it. I think it’s needed, it’s a pretty busy road, obviously a lot of people drive on it and I’ve heard people say they won’t come to 82nd because it’s 82nd.”

Michelle Rademacher owns The Crystal Guide and says she loves Portland this area but adds it’s time to bring some love and energy to this side of town.

“I feel like it’s kind of neglected, everybody says it’s just out there, it’s not included in part of the city,” Rademacher says. “I think it’s important to put the money and the attention to it, to make it not only safer, but thrive for the community.”

P-BOT says that in 2026, another roughly $100 million will be spent to make improvements and what that looks like will be shaped by a community-involvement process that will begin in the fall.

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