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New Solarize Projects will help North, Northwest Portland Homeowners go Solar

Featured News, Pearl News, Planning 1 Response »

Feb 032011

Another step in the right direction towards a cleaner more sustainable Portland, Solarize North and Solarize Northwest are projects to help homeowners in Portland dive into alternative energy. The goal is to make purchasing solar power more affordable by grouping entire neighborhoods together with volume purchases – and thereby reducing costs. The projects have full support from Neighbors West- Northwest Coalition (NWNW), North Portland Neighborhood Services (NPNS), City of Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, and the Energy Trust of Oregon.

North and Northwest Portland area homeowners looking to control their energy costs by using solar electricity have a new helping hand to guide them through the steps of a home installation. Solarize Northwest and Solarize North Portland are two new grassroots, community-based projects coordinated by Neighbors West -Northwest and North Portland Neighborhood Services.

With almost eight megawatts (MW) of solar power installed across the city (enough energy to power almost 700 homes) – Portlanders have helped prevent 4,000 metric tons of carbon emissions. The City of Portland is nearing its goal for installing 10 MW by 2012. There are currently 600 residential solar electric systems (also known as photovoltaics or PV), totaling 1.6 MW, installed in Portland. The growth of the local residential market has experienced a 400 percent increase in installations from 2008 to 2010.

For more information about the history of the Solarize programs, visit www.portlandonline.com/bps/solarize

Free workshops makes going solar easy and affordable

Solarize Portland neighborhood projects are designed to simplify the process of going solar and bring cost reductions through volume purchasing. Free workshops make the process easy to understand by covering topics such as the size of system to purchase, budgeting and financing, and how to get started.

View the schedule of free workshops in North Portland:
www.solarizenorth-nw.org/workshops-north

View the schedule of free workshops in Northwest Portland:
www.solarizenorth-nw.org/workshops

Online enrollment for both group purchase projects is now open at www.solarizenorth-nw.org and closes March 31, 2011.

The City of Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability and the nonprofit organization Energy Trust of Oregon are working together to support the launch of Solarize Northwest and North Portland, and can help any Portland neighborhood associations or groups interested in operating Solarize projects. For these two projects, the City of Portland is providing strategic assistance and coordination, and Energy Trust is providing technical assistance and cash incentives to help lower the upfront cost of the solar electric systems. Also, Solar Oregon is offering educational workshops and providing database services.

PDNA Installing Trash Cans in the Neighborhood

Featured News, Livability, Pearl News 1 Response »

Jan 092011

Monday January 10th at 10:30am the Pearl District Neighborhood Association will be installing the first 4 of 60 donated trashcans (each trashcan new cost approximately $900). The way this volunteer driven program came together is what makes the event special.

A number of organizations working side-by-side, including CleanScapes, the City of Portland, the Seattle Seahawks, the PDBA, Jan Valentine (Livability Chair of the PDNA) and an army volunteers created and implemented a program called Adopt-a-Trashcan. The Adopt-a-Trashcan program was developed for a need that surfaced in our rapidly growing neighborhood. The PDNA Livability Committee noticed that the Pearl District did not have some of the essential tools an urban neighborhood needs to keep its streets clean and welcoming. There were a number of problems that were starting to develop. Trash, graffiti, pet waste, cigarette butts and noise were the first problems that the PDNA Livability committee decided to address. If you have ever walked through the Pearl you may have left with the same empty coffee cup or worse…pet waste bag that you came with. The few trashcans in the Pearl have been taken care of over the years by civic minded companies like Cha Cha Cha. Up to this point these companies have received little or no recognition for their efforts. Their efforts include emptying multiple trashcans, multiple times per day. Our plan is to place a plaque on each trashcan in the Pearl District that has been adopted on a volunteer basis. This plaque will be to recognize new and long standing volunteers.

Adopt-a-Trashcan was created after research was conducted and a position paper was written.

http://www.pearldistrict.org/2010/03/trash-in-the-pearl-livability-position-paper/

The PDNA Livability Committee first went to the City of Portland and was unable to solicit their help, initially. Joshua Ryan with the PDBA was eventually able to convince them to donate 24 concrete city issue trashcans. Later, Denay Love with CleanScapes coordinated a donation from the Seattle Seahawks of 36 additional trashcans. Phase 1 of the Adopt-a-Trashcan program is now complete with 30 of the trashcans being adopted by businesses, residents, and organizations. We will be installing the first of many needed trashcans Monday. If you are interested in using our story to encourage community volunteerism please contact the PDNA’s Livability Committee at getinvolved@pearldistrict.org.

Traffic Pattern Changes For North of Lovejoy

Featured News, Pearl News, Transportation No Responses »

Nov 042010

New streetcar tracks, one-way streets will affect cyclists in the Pearl District

As part of the Portland Streetcar Loop Project, new tracks were installed and traffic patterns changed in the Pearl District. These changes will alter the cycling conditions in the vicinity of the west end of the Broadway Bridge and require that all travelers in the area be aware of new signs, lane markings, street and signal configurations and streetcar tracks.

The Portland Streetcar Loop Project is a 3.3-mile extension of the existing streetcar system from the Pearl District in NW Portland, across the Broadway Bridge and south to OMSI.

Major changes in the Pearl at the west end of the Broadway Bridge:

NW Lovejoy between NW 13th and 10th is a one-way, eastbound street that is closed to vehicles traveling westbound from the Broadway Bridge.

NW Northrup between NW 10th and 16th is a one-way, westbound street.

NW Marshall between NW 9th and 16th is a two-way street with a new bikeway that is the preferred route for cyclists accessing the west end of the Broadway Bridge. Improvements to the street include the addition of sharrows (shared lane markings), asphalt pathways in areas with cobblestones, and bicycle wayfinding signs and pavement markings.

NW Lovejoy between NW 9th and 10th has multiple streetcar tracks that present obstacles to cyclists.

A new “Copenhagen Left” turn box on NW Lovejoy at NW 9th is for cyclists traveling westbound from the Broadway Bridge turning southbound on NW 9th. See diagram below.

The bicycle lanes on NW Lovejoy between 9th and 13th Avenue have been removed.

NW Johnson between NW 14th and 9th will have shared lane markings for cyclists (sharrows) installed in the near future by the City.

Notes for westbound cyclists traveling from the Broadway Bridge:

To access the new bikeway on NW Marshall, cyclists must turn right at NW 9th while yielding to pedestrians in crosswalks, travel one block north while transitioning to the new shared left-turn lane, and then turn onto NW Marshall. See diagram of NW 9th below for details.

To access the bikeway on NW Johnson and points south, cyclists should use the new “Copenhagen Left” turn box on NW Lovejoy at NW 9th. To do this, cyclists are advised to ride through the intersection to the green box in the northwest corner, stop there and reposition their bicycle to face southbound, wait for the traffic signal on NW 9th to turn green for southbound travel, and then go. See diagram of NW Lovejoy and NW 9th Copenhagen Left below for details.

For further information, please contact Kay Dannen at 503-478-6404 or dannen@portlandstreetcar.org or visit www.portlandstreetcar.org for regular construction updates.