Springwater Corridor
The Springwater Corridor Trail is a bicycle and pedestrian rail trail in the Portland metropolitan area in Oregon, United States. It follows a former railway line of the same name in its route from Boring, through Gresham, to Portland, where it ends near the Eastbank Esplanade. A large segment also roughly follows the course of Johnson Creek, and crosses it on bridges many times. Much of the corridor was acquired by the City of Portland in 1990; remaining segments were acquired by Metro thereafter.[1]
The trail is part of the Portland area's 40 Mile Loop trail system.[2] It connects to many adjacent or nearby parks, including Tideman Johnson Natural Area, Powell Butte, and others.
Contents |
[edit] History
The Springwater Division rail line was named for a planned connection to Springwater, Oregon.[3][4]
The Portland Traction Company operated rail service from Portland to Boring from 1903 until 1989. Passenger service peaked in 1906 and ended in 1958. Oaks Amusement Park—and five other city parks—were built to encourage weekend passenger traffic. Freight trains brought farm produce into Portland.[5]
When ODOT began a project to widen Oregon Highway 99E, a new, expensive overpass was required for the rail line. Citing low traffic volumes, construction was refused and the line was put up for sale. This was of great interest to the 40-Mile Loop Trust, a conservation effort formed in 1981[4] to build a trail around Portland connecting its many parks, planned since 1904, but had made little progress. The Trust had proven effective at getting many key governmental agencies to work with each other. They called upon the Southern Pacific and Union Pacific railroads, co-owners of the abandoned line, to transfer the land to the Trust. This matter was subject of a battle between on-line railroad shippers and Metro. However, by 1990, the deal was completed, and represented a significant step in the completion of the Loop.[6][7][8]
During master planning in 1991 for conversion, the projected use of the corridor was 400,000 people annually, distributed as 56% bicycling, 36% walking, 9% jogging, and 3% equestrian. By 2003, usage was expected to exceed one million users per year.[9]
Prior to paving, much of the trail was suitable for mountain biking.[10]
Construction of the east-west segment of the trail between Oregon Highway 99E and Gresham was completed in 1996. An additional mile east of Gresham was built in 2000. In 2005, a 3-mile north-south "Springwater on the Willamette" segment opened between central Portland and the Sellwood Bridge along the Willamette River.[1] Unlike the other sections of the trail, the rail line remained, separated by a fence. The line is currently operated by the Oregon Pacific Railroad.
The last significant section of the trail was completed ahead of schedule in summer 2006, when the construction of three new bridges over Johnson Creek, Oregon Highway 99E and a railroad line, allowing users to cross them without having to detour and mix with traffic on busy streets.[11]
As of 2011, a one-mile gap in the Sellwood area remains but is planned to be reduced.[12][13] This segment was one of the parks and trails recommended for funding by a Metro advisory panel in 2001.[14]
In 2003, Portland was one of 25 cities that received a $200,000 grant from Active Living by Design to promote urban planning that encourages physical activity. Some of the money was allocated to a Lents Station interpretive trailhead along the Springwater Corridor.[15]
In 2006, the City of Portland rejected a development proposal for a property that did not include an easement for a greenway along the Willamette River, and would have prevented completion of a planned connection between the Springwater Trail and the Eastbank Esplanade.[16] The easement requirement was upheld by the Oregon Court of Appeals on February 13, 2008.[17]
The trail is gravel from Rugg Road to Boring.[7] There is a proposal to continue this trail to connect the 40 Mile Loop to the Pacific Crest Trail.[18][19]
[edit] See also
[edit] Gallery
-
This straight portion parallels Johnson Creek Blvd, probably the section most exposed to auto traffic.
-
Most of the trail is bordered by fields and trees
-
Tideman Johnson Natural Area is built along the Springwater Corridor
[edit] References
- ^ a b Springwater Corridor from Portland Parks & Recreation web site
- ^ TSUI, BONNIE (October 22, 2004). "Running on Trails, Not the Mean Streets". New York Times travel. http://travel.nytimes.com/2004/10/22/travel/escapes/22ADVE.html?_r=1&n=Top/Reference/Times%20Topics/Subjects/R/Running&oref=slogin.
- ^ Springwater Corridor map from Portland Parks and Recreation web site
- ^ a b Springwater Corridor in the Oregon Encyclopedia
- ^ "Springwater Corridor, SE Ivon St to Boring, Oregon". Portland Parks and Recreation. http://www.portlandonline.com/parks/finder/index.cfm?PropertyID=679&action=ViewPark. Retrieved 2009-07-13.
- ^ Charles E. Little (1990). Greenways for America. JHU Press. pp. 76–80. ISBN 0-8018-5140-8. http://books.google.com/books?id=qhPzEmNKE8EC&pg=PA76&lpg=PA76&dq=40+Mile+Loop&source=web&ots=qVaqz0Bat6&sig=YrE6Knd_4JHEUv_0gknn_ZbdQQQ&hl=en#PPA76,M1. Retrieved 2008-05-30.
- ^ a b Tomlinson, Stuart (August 26, 2007). "On Springwater's open road, there's lots to see". The Oregonian. http://www.oregonlive.com/printer/printer.ssf?/base/news/1186797309159510.xml&coll=7. Retrieved 2008-05-31.
- ^ "Foster Auto Parts v. City of Portland, 15 P.3d 573 (Or. App., 1998)". submitted September 15, 1998; filed December 6, 2000. https://www.fastcase.com/Google/Start.aspx?C=0ddb0f0b0069570471f9af65021254cc023dc54084643a30&D=886df08f8db0ead9bd78b909d54242979663f333304ae35c. Retrieved 2008-05-31.
- ^ George M. Hudson, Landscape Architect, former City of Portland Park Planner, Trail Program Manager. "Case Study No. 32, Portland, Oregon". PEDSAFE, Trail Intersection Improvements. Federal Highway Administration. http://www.walkinginfo.org/pedsafe/casestudy.cfm?CS_NUM=32. Retrieved 2009-07-13.
- ^ Norris, Mike (2002-05-14). "Mountain biking in Portland". Daily Vanguard. http://media.www.dailyvanguard.com/media/storage/paper941/news/2002/05/14/Sports/Mountain.Biking.In.Portland-2609796.shtml.
- ^ Johns, Anna (April 18, 2006). "Getting close to closure". Portland Tribune. http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=34904.
- ^ Metro: Sellwood Gap shrinks with help from voter-approved Natural Areas Program
- ^ Metro closes more than half of the Sellwood Gap, allowing the Springwater Corridor to expand in Southeast Portland | Metro news
- ^ Vesbach, Jeremy (December 11, 2001). "15 local sites suggested for new parks". Daily Journal of Commerce. http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-27350219_ITM.
- ^ Curl, Aimee (2003-12-04). "Portland receives funds to design for active living". Daily Journal of Commerce. http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-19582249_ITM.
- ^ Jenniges, Amy (June 29, 2006). "War Path: Property Owner Kicks up Stink over Public Trail". The Portland Mercury. http://www.portlandmercury.com/portland/Content?oid=41958&category=22101.
- ^ Law, Steve (March 18, 2008). "Ruling clears way for riverfront link". Portland Tribune. http://portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=120578464233290100.
- ^ "40 Mile Loop map" (pdf). 40-Mile Loop Land Trust. http://www.40mileloop.org/maps/40MileLoop_map.pdf. Retrieved 2008-07-10.
- ^ "Metro: Cazadero Trail". Metro. http://www.oregonmetro.gov/index.cfm/go/by.web/id=24606.
[edit] External links
- The Abandoned Portland Traction Company Springwater Division & the Boring Branch from Abandoned Railroads of the Pacific Northwest
- Photos and description of Springwater Trail
- Video on volunteers working with the Lents Springwater Habitat Restoration Project
Coordinates: 45°28′34″N 122°33′24″W / 45.4762309°N 122.5567588°W
