82nd Avenue

82nd Avenue of the Roses (simply 82nd Avenue prior to 2005^[1]) is a street in Portland, Oregon, and comprises the northern end of Oregon Route 213, also known as the Cascade Highway. It is one of the longest streets in Portland, running down the entire east side of the city, and extending into suburbs to the south. The street runs from Airport Way Frontage Rd in Northeast Portland, south through Clackamas and Happy Valley, to Interstate 205 in Gladstone. Oregon 213 continues south beyond I-205.

The MAX Light Rail serves 82nd Avenue directly at the Interstate 84 overpass, where the NE 82nd Ave MAX Station offers access to MAX's Blue, Green, and Red lines. The Green Line then parallels 82nd Avenue going south along I-205 to Clackamas Town Center Transit Center. The Red Line roughly parallels the northern portion of 82nd Avenue.

The entire length of 82nd Avenue is signed as Oregon Route 213. Because it is a state highway, 82nd Avenue is under the jurisdiction of the Oregon Department of Transportation. The agency views the street's top priorities as moving high volumes of automobile traffic efficiently, serving freight traffic, and serving as an alternative route when I-205 has problems.^[2] There is interest in transferring jurisdiction from the state to the City of Portland, in a transfer similar to what has already happened with North Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard and Sandy Boulevard.^[2]

As of 2014, five of the intersections along 82nd ranked among most dangerous 5% of Oregon intersections. The Oregon Department of Transportation planned to spend $5 million on safety improvements.^[2]

References

External links

• Avenue of the Roses: A documentary filmmaker collects portraits of change along 82nd Avenue from Willamette Week, February 20, 2013.