NE 7th Ave update: filled and ready for planting

The new Green Street feature on NE 7th Ave is shaping up. With the asphalt gone, a new curb poured, and the swale filled with soil, it’s now easy to imagine how it will look when completed. Sustainable stormwater management practices like this swale come from a recognition of the relationship between the built and natural environments. The swale is here to work on our behalf — and looks good doing it. Next step: Plants!

NE 7th Ave Green Street update: curbs poured today

Today a Portland Department of Transportation crew poured curbs for the new Green Street; NE 7th Ave. The next and final step for the Transportation Department, backfilling the hole, is planned for completion this week. After that the Portland Parks Department can begin planting the swale.

Then and now: NE 7th Green Street Progress

NE 7th Ave update: contruction underway

Portland Department of Transportation workers are digging up asphalt, making room for the new bioswale on NE 7th Ave. The crew plans to finish excavation today. The next step will be to pour a new curb, afterwhich filtration medium can be installed.

Portland’s newest Green Street

Construction will soon begin at NE 7th Ave on what will be the newest curb extension biofiltration swale in the city.

The outline of a new curb extension for the swale is now visible on the street. The swale will be constructed upstream of the current extension on street parking under mature chestnut trees. The nearest downstream storm drain is just around the corner on the north side of Fargo Street. Check out the drawing below, provided by BES, which shows the form the finished swale will take.

Check back for new photos after construction begins.

NE Siskiyou Green Street

Two curb extensions containing biofiltration swales installed at NE Siskiyou St and NE 35th Pl in 2003 are still looking great after nearly 5 years. This is the very first project in Portland combining curb extensions with landscaped swales to manage stormwater runoff on the street. According to BES the paired swales took 2 weeks to construct at a cost of $1700.

Green Streets

This is a place to share information among green street and swale enthusiasts in Portland, OR. Among other possible functions, it will serve as an interactive forum for Friends of Green Streets where group progress and reports are published and resources aggregated.

What do you think?