This Washington County Urban Road Maintenance Development (URMD) project aimed to enhance pedestrian access along NW Filbert Street from NW Saltzman Road to NW Murray Boulevard, covering a total project length of approximately 1,500 feet. These older neighborhoods were originally developed without sidewalks, so pedestrians were forced to use the street and navigate around parked cars and vehicle traffic.
The roadway was in good condition, and county funds were limited to adding sidewalks to only one side of the roadway. This project focused on pedestrian improvements, so finding the optimal sidewalk alignment was important to reduce property owner impacts and limit right-of-way and construction costs. PACE was asked to assist with the right-of-way and design survey, civil engineering, public involvement, bidding, and construction administration services.
To minimize topographic mapping costs, PACE utilized its drone-based mapping capability to develop a preliminary topographic surface for the areas outside the roadway surface for the preliminary engineering phase. Once the sidewalk alignment was determined, the field crews completed the detailed mapping of the areas where the sidewalk would be located. Our team also prepared the right-of-way and easement legal descriptions and exhibits.
The improvements included constructing a five-foot-wide, curb-tight sidewalk on one side of NW Filbert Street to ensure continuous pedestrian access. Additionally, the project addressed ADA improvements at intersections by installing ADA curb ramps and ensuring driveway ramp accessibility. PACE provided the County with materials for the virtual public involvement program as this project occurred during COVID protocols.
PACE also incorporated a raised median at NW Saltzman Drive as a late addition to the construction documents to promote traffic calming and pedestrian safety. The median design was developed in response to residents’ concerns about the speed of traffic turning onto NW FiIbert from SW Saltzman Road.
