Portland's Gravel Street Service Kicks Off a New Season: 50 Miles of Unpaved Streets Graded Free Through Spring
The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) in Portland, Multnomah County, Oregon, said in a November 4 news release that its Gravel Street Service returns on Thursday, November 5, with maintenance crews starting in the Linnton, Forest Park and Northwest District neighborhoods before moving southward to Marquam Hill and Maplewood and concluding near Lewis & Clark College by the spring.
The service improves the condition of the 50 miles of unpaved gravel roads in Portland, along which more than 5,000 residences are located. These streets are not maintained by the city and deteriorate with regular use; as part of the service, PBOT crews fill in ruts and potholes and grade the streets for a smoother surface, placing new gravel depending on the condition of the roadway. The service is provided at no cost to residents.
PBOT started the Gravel Street Service in 2018. Crews work on a three-year cycle, working from November through springtime and tackling all sections of the city over three consecutive years. The work is funded by Fixing Our Streets, the program funded by Portland's 10-cent per gallon local gas tax, which voters resoundingly renewed in May 2024 for an additional four years through 2028.
Residents within the service area will receive a letter informing them when crews will start work, with door hangers and No Parking signs put out a few days beforehand. Crews typically work weekdays from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. and may work weekends in some cases; most streets take about one day. Some parking will be limited and traffic restrictions may be needed during the work, but residents will always have access to their homes.
(Source: Portland Bureau of Transportation)
Source: Portland Bureau of Transportation
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：Portland 东南 Ash Street 73至74大道之间路段经砾石街道服务整平前（左）与整平后（右）。Portland 交通局（PBOT）官方照片，随该局新闻稿发布。 / Photo: SE Ash Street between 73rd and 74th avenues before (left) and after (right) Gravel Street Service grading. Official photo by the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT), released with its news release.
