Lake Oswego plans to add four new pathways in the community

The city of Lake Oswego’s long-term goal of updating the community’s rural infrastructure and creating a walkable environment continues to progress, one project at a time.

During a meeting Tuesday, Feb. 20, the City Council approved an $896,000 contract with Harper Houf Peterson Righellis Inc. for engineering services to complete four new pathways in the coming years. These pathways include Carman Drive from Waluga Drive to Quarry Road, Pilkington Road from Boones Ferry Road to Lakeview Boulevard, Tree Top Lane from Overlook Drive to Fernwood Drive and Meadowlark Lane from Overlook Drive Ridge Pointe Drive. These pathways were prioritized for design by the city’s Transportation Advisory Board. The city completed pathways on Douglas Way, Hallinan Street and Boca Ratan Drive in 2023.

Design and construction of the pathways will be funded through the street fund, with an expenditure of $4 million in three years and the projects are anticipated to be completed by summer 2025.

“These four pathways can be more efficiently delivered by combining into a single project. Key considerations during design will include public involvement, land rights, utility coordination, ADA compliance and constructibility,” the city staff report reads.

The city approved an increase to its street maintenance fee in late 2022 to bolster funding for pathway projects. Due to a lack of modern infrastructure in many areas of the city, many roads in town do not have pathways for pedestrians to walk or modern stormwater infrastructure. The total cost of all pathway projects likely would be hundreds of millions of dollars and the city has a long list of funded or unfunded projects within its Capital Improvement Plan.

The city is planning to provide a pathway update to council in March and to perform community outreach in the neighborhoods where the new pathways will go. For more information, visit https://www.ci.oswego.or.us/pathways-program.