Portland’s newest protected bike lane on Northeast Halsey Street is now marked with distinctive green and white colors, completing a major safety upgrade for cyclists and transit riders across a three-quarter-mile corridor. The colored markings were applied during night work between July 13th and July 17th, 2026, using a blowtorch method to permanently adhere the paint to the raised concrete surface.
This project transforms what has historically been a dangerous stretch of road into a visibly defined, two-way cycling path that runs continuously from NE 81st Avenue to NE 92nd Avenue. The color choice—green and white—makes the protected bike lane immediately recognizable to all road users, a design standard that differentiates cycling infrastructure from regular painted lanes and sends a clear signal about how the space should be used. For commuters heading to the NE 82nd Avenue MAX station from the business district and nearby neighborhoods, this represents a meaningful shift from sharing the road with cars to having dedicated, separated cycling infrastructure.
Table of Contents
- What Makes These Colorful Bike Lane Markings Matter?
- How Were These Colored Markings Applied to the Concrete Path?
- Connecting to the MAX Station and Broader Bike Network
- Navigating the New Two-Way Bike Lane as a Cyclist
- Safety Considerations on Portland’s High Crash Corridor
- Pedestrian Infrastructure and Transit Access
- Project Scope and the Broader Safety Investment
What Makes These Colorful Bike Lane Markings Matter?
The green and white coloring isn’t merely aesthetic; it’s functional safety infrastructure. Unlike traditional white painted bike lanes that blend into standard road markings, the bright green color creates immediate visual contrast that alerts drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists to the presence of dedicated cycling space. Studies of protected bike lanes in other cities show that highly visible markings reduce conflicts at intersections and driveways by making the infrastructure’s purpose unmistakable.
The raised concrete design adds another layer of protection beyond the visual marking. By elevating the cycling path about 6 inches above street level, the infrastructure creates a physical barrier between cyclists and motor vehicle traffic—a meaningful safety advantage over paint-only solutions. This design proves particularly effective on high-traffic corridors like Halsey, where the volume of car traffic and historically high crash rates demand more than visual cues alone.
How Were These Colored Markings Applied to the Concrete Path?
The installation method itself—using a blowtorch to heat-activate the adhesive—differs from standard street painting and speaks to the permanence of this infrastructure. When contractors apply heat during the blowtorch process, it creates a bond between the colored epoxy markings and the concrete surface that lasts significantly longer than painted lines. This technique means the green and white markings won’t fade or wear away from weather, deicing chemicals, or regular use the way traditional paint does on exposed surfaces.
The night work schedule (July 13-17) was chosen specifically to minimize disruption to daytime traffic and MAX riders. Halsey Street carries substantial vehicle volume during daylight hours, and contractors needed uninterrupted access to apply the markings properly. One limitation of this approach: cyclists using Halsey during the work week may have encountered temporary closures or modified routing, though the colorful result creates a permanent upgrade to daily commuting conditions.
Connecting to the MAX Station and Broader Bike Network
The new protected bike lane forms a direct link to the NE 82nd Avenue MAX station, solving a critical gap for transit riders who cycle to light rail. Previously, cyclists approaching the MAX station from the business corridor and surrounding residential areas faced mixing with general traffic for several blocks—a situation that discouraged transit/bike combination trips. Now, riders can cycle on protected infrastructure almost door-to-door with the station, making multimodal trips more practical and safer.
This corridor connection also integrates with existing bike infrastructure on both ends, creating a continuous route rather than an isolated segment. That continuity matters significantly for everyday utility cyclists. A protected lane that ends abruptly forces riders back into traffic conditions, defeating much of the safety purpose. The Halsey project extends from NE 81st to NE 92nd Avenue, providing a meaningful travel distance and connecting points to other bike infrastructure throughout Northeast Portland.
Navigating the New Two-Way Bike Lane as a Cyclist
The two-way design means cyclists traveling in both directions share the same path, separated from traffic by the raised concrete barrier. This configuration maximizes space efficiency compared to separate directional lanes and works well on corridors with moderate to heavy bicycle traffic. However, cyclists need to stay alert at driveway crossings and intersections where the two-way path crosses perpendicular streets—these are precisely the points where visibility and driver awareness become critical.
For cyclists commuting on Halsey during evening or early morning hours, the green markings provide enhanced visibility when lighting conditions are poor. Many car-bike crashes occur at low-light times, and highly visible markings reduce the likelihood of drivers failing to notice cyclists. The tradeoff in a two-way design versus separate directional lanes: you must share the path with oncoming cyclists, requiring the kind of predictable lane positioning and communication you’d use on a regular two-way street.
Safety Considerations on Portland’s High Crash Corridor
This project directly addresses a documented safety problem. Halsey Street between 80th and 92nd Avenues carried the designation of a “High Crash street corridor,” meaning historical data showed elevated rates of collisions involving people outside of cars. The Portland Bureau of Transportation designed this project specifically to reduce those crashes by providing physical separation rather than relying solely on driver attention or behavior change.
A key limitation to understand: protected bike lanes eliminate car-bike crashes along the lane’s length, but they don’t eliminate intersection crashes. Where the bike path crosses driveways or side streets, the risk profile changes. Drivers turning into or out of driveways may not expect a protected bike lane, and inexperienced cyclists may assume they have absolute priority. The truth is more nuanced—at these conflict points, cyclists need to remain alert and reduce speed, just as they would when entering any intersection or driveway crossing.
Pedestrian Infrastructure and Transit Access
The project included new sidewalks designed specifically for pedestrians accessing the MAX station, meaning cyclists aren’t the only beneficiaries. This approach recognizes that transit access involves multimodal trips—some people walk, some bike, some do both. The combination of protected cycling infrastructure and upgraded pedestrian walking paths creates a safer environment for all non-car travel along the corridor.
For families with children, the new sidewalks and protected bike lane together make a substantive difference. A parent can safely cycle alongside kids on the protected path, then safely walk them to the MAX station on improved sidewalk infrastructure. This kind of connected, safe network encourages transit use and cycling for short-to-medium trips that might otherwise default to car travel.
Project Scope and the Broader Safety Investment
The colored markings represent the final visible phase of the “NE Halsey Street (80th to 92nd Avenues) – Safety and Access to Transit Project.” This comprehensive project has included intersection improvements, driveway modifications, and traffic signal adjustments alongside the protected bike lane. The night work schedule for the colorful markings (completed July 17, 2026) signals that the primary construction is complete, though cyclists and pedestrians should remain aware of ongoing field adjustments or minor follow-up work typical of large infrastructure projects.
This corner of Northeast Portland now has permanent, high-visibility cycling infrastructure designed by the Portland Bureau of Transportation to serve daily commuters, transit riders, and casual cyclists. The green and white markings visible on the raised concrete path represent a commitment to safe cycling infrastructure that lasts—no repainting required for years, and physical protection that works regardless of driver behavior or attention.
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