SE Harold

From the i205 Multi Use Path to 122nd

🌲🌳🌲🌳 Attention Neighbors: The Time to Plant is Now! 🌳🌲🌳🌲

Speed cushions can increase noise from passing cars. Get a head start on helping us reduce noise long-term by planting a tree today!

March 2025 update

We now have two radar speed signs! Yay!!

These signs are designed to disrupt speeding by alerting drivers of their speed in real time. There is no camera, so they are not used for enforcement.

One sign was recnetly installed near 101st at a location where at least two cars have crashed into parked cars (see below), one block away from a crosswalk that leads to Bloomington park, and about two blocks before a home on 103rd that was hit by a car one year ago (nearly to the day). This is not magically going to slow all speeders, but it will certainly help drivers see just how fast they're going and hopefully, slowly, start to change driver behavior.

Spring 2024 update

We have speed cushions! But, are they doing enough?

Oh, how I wish we could say yes.

Overall neighbors are saying they’re thrilled with the speed cushions, but it’s clear that we need more safety measures to protect people from speeding cars.

On Saturday May 25, 2024 someone smashed into a neighbor’s car that was parked outside of a home on Harold. This happened after the speed cushions were installed.

Above: Red car hit in May of 2024, after the speed cushions were installed.

Above: Several years ago, the same family’s car (blue car) was hit in front of their house, taking out a power pole (before speed cushions).

Please contact us to let us know what problems you’re still seeing now that we have speed cushions, and what you’d like to see happen next (speed safety cameras that issue citations? other?). We need information so we can report back to PBOT and raise neighborhood awareness. Photos with information can be sent to our email address, LentsNeighbors [at] gmail [dot] com. You may also contact PBOT directly with your concerns. We can anonymize your information upon request. Thank you for your input!

What Neighbors Have to Say

“I'm concerned about visibility of the pedestrian crosswalk right before the 205 underpass. Oftentimes, vehicles will obstruct the visibility of the path leading to the crosswalk, and cars travel at high speed can't see oncoming pedestrians, which makes our neighbors and those utilizing the bike path at risk! I support speed bumps, but many cars I see are large enough that a speed bump might not be a deterrent. Sidewalks should be added past 102nd so that pedestrians can safely travel off of the street. Harold from 102nd and beyond seems designed exclusively for cars, which contributes to drivers operating their vehicles at excessive speed. Visual cues like sidewalks, greenery, bike lanes, stop signs, etc. will go further than speed limit signs or bumps; we need to fundamentally rethink the design of the street itself to convey that drivers and pedestrians have equal right to using Harold to commute.”

—Jenny, Harold St.

“Both my car and home have been crashed into and I have witnessed dozens of accidents due to exceedingly reckless driving. Harold street needs speed bumps, stop signs, and a radar speed display. I legitimately fear my son will die here.”

—Jay, Harold St.

“I have lived at 113th and Harold for 5 years and the speeding is absurd. Once people get past the stop sign at 111th they just floor it to 122nd. Many cars just roll through the intersection, and this is because 111th is so busy as a connecting street to Foster and Holgate. 111th really needs consideration as well to slow folks down from cutting through this area. I believe 111th has a speed limit of 35, which seems insane, and there are NO sidewalks. I tried biking down 111th when I first moved here to access the Springwater Corridor Trail and it was one of the most dangerous places I've ever ridden—cars go faster than 35, and gravel is on the roads and there is nowhere safe for a bike to be. I actually reached out to someone in PBOT (I believe) back when moved in and complained about the speeding and suggested that they put in speed bumps to mitigate the speeding but I was told it wasn't going to happen. I also asked about installing a camera to catch speeding vehicles. I also do hear and report gunshots in my area and often times the gunshots originate West of me, and then the vehicle speeds down Harold towards 122nd. I think speed bumps will help mitigate some of this speeding. I also want the city to create a sound ordinance for altered vehicles that are intentionally made to be obnoxiously loud. Safe that for a race track, keep it off the streets. These cars sound like gunshots.

I would also like to see sidewalks installed between 102nd and 122nd on Harold. It feels like the city stops caring about folks that live past a certain street and we are left to walk on broken glass, garbage, navigate massive puddles from where cars erode away the gravel, and this gravel then ends up on the edge of the road, where I have to unsafely try to ride my bike to say as far off the road as possible to keep away from cars going 45 or more. I don't even walk my dogs in the neighborhood because I am concerned of them stepping in broken glass/garbage/puddles of oil etc.

I have also complained to the Bureau of Environmental Science that owns the lot across from me, and the lot at 111th and Harold because of chronic dumping, camping etc. I am glad to hear that this land has plans (mailed out to residents last winter) to restore the wetlands, and connect these areas of land together, and install two other access paths to the springwater corridor trail between 111th and 122nd. The concrete blocks are an eyesore, but they did almost entirely solve the illegal dumping/car stripping issue at this spot. Now these activities just occur further down 111th.”

—Louise, Harold and 113th

“Over the course of the last year or so, the shootings on and around 97th–99th have increased notably. In one case a neighbor had a bullet go through the wall of their home. Another had several rounds that hit their car. This seems to be connected to people regularly driving down Harold at high speeds and using the north/south streets to loop back around to Foster and likely up to I-205. The lack of effective traffic safety measures is concerning not only because of the shooting at night, but also because this section of Harold is a school zone (Lent Elementary).”

—Kate, Ellis and 99th

“The constant speeding traffic and revving of engines all through the night make it difficult to sleep and cause mental health issues.”

— Maria, Harold & 104th

“I am tired of watching cars blow through stop signs just feet from where my daughter plays on their way from Harold to Foster, cutting through on 99th and 97th to get to I-205. I'm tired of setting my cruise control to 25 on Harold and having cars tailgate me or worse, try to pass me. I'm tired of streets that only have one sidewalk, of sidewalks without street trees, of sidewalks covered in trash and detritus. I want my kid to be able to ride her bike home from school without worrying that she's going to turn into a squashed bug when she crosses Harold, and right now, that's just not possible.”

—Name kept confidential, 99th and Ellis

Focus Area:

The entire stretch of Harold from 92nd to 122nd deserves attention, but we’ll focus on four points from i205 to 111th Ave; the areas where more pedestrians face the challenges of unsafe crosswalks and intersections.

 

Solutions

Looking toward a future where the area is more bike- and pedestrian-friendly, we need changes now that that will shift the mindset of drivers and lead to safer streets.

Below are the main problem areas and possible solutions for each:

 

 Problem Area

i205 Multi Use Path Crosswalk

  • Drivers do not stop at this croswalk.

  • Install a pedestrian crossing signal and let cars know that Harold is a space that’s welcoming to bicyclists and pedestrians.

 
 

Problem Area

97th–99th and Harold

  • Drivers speed through this school zone.

  • We are interested in seeing PBOT modify the intersection of 97th and Harold to be a four-way stop.

    Alternatively, we’d be interested in having a full diverter installed so that cars heading westbound on Harold can’t go southbound on 97th to get to the freeway. Or, perhaps speed bumps could be installed on 97th and 99th to discourage (or slow) cars using those streets as a connection between Harold and Foster.

 

School Zone on Harold, approaching 97th

Problem Area

SE 104th Ave. Intersection

We’re primarily concerned with drivers that run the stop sign at excessive speeds. But we’re also concerned about revving engines, modified exhaust pipes, and peeling out at all hours of the night and day.

See the SE 104th Ave page for a more detailed look at the problem and our proposed solutions.

 

Problem Area

SE 111th Ave. Intersection

We’re primarily concerned with drivers that run the stop sign at excessive speeds. But we’re also concerned about illegal dumping and the noise pollution that currently comes with the territory.

See the SE 111th Ave page for a more detailed look at the problem and our proposed solutions.

 

The Big Picture on Harold

Individually each problem outlined above may not feel pressing, but collectively they have made walking on or near Harold feel unsafe and unpleasant.

Neighbors have mentioned being nearly been hit by speeding drivers or have had damage done to their property in some capacity. We are determined to shift the perception that anything goes in our neighborhood.

 
 

Specifically…

We are thrilled with the speed cushions (install date: April 2024)! To continue to discourage unsafe driving, we’re interested in seeing fixed-speed safety cameras and flashing red lights at intersections. We also want more permanent structural changes that help alter the mindset of drivers in a more positive way (including installing sidewalks beyond 102nd, and adding other green infrastructure like bioswales).

  • The benefits of doing nothing do not outweigh the costs

    Multiple concerned neighbors are under the impression that we cannot do anything about Harold because of its status as a “Secondary Emergency Response” street. But we ask you to consider emergencies that could be prevented by slowing down drivers while discouraging other unsafe behaviors, and to rethink official street classifications if need be.

  • Act before someone gets killed

    A nearby neighbor, Cedar Markey-Towler, was killed at SE 114th and Foster Road on February 25th 2022. Something must be done to prevent another tragedy.

  • Noise pollution has become unbearable

    In addition to being a dangerous street, the noise pollution is constant, has impacts on mental and physical health, and is very likely in violation of city code.

STAY INFORMED

Recent Crashes on Harold

SUV drives into Living Room (Dec. 30, 2023):

Lexus demolishes staircase on Harold and 103rd, (Mar. 11, 2024):

Car smashed into power pole at Lents Market (March 11, 2024):

PBOT Plans

The outer part of Harold (past 102nd) is on PBOT’s radar! It’s time to get these projects scheduled and make sure they’re addressing the problems we’re seeing.

 
 

TSP Project Info (outer Harold only)

The outer parts of Harold currently fall under the following projects:

Powellhurst/Gilbert Pedestrian Improvements (80016): Construct sidewalks, curbs, and drainage, as well as crossing improvements to enhance pedestrian travel and access to transit and schools.

Outer Harold Bikeway (8197): Design and implement bicycle facilities.

Timeframe for both projects: Unknown