Transportation money will pay for a safer Powell Boulevard

PORTLAND, Ore. — The money from the transportation bill passed by Oregon lawmakers this year will help the city make big improvements on Powell Boulevard.

The four-mile stretch of road slated for improvement will run from 99th to near 174th.

The Portland Bureau of Transportation said the $110 million project will transform east Powell from a crash-prone urban highway to a street that’s safer for cyclists and walkers.

And the statewide Safe Routes to School program is getting an initial boost of $10 million a year, and then growing to $15 million in five years.