Portland Then/Now: SE 82nd Ave. Between Clinton & Division

Thursday, May 07, 2015

Byron Beck, GoLocalPDX Features Editor

SE 82nd between SE Clinton Street and SE Division Street, circa 1934: City of Portland Archives. A2009-009.2138

SE 82nd Ave., 2014

Portland Then/Now: SE 82nd Ave. Between Clinton and Division Street

THEN: 82nd Avenue comprises the northern end of Oregon Route 213, also known as the Cascade Highway. Perhaps the stretchiest street in all of Portland it extends the entire length of the east side of town. The street, which is actually a state highway, runs from Airport Way in Northeast Portland, south through Clackamas and Happy Valley, to Interstate 205 in Gladstone.

According to a comment on Vintage Portland, this photo, taken in 1934, shows that in the far distance on the left (west) side of Division you can see a line of what looks like tall poles. Into the late 1950s there was a golf driving range at this point and these poles, or ones like them, had nets strung between them to protect traffic on 82nd from errant balls.

NOW: The hub of the eastside 82nd Avenue has been rechristened the Avenue of the Roses.

The hope is that the street which has been traditionally a magnet for prostitution and other criminal activity can become revitalized by promoting new business in the district including the highly successful Asian Night Market in the Jade District.

The MAX Light Rail also serves 82nd Avenue directly at the Interstate 84 overpass, where the NE 82nd Ave MAX Station offers access to MAX's Blue, Green, and Red lines. The Green Line then parallels 82nd Avenue going south along I-205 to Clackamas Town Center Transit Center. The Red Line roughly parallels the northern portion of 82nd Avenue.

As of 2014, five of the intersections along 82nd ranked among most dangerous 5% of Oregon intersections. The Oregon Department of Transportation is planning to spend $5 million on safety improvements.