Let There be Light in Woodfords Corner!

Thanks to our many friends who joined our winter effort to get street lamps in the Corner! The first six are scheduled to be installed this year.

As you may remember, from 2017 to 2018, Woodfords Corner was the epicenter of a major construct project to improve safety and access for all modes of transportation. The original plan included the installation of pedestrian-scale street lights, but lighting was eliminated due to cost overruns. Many residents were blindsided by the elimination of these lights, as they were included in plans shown at public meeting and were considered a key placemaking and economic development aspect of the project.

Due to the high volume of fast-moving cars through the Corner at all hours, good lighting for pedestrians is essential - for placemaking and for safety. Street lights contribute to establishing Woodfords Corner as a place to stop, shop, and participate in a vibrant neighborhood rather than a place to pass through. Improved safety due to lighting will also helps businesses extend their hours into the evening, contributing to the fgoal of the 2017 Portland Comprehensive Plan to make Woodfords Corner a “complete neighborhood.”

Thanks to your help, Portland’s 2023 Capital Improvement Plan includes funding to install six lights. We are hoping that this is the start to a multi-year commitment to finishing this transformational project. The lights are included in an upcoming City of Portland electrical contract, which intends to install the lights later this year.