Sandy Boulevard... Where do ya start?

Sandy Blvd.... so many things can and have been said about this road, cutting across Northeast Portland, OR.

It wasn't easy, for me, to find it's full history all in one website, but some good information about Sandy Blvd. embedded in another story, (more about one of its dangerous intersections).

"Sandy Boulevard is by far one of Portland's oldest transportation landmarks. It was once Portland's only road east from the Willamette River to the Sandy River, which is where it got its name." [from the KATU link above].

That explains (to me) the diagonal route of Sandy Blvd., and I wonder how many thought this road was ripped through Northeast Portland after the grid was established. Whatever you feel about Sandy Blvd., it here, ya learn to live with it, and the weird little cut out triangles, formed bu the grid system that chose to not follow suit.

I cringe when spotting bicyclists on Sandy Blvd. Some bicyclist take the extra wide road as its diagonal path as a good enough excuse to bicycle on it. Have had my guilty moments of bicycling on Sandy Blvd., hey, its a nice diagonal, but  try and keep myself on the roads with bike lanes. One Really has to keep their eyes moving like a chameleon on Sandy, because cars swing on and off this thing with ease, and sometimes anger, frustration and conviction, having to deal with the awkwardness of it.

Even tho I'm a bicyclist, I would decline seeing a bike lane on Sandy Blvd, Unless it could be done safely. Sandy Blvd. is like a calculus equation, with too many damn variable and functions to deal with.

A streetcar back on Sandy Blvd., between downtown and Hollywood District, yea! :). That would spur some dense development there, (probably piss off more motorist and bicyclist tho, meh, Deal with it!). I want to see Portland Streetcar develop around Canter City and close areas; Trimet bus and MAX start to become express through the inner areas, but that's for another blog.

Sometimes wish there was an opposite diagonal road, between MLK/Prescott and Burnside/I-205; maybe a tunnel, to avoid those crazy triangles along Sandy Blvd. It's nice to cut across the city, which Sandy Blvd. allows many to do.

Time will tell the future of Sandy Blvd. Love it, hate it, whatever... makes for some good sunset pictures tho :)

Took this picture one fall afternoon, Sandy Blvd., at 41st Ave.