Urban Plaza: Centralized location for transportation needs

Urban Plaza, the area between Southwest Mill and Montgomery streets and Southwest Fifth and Sixth avenues, has become a transportation hub for Portland State and for all of Portland, with access to public transit and, this January, the new Bike Hub.

Portland State owns Urban Plaza, and it was intended to be a “front door to PSU,” according to a publication from the Portland Development Commission.

In 1994, Portland State secured a grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to undertake a master-plan study for the area. This master plan’s findings—similar to those of Portland State’s University District Plan, already in place—recommended improved retail and transit facilities, along with residential development.

The goal was to transform campus into a vibrant urban neighborhood.

Construction of Urban Plaza began in June 1998 and was completed in January 2000. It is the home of the Urban Center, the Portland State Bookstore, the new rec center, retail facilities and a variety of transit options.

TriMet’s presence has made the Urban Plaza a transportation hub, and the Urban Plaza is the busiest public transit station in the Portland metropolitan area.

TriMet was involved in planning the Urban Plaza, but mostly they just happen to be there, said Mary Fetsch, TriMet communications director.

Fetsch acknowledged that many people travel to Portland State using TriMet. Five million people visit Portland State annually, and according to the Portland Development Commission, approximately 30 percent use public transit to get there.

In a survey conducted in 2005, 38 percent of Portland State student respondents used public transit to get to campus.

“Having the Green Line is a plus,” Fetsch said about the newest MAX line.

The Bike Hub is also coming soon to the Urban Center, located in the Urban Plaza. While the Urban Plaza is already a transportation hub, with the new Bike Hub, it will become the multi-modal center of the university region, said Dan Zalkow, associate director and planner for Housing and Transportation Services.

The Bike Co-op has long-existed in a 200-square-foot room, but it is moving into a 2,000-square-foot room in the Urban Center and will expand to offer services beyond the scope of the original Co-op.

“It is extremely advantageous to have a bicycle facility directly adjacent to a MAX platform,” said Ian Stude, transportation options manager for Transportation and Parking Services.

It is a goal of the Bike Hub to encourage commuters to try cycling, and transit riders are part of the target, Stude said.

The Bike Hub will offer retail service, professional repair service and seminars and workshops, in addition to being a place where students can work on their bikes like the Bike Co-op currently is.

While seminars and workshops have not been officially planned, Stude hopes to offer them on topics such as bike mechanics, route planning and safety.

The larger size means they can have a larger staff and a larger range of products.

The Bike Hub being in the Urban Plaza will make the area a centralized location for transportation needs, said Clint Culpepper, Bike Hub supervisor and former bike mechanic.

The Urban Plaza has become a very important node for the University, Zalkow said.

He explained that the South Park Blocks used to be the center of campus, and now the campus has two centers. Zalkow believes that the development of the Urban Plaza has created more interest in developing the area surrounding it, and that the importance of public transit and biking in the Urban Plaza shows the tremendous focus on promoting alternative modes of transportation at Portland State.