Work underway at Sisters' East Portal

Curious motorists and pedestrians observed heavy machinery in action as trees were cleared and earth moved in preparation for Phase One of the Sisters East Portal Transportation Master Plan. The hub is located on recently purchased City property between West Hood Avenue, Highway 20, and OR 242 (McKenzie Highway).

Photo by Bill Bartlett

Work is underway at the East Portal where Highway 20, Highway 242, and Hood Avenue come together.

The overall plan calls for a dedicated transit patron parking area and drop-off lane. The site layout allows for patrons to park or be dropped off to access transit facilities onsite. Pull-through bus lanes will utilize "sawtooth" bays for loading and unloading, and limit vehicle/bus interactions.

According to planners and the city, this design is efficient for transit vehicles and minimizes conflicts. Walking trails along the edge of the site are consistent with the Sisters Transportation System Plan (TSP). Additional trails will be added during the design phase to increase onsite mobility, align with the Parks Master Plan, and limit impacts to trees.

Additional parking along the southern border will facilitate recreational uses, provide parking for downtown Sisters, and accommodate oversized vehicles. Existing on-site features (e.g., public restrooms) will be retained, which will reduce costs by avoiding reconstruction of existing amenities. Some features may be revised or expanded based on future operational needs. The bus pullout along US 20 will be used by eastbound transit vehicles.

The City says that the design will improve transit operations and reduce waiting times. Electric vehicle charging stations will be constructed along Cascade Avenue as part of Phase One, and will serve the transportation hub and downtown Sisters. Initial design concepts for these stations include covered parking with solar panels to aid with charging activities. Covered waiting areas will be located along the bus pull-through lane.

Security/Safety lighting along roads and within parking areas, and pedestrian scale lighting along pathways, will be added. Flexible options to provide additional parking and/or other amenities to the north RV parking area on the southeast corner of the site will allow for oversize vehicles traveling to or through Sisters to have a dedicated place to park to access downtown amenities.

The layout and function of this portion of the site will continue to be refined through future design efforts. Bike parking (both short term and long term) will be added to the site as part of future design efforts to encourage multimodal site access and use. The project's cost is estimated at $3.7 million and completion of the majority of the work is scheduled for 2025.