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New RRFB crosswalk open now on OR 99E at Maple Street
A new, safer signalized crosswalk project is now complete on OR 99E at Maple Street
A new pedestrian crossing is live now on OR99E at Maple Street in Clackamas County! ODOT designed and constructed the Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon (RRFB) crossing in less than a year, nearly a third of the time required for similar projects. RRFBs make it safer for people to cross and connect neighborhoods with nearby destinations such as bus stops and local businesses.
This construction, paid for by the Statewide Pedestrian and Bicycle Program Funds, dramatically increases safety at an intersection that has seen multiple crashes and pedestrian injuries since 2020.
ODOT worked with community to identify this location as a priority for safety improvements.
About the Project
We made pedestrian safety improvements on OR 99E at SE Maple Street. The project improved safety by installing an overhead RRFB with a pedestrian refuge island median, ADA compliant curb ramps with push buttons, upgraded lighting and speed feedback signs about one mile north in the City of Milwaukie.
The 2023 McLoughlin Boulevard Investments Strategy identified speed feedback signs and an enhanced crossing at the intersection of OR 99E and Maple Street as high priority safety projects for the corridor. The investment plan incorporated multiple stages of public involvement and community feedback to identify key project locations, discuss potential solutions and prioritize investments. This included a Community Sounding Board, an online open house with surveys in English and Spanish, in-person outreach events at a variety of locations on the corridor and in-person surveys at transit stops.
Project Benefits
Improved Safety on OR 99E
- RRFBs reduce crashes between vehicles and pedestrians by creating more visibility at pedestrian crossings and increasing driver awareness of a person crossing the road.
- ODOT has built a new enhanced crossing on OR 99E at SE Maple Street with an overhead RRFB, a pedestrian refuge island median, ADA compliant curb ramps with push buttons, speed feedback signs and illumination.
- RRFBs make it safer for people to cross and connect neighborhoods with nearby destinations such as bus stops and local businesses.
- This location was in a long stretch of OR 99E without a pedestrian crossing.
About Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons
Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons, known as pedestrian-activated beacons or RRFBs, use flashing yellow lights to alert drivers that someone is crossing the street. Pedestrians activate the flashing beacons with the press of a button. When not in use, the flashing beacons are dark.
We install RRFBs at specific crossings with high pedestrian and vehicle traffic because they can reduce crashes by as much as 47 percent, according to the Federal Highway Administration. RRFBs are a critical part of our efforts to maintain a modern and safe transportation system.
 Pictured above: the completed Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon (RRFB) crossing on OR 99E, creating a safer and more visible crosswalk along a busy corridor.
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