Pedestrian Safety, Emergency Access and Traffic Concerns Related to George Rogers Park

The Old Town Neighborhood Board has been deeply engaged in understanding the challenges and opportunities we’re facing at George Rogers Park and in our neighborhood. This has included:

• Proactive conversations with neighbors and park visitors

• Researching best practices from cities with similar dynamics near popular rivers, including Bend, Austin, and Boulder

• Reaching consensus as a Board on the key issues and formalizing our requests

After thoughtful discussion and seven drafts, we unanimously approved the attached letter as a reflection of our collective voice.

On Friday August 8th, residents from all parts of our neighborhood will participate in a walkabout, each highlighting specific concerns and observations from their section with City leaders joining us from Parks & Rec, Traffic/Engineering, Police/Community Service, and the Fire department.

Neighborhood representatives for the walkabout will include:

• Jim and Barb Perris, Jill Hall – Furnace Street

• Bruce and Calleen Glabau – Ladd Street

• Nancy Headlee and Betsy Wosko – Durham Street (toward GRP)

• Doug Thomas – Durham Street (toward Leonard)

• Carrie Kaufman and Laurie Carlson – Leonard Street

• Derrith Schmidt and Jeannie McGuire – Wilbur Street

LETTER SENT TO THE CITY

Pedestrian Safety, Emergency Access and Traffic Concerns Related to George Rogers Park

To: City of Lake Oswego Leaders - Police, Fire, Traffic Engineering, Parks & Rec Departments         CC: Martha Bennett, City Manager

From: Old Town Neighborhood Association Board     Date:  August 4, 2025 

In advance of our upcoming meeting and neighborhood walkabout on August 8, we would like to share a summary of the increasingly urgent challenges facing the Old Town neighborhood—particularly related to pedestrian and cyclist safety, emergency vehicle access, traffic congestion, and parking impacts in and around George Rogers Park (GRP).

Primary Concerns

• Pedestrian and cyclist safety in congested areas lacking traffic controls and signage

• Emergency access due to parking congestion and street design

• Seasonal traffic surges without corresponding infrastructure or enforcement responses

• Lack of coordinated, cross-departmental planning despite growing and predictable use of the park

What was once a neighborhood-serving park now experiences sustained visitor volumes that rival events like the Arts Festival or Car Show—but without the accompanying planning or mitigation. These high-traffic conditions now last from May through September and are expected to intensify with the construction of the new riverside pathway next summer.

Because George Rogers Park is an existing facility, new improvements such as the river pathway are not subject to the Design Review process typically required for new developments. As a result, there has been no formal traffic or safety planning process to evaluate the cumulative impact on Old Town.   We believe this is a critical oversight.

With construction scheduled for next summer—reducing parking, increasing construction traffic, and further raising usage levels—we urge the City to act now to mitigate risk.

The current conditions present a significant and foreseeable risk of harm to pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers. These risks appear preventable. Without immediate and coordinated attention, there is a real possibility of an incident occurring.

Our Requests

We respectfully request a comprehensive, multi-departmental response to address these growing concerns. Specifically, we urge the City to take the following actions:

1. Establish an Emergency Access Strategy The Fire Department should develop and share an emergency access plan that ensures unimpeded access for emergency vehicles during periods of peak congestion.

2. Conduct a Comprehensive Traffic and Safety Assessment Including a detailed action plan for both short- and long-term improvements. This should be completed prior to construction of the new pathway and be modeled on the robust approach used for the LORAC project.

3. Perform a Pedestrian Walk Audit Focused on the GRP corridor, particularly Furnace, Ladd, Leonard, and Durham Streets, to identify improvements such as signage, crosswalks, or traffic-calming measures.

4. Increase Enforcement Presence During Peak Season Maintain consistent police patrols and parking enforcement in Old Town from Memorial Day to Labor Day, focusing on areas around GRP and the river pathway access points.

5. Correct Public Misinformation  Work with online platforms (Google, Yelp, TripAdvisor) to correct outdated or inaccurate information, and pause or reconsider city-sponsored promotions that drive increased traffic to GRP without infrastructure readiness.

6. Implement Proactive Accident Prevention Measures  Improve traffic flow and pedestrian safety 

Partnering Across Departments

We would also like to ensure that input from Police CSOs (Cory and Drew), Park Rangers, Park Maintenance Staff, and the traffic planners who support the Arts Festival and Car Show are incorporated into any future planning. These personnel are on the ground and see firsthand the conditions we’ve outlined.

Summary

We are eager to collaborate and contribute to real solutions that protect the safety, accessibility, and livability of both our neighborhood and George Rogers Park.

We urge the City to proactively address these risks now—before construction begins and before a preventable tragedy occurs. Thank you for your time, your partnership, and your commitment to safety.  

Sometimes Photos are Better Than Words

Addendum: Current Situation & Concerns 

To be discussed during the August 8 Neighborhood Walkabout

From Memorial Day through September, George Rogers Park experiences a dramatic increase in visitors—not only for sports fields, playgrounds, and tennis courts, but especially for river access via the “beach” area. This surge in recreational use brings a wide range of safety, access, and livability concerns for residents of Old Town.

Old Town Neighborhood Map

1. Emergency Access

With parking congestion narrowing the streets and so many people walking in the streets, it’s unclear whether emergency vehicles (fire trucks, ambulances) could quickly and safely reach residents and park visitors during emergencies. 

2. Pedestrian Safety

• Narrow streets with inconsistent parking are forcing families with young children, seniors, and people with disabilities to walk in the roadway, along with people carrying paddleboards, kayaks and coolers, parents with kids in strollers and neighbors walking their dogs.

• Even where sidewalks exist, pedestrians often walk in the street when carrying paddleboards, kayaks, or coolers.

• Cyclists and e-bikes frequently speed down steep sections (e.g., Furnace between Wilbur and Green) and ride through pedestrian-heavy areas, including the GRP parking lot. Kids on e-bikes often lack knowledge of traffic laws, increasing risk to themselves and others.

• Paddleboard users inflate boards in the middle of the street in traffic. Inflating their boards can take 10 minutes and they often have 2-3 boards.

  

3. Traffic Flow & Unsafe Conditions

• Streets such as Furnace, Durham, and Ladd become highly congested with parking on both sides, significantly narrowing the drivable roadway and increasing risk of collisions and near misses.

• Drivers frequently make illegal maneuvers, including:

  • Parking in front of fire hydrants or in posted no-parking zones

  • Blocking driveways and turning around in private drives

  • Driving the wrong way up Furnace despite posted one-way signage

  • Making illegal turns at key intersections (e.g., Furnace & Wilbur, Ladd & Durham), where some homes are partially in the intersection

• Lack of curbs and guardrails on steep sections of Furnace above River Bend Condos between Wilbur and after Church Street creates additional hazards, especially for parked vehicles and pedestrians.

• No marked crosswalks in Old Town—particularly concerning at Hwy 43 and Ladd.

• A confusing 3-way intersection at Furnace & Leonard and the driveway to River Bend Condos poses safety risks, especially to children living in nearby homes, along with people walking and riding bikes to and from GRP.  

  

4. Insufficient Parking at GRP

During peak times, the parking lot at GRP is overwhelmed, forcing visitors to park throughout our neighborhood. 

• Park visitors block corners, driveways, front walkways and create near miss accidents for residents pulling out of their driveways 

• Parents with children accessing the playground often cannot find nearby parking, which is unsafe when carrying bags or managing small children

• Drop-off/pick-up congestion for camps and sports events further clogs Ladd and Furnace Streets

• Residents often cannot find street parking near their homes for themselves, guests, or service providers

• Residents report being warned for using cones or garbage bins to temporarily hold street parking for necessary use (e.g., contractors, medical support).

5. Misinformation and Misnavigation

• Online platforms (Google, Yelp, TripAdvisor) list Ladd Street as the park’s entrance, misdirecting drivers into Old Town.  It should be Green Street where the parking lot is.

• Google incorrectly lists GRP as “dog-friendly” without noting leash laws and $145 fines.

• 

  "The Beach" during May - September is very different than the rest of the year

  City or tourism-related social media content continues to promote the “GRP beach” with idealized photos, despite overcrowding and limited infrastructure.

  Increased use of GRP as a recreational destination is not just happening organically:  Lake Oswego Parks & Rec actively promotes its paddleboard and kayak rental partner at GRP on its social media sites.  This has been very effective, as evidenced by the large number of both rental and non-rental boarders and kayakers during the Summer season.

6. Anticipated Impact of New River Pathway

• Residents are concerned that completion of the river pathway will further increase foot, bike, and vehicle traffic through Old Town.

• While it’s assumed the pathway will encourage use of Foothills parking, past experience suggests many visitors still prioritize proximity to the water—and will continue to use Old Town streets for direct access.

• Posts on platforms like Reddit are already positioning GRP as a desirable alternative to Oswego Lake for paddleboarding, kayaking, and swimming.

• GRP is no longer functioning as a local park—it has become a regional destination, and its impacts now extend far beyond seasonal recreation.

Suggestions from neighbors:

• Could the City install pumping stations at the park for people to use to inflate their paddleboards and kayaks? 

• Could the City lower the attraction of GRP by moving the kayak rental to Foothills or Rohr park?

7. Commercial Spillover and Regional Traffic

• Traffic has also increased on the north side of Old Town due to the popularity of Mann’s and Lake Theater Cafe in the summer. 

• Stricter parking enforcement in the shopping center lots is pushing visitors onto Leonard and Durham Streets, which are already impacted by beach-related parking and lake access, plus residents who need to park on the street.

8. Law Enforcement Coverage

We have noticed and appreciated the recent increased CSO presence on high-traffic days. ➤ We ask that this coverage be maintained or expanded for the remainder of the summer.

 ➤ We also request that the Police Department address the specific questions listed in our recent post:  Old Town Police Requests & Questions

Final Note

One neighbor shared: “Though Parks believes that the new river pathway will encourage use of Foothills parking, we’ve already seen how people prioritize quick river access, especially for paddleboarding and kayaking. GRP is now well-known through social media and seen as a cleaner, more accessible alternative to Oswego Lake. This shift demands a stronger, coordinated planning response before it’s too late.”

Specific concerns raised by longtime Old Town Neighbors:

“For background, the city in the past proposed making Durham and Ladd the entrance to the park. This came with a big design and construction change that would have impacted the entire neighborhood. We fought back and got them to go with the green street bio swale design for Ladd Street with a sidewalk on the park side with angled parking. They never built it. You can see how it might have been by checking out the totally remade streets in First Addition where they built green streets with no new sidewalks. Pointing out safety issues in the streets in the hood is a slippery slope. City planners will just say, build wider streets with lots of concrete and sidewalks and street lights, etc. Maybe with bike lanes too. Essentially, turn our neighborhood into a better parking lot for our “metro” park. The alternative is to try to preserve our neighborhood and lower the use of the park and the constant efforts by the city to add more events and activities. Remember they tried to add fireworks to the park a few years ago. They also sneaked in pickleball and the kayak rental without any citizen review and input. They have constantly dinked around with adding a turf field to GRP like the  Hazelia field on Stafford. 

I just don’t think making parking easier in the hood, especially for our idea of safety, solves the problem but could actually make it worse and encourage the city to officially turn Old Town into a concrete laden parking lot and add more and more and more to GRP. I don’t trust the city to put our needs above there’s when it comes to the park.

And making the streets easier to use will encourage faster driving to find those open spots and probably make the hood less safe. The narrow congested streets actually cause slower and more focused driving.”

We urge the City to take timely, coordinated action before construction begins and before a preventable tragedy occurs.  And to fully engage the neighbors to ensure livability and the unique character of Old Town is retained.  

The Old Town Neighborhood Association Board

Derrith Schmidt, Carrie Kaufman, Laurie Carlson, Betsy Wosko

Jim Perris, Bruce Glabau, Jeannie McGuire