Amend Vehicles and Traffic Code to clarify Bureau of Transportation authority and allow flexibility

The City of Portland ordains.Section 1. The Council finds:Painted driveway clearances support a well-functioning transportation system with safer and easier ingress and egress out of driveways. City Code Section 16.10.080 allows the City Administrator to paint driveway clearances. The Portland Bureau of Transportation has historically painted driveway clearances in the city for a fee of $382.50 at the request of an applicant. This process can take up to 20 weeks. Coordinating this work has presented capacity challenges for the bureau due to staffing and the need to perform the work on dry days. Allowing the City Administrator to authorize painting driveway clearances within certain guidelines means property owners may efficiently paint these clearances, while creating safer driveways. The new process brings the code in line with the lower fee of $200 in the current TRN-3.450 (Transportation Fee Schedule) since the property owner will purchase materials and perform the labor of painting the driveway clearance. The fee includes PBOT staff time to review and process requests and make final inspections as well as asset mapping. City Code Chapter 16.90 defines key terms related to vehicles and traffic. The proposed changes include definitions for driveway throats, clearances, and keys. Following this amendment, the Portland Bureau of Transportation will release detailed guidelines for the public to paint their own driveway clearances that meet City standards.NOW, THEREFORE, the Council directs:Replace City Code Section 16.10.080 as shown in Exhibit A.Amend City Code Chapter 16.90 as shown in Exhibit B.