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Stimulating Portland Sidewalks
Reported in this morning’s O, the $101M in stimulus spending approved by the Oregon Transportation Commission yesterday includes about $2M for filling sidewalk gaps and improving curb ramps on streets like 82nd Ave and Barbur Blvd. But the overall package still heavily favors roads. Given that this is a unique opportunity for ODOT to spend…
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The Problem of Distracted Pedestrians
A piece from NPR’s Weekend Edition explores the safety challenge of pedestrians who are distracted by cell phones, texting or simply listening to MP3 players, including the sad story of a teen whose iPod was so loud he didn’t hear the freight train that killed him. Now I’ve been know to walk the streets of…
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How Do We Protect Pedestrians?
Lynn Lindgren-Schreuder is executive director of the Willamette Pedestrian Coalition Do we need better infrastructure for pedestrians? Should new infrastructure spending be primarily on roads? What do we tell the young girl whose mother died on January 7th while walking along Columbia Boulevard in an area that is dark, with no sidewalks or crosswalks? Where…
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Know Your Rights
Pedestrian Rights Clinics Have you been waiting to attend a Pedestrian Rights Clinic? The next two clinics are scheduled for January 22 & Feburary 2. Do you like to walk, but feel ignored by cars? The WPC invites you to learn about your rights as a pedestrian. Did you know that pedestrians have the right…
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An Open Letter to Barack Obama on Behalf of Sidewalks
Michael Ronkin is the former Bicycle/Pedestrian Coordinator for the Oregon Department of Transportation. Mr. President-elect Thank you for taking the time to listen to suggestions on how best to invest in our infrastructure. You have heard from many about repairing bridges and highways. You have been receiving many “shovel-ready” wish lists of projects. Big highway…