Portland Transport

Category: Safety

  • Don’t Call It an Accident

    Even as desensitized as our culture has become to vehicular violence, the tragedy of February 22nd, 2015 is a tough one to stomach. That day, three children—ages 4,5, and 8—were run down while crossing a street in Springfield. They were crossing legally, in a crosswalk, with the signal. The driver of the car that killed…

  • A Bold Step Toward Vision Zero

    During the public hearings on the Comprehensive Plan, and in the Transportation Expert Group (advising PBOT on the Transportation System Plan) PBOT took some heat on a lackluster safety policy (someone characterized it as “keep doing what we’ve been doing”). I’m happy to report that PBOT has stepped up. At Tuesday’s Planning and Sustainability Commission…

  • Boston Did it, Could Portland?

    The City of Boston has adopted a policy that all heavy trucks used by firms contracting with the City must have side-guards to protect cyclists from going under the wheels in the event of a collision. Sounds like a great component of Vision Zero to me!

  • Transportation Summit to Focus on Safety

    The 6th Annual Oregon Transportation Summit (September 15th) will focus on safety as the key topic. My sometimes debating opponent (stop spacing, value of streetcars) Jarrett Walker of Human Transit fame will be the keynote speaker. From the descriptive materials: The 2014 Summit will have a considerable focus on safety and its relevance to creating livable communities.…

  • Is it Time for Our Own “Grand Bargain”?

    No, not between the Democrats and Republicans… Between the City and ODOT. A little background – a week and a half ago, I took a tour with some ODOT folks of 82nd Ave and outer Powell to talk about what might be in store for these areas as part of our Comprehensive Plan update. A…