SE Division street as it appears on PBOT's High Crash Corridors map. The dots represent crashes recorded between 1999 and 2008. Larger dots represent multiple crashes.

At the end of last year, Mayor Sam Adams and the City of Portland designated SE Division Street and 122nd (just four blocks from where a man was killed last night) as the second most dangerous intersection in the city and made it part of their High Crash Corridor program which was launched in November.

At about 1:49 pm today, a 47-year old woman sustained life-threatening injuries after being hit by a man driving a pickup near Division and 170th. Police say the man driving the truck is cooperating with the investigation and did not show any signs of impairment.

Last night, 38-year old Rance Lee Lamb from Southeast Portland was hit and killed while attempting to walk across Division near 126th Avenue. The driver of the car did not stop and is currently on the loose. According to police, witnesses say a black vehicle (maybe a Mercedes Benz) struck Lamb and then sped away "at a high rate of speed." The driver has been described as a white female in her mid to late 20's. If you have any information about this crash or the driver, contact Officer Peter Kurronen at (503) 823-2208.

In 2010, 15 people were killed while walking on the streets of Portland.

Both of these crashes are tragedies on many levels. These wide, fast arterial streets continue to claim victims and we have yet to dedicate significant resources to tame them. Banners are not enough. We need a combination of new policies, laws, and infrastructure to turn these de facto "freeways" (in the words of Mayor Adams) into streets that improve our city instead of continuing to degrade it.

UPDATE, 1/6: From PPB:

Portland Police Major Crash Team Investigators have determined that vehicle parts left at the scene of this morning's fatal pedestrian hit and run match a black 90's era Mercedes Benz, possibly S Class model. The hit and run vehicle will have damage to the right front headlight along with possible hood damage. Investigators are still looking to find this vehicle and identify the white female driver.

On Wednesday, the TriMet Task Force on Safety and Service Excellence released its final list of recommendations. The task force was put together following a tragic incident back in April where a TriMet bus operator drove into five people in a crosswalk in downtown Portland, killing two of them.

Here's an excerpt from the cover letter to the report written by task force Chair (and former TriMet GM) Tom Walsh,

"The tragedy of April 24, 2010, drove the direction and intensity of the task force’s work. This fateful occasion was clearly the darkest night in TriMet’s history. The focus of our recommendations is to help you migrate TriMet to the highest level of safety performance, so that such an event never happens again."

Four recommendations stood out for me (there were 19 total):

• bringing about a culture change around safety in the agency,
• no longer using the term "accidents,"
• creating an Executive Director of Safety position,
• and a focus on "hot spots."

The task force urged TriMet to change their culture around safety — from just another thing on the checklist, to a core value of everyone in the agency. To hasten this change, the task force recommended improved communication and engagement both internally and with the community at large.

Interestingly, the task force acknowledged the importance of language and word-choice in influencing agency culture. From the report:

TriMet should eliminate the term “accident” from its vocabulary to the extent practicable, and instead use words that are descriptive of the event in order to highlight the predictable and preventable nature of most collisions and injuries.

I'm very happy that this made it into the report. If TriMet adopts this recommendation, they could lead the way with local agencies and organizations taking a more serious stance on language. (I'd also like to see the Portland Police Bureau, PBOT, and the BTA follow suit with a similar review of language use).

An Executive Director of Safety that reports directly to the GM is another recommendation in the report. Having one person dedicated to "breaking down silos" can do wonders for communication in a bureaucracy like TriMet.

The focus on "hot spots" is perhaps the most encouraging recommendation on the list. After our story on Monday about the Transit Mall, and ongoing concerns in general about how bicycles are mixing with buses, cars, and MAX trains it, I was happy to see it specifically called out. Here's the excerpt from the report about "hot spots":

TriMet should use data to determine where safety “hot spots” may exist or are likely to develop over time, and take a systematic approach to evaluating and treating such “hot spots.” Based on employee comments to the Task Force, the Portland Transit Mall is a “hot spot” in need of review.

Such a review would require working with partner organizations to address the relationship
between three spheres of influence over safety on the street: (1) the operator and bus
equipment; (2) the roadway, track way and related infrastructure; and (3) other users, such
as cyclists, pedestrians and motorists.

These recommendations are a good road map to improved safety at TriMet; But they are just recommendations at this point. Hopefully in the coming weeks and months TriMet will adopt some of them.

Here are a few more links to more info about this report:
— Why didn't the task force recommend putting cameras on buses and trains to film operators? Portland Afoot tells us why.
— Portland Afoot's comprehensive wiki page entry on the task force.
— More coverage about the report in The Oregonian
— Read the full report via Google Docs (thanks to Portland Afoot for uploading it!).

Glare is sort of a pet issue of mine, but I've yet to address it here on the Front Page. The basic issue is this: When the sun is rising or setting and it's low on the horizon, it makes vehicle operators temporarily blind. The reason I bring this up now is because a friend of mine and his five-year old son were involved in a collision because of glare just last week.

Jim Moore being attended to
by EMTs after a crash last week.
(Photo: Nate Gibson)

Last Thursday, I reported (on Page Two), that two people on a tandem were hit by a man driving a white pickup in North Portland. The person in the pickup truck was going west on N. Killingsworth and collided with the tandem as he turned south onto N. Kerby. The Portland Police Bureau issued a press release stating that, "The driver of the truck did not see anyone" when he started his turn.

Morning glare... can you find the
bike lane in this picture?
(Photo: J. Ragsdale)

The next day I got an email. It turns out the guy who was hit was my friend Jim Moore and his son Dylan. Jim acknowledged that — due to glare from the setting sun — the man in the truck couldn't see them. "The guy never saw us, because the sun was setting in his eyes," he wrote via email. (Luckily, no one was seriously hurt.)

BikePortland reader Jon Ragsdale from Beaverton sent in the photo at right of the view from his car in the mornings on Sunnyside Road (between 122nd and 132nd). Jon wrote in to say that they fight the glare every morning and that, "The camera can see the bike lane better than I can."

Please note, I did not post this story not to start a debate about who's to blame in glare-induced collisions or whether "I couldn't see them" is ever an acceptable excuse in a traffic crash. Both of those are worthy debates; but with shorter days bringing sunrise/sunset to peak commute hours, I feel the more important message is simply to be aware — and beware — of glare.

In an effort to improve the safety of people walking and bicycling around their buses, TriMet is considering the use of a new product that would emit LED lights and short bursts of sound when a bus makes a turn.

Josh Blanchard, president of Safety Concepts (the company making the device), tells me that the "state of the art device" will prove capable of "drastically reducing accidents between buses, pedestrians and cyclists."

TriMet is under pressure to improve the safety of their buses after a high profile, double-fatal crash in downtown Portland last April (the family of the victims has recently filed a lawsuit against them). They're also currently investigating a crash earlier this month where a bus turned left across another lane of traffic on the transit mall and ran over a man and his bicycle in a crosswalk on SW Morrison.

Blanchard says the new device is a "passive system" that requires no action, input or additional training from operators. The device works by providing an "unmistakable, unique visual and audible warning/alert system to pedestrians or bicyclists around TriMet's buses during turning maneuvers." Here's a more detailed excerpt taken from the Safety Concepts operations outline:

"This system is designed to alert pedestrians and bicyclists when a bus will be making a left hand turn maneuver. The device uses high intensity LED lights similar to emergency vehicle lights,but smaller, and will be mounted to the front left (drivers side) corner of the bus, which can be seen, from 180 degree angle.

In addition this device also controls a Piezo, which emits short sound bursts for the Visually Impaired. The Piezo will be installed out of site behind the left side of the front bumper. The Control Module activates the LED lights and Piezo.

When the driver activates the left turn signal, the Control Module senses this action and immediately activates LED light(s) and Piezo until the signal has been deactivated. The LED light is shock proof, waterproof and will withstand any outside elements, the riggors [sic] of daily activity, or even during the washing process of the bus. The Piezo has been tested in extreme heat and cold, in both cases the Piezo continued to operate without any loss of sound intensity."

Blanchard confirms that his company has submitted a detailed proposal asking TriMet to install their new device. In an email to BikePortland, he wrote, "Implementation of our device on TriMet's vehicles looks promising, but only time will tell."

BTA Executive Director Rob Sadowsky says they're supportive of any device that would give people on bikes more warning of a bus's intentions. "What often happens with buses and bikes is they do the little dance on the road, and when you're in the middle of the bus, you may or may not see the turn signal depending on where you are at any given time. Having an additional warning couldn't hurt and it would certainly help." Sadowsky hopes if the new device is used, that it's turned on in advance of the turn, not after the turn has already started. "The light and sound by themselves is not enough, it's got to be done in advance of the turn."

While Sadowsky is supportive, he also says the BTA is "very concerned" about buses turning left at all. "Buses need to be able to change lanes to move and flow thru traffic, but left turns themselves are carbon eaters as well as creating an additional safety hazard. The BTA strongly recommends they [TriMet] examines all existing left turns in their system."

TriMet Communications Director Mary Fetsch confirms they have gotten a demonstration of the new device, "But as yet have not made a determination on whether or not to pilot them in our system."

While TriMet reviews the proposal, Blanchard says his company is trying to garner letters of recommendation and support from public agencies, groups, individuals and companies that "share our goal of improving public safety and preventing the kind of accidents which have happened recently."

(Photo © J. Maus)

The ad struck me as being sort of odd, but I can't quite figure out why. What do you think about it?

The billboard was paid for by the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) as part of their annual 'Bicyclist Safety' program managed by their Transportation Safety Division. According to an annual evaluation of the program from 2008, ODOT spent about $125,000 on bike safety efforts. This money was split between four funding programs (a mix of grants and communication pieces like the one above). For comparison, in 2008, ODOT spent just over $100,000 on 'Pedestrian Safety' programs and $950,000 on its 'Occupant Protection' programs (primarily seat-belt use education and enforcement).

In 2008, 411 people were killed in traffic crashes in Oregon and 26,805 were injured. Of those fatalities, 350 people were in a car (either driving or passengers). 52 people were killed while walking and 10 of the fatalities happened to people riding bicycles.

Earlier this year, ODOT held a series of open houses across the state to help them update their Traffic Safety Action Plan.

Learn more about ODOT's safety efforts on their website.

Mayor Sam Adams hosted the Transportation Safety Summit at U of O's White Stag Building in downtown Portland Tuesday night and a standing-room only crowd of over 200 citizens, advocates and city and state officials showed up.

The event offered an opportunity (albeit short at only two hours) to network, learn about Portland's transportation safety concerns, and share feedback about how the City should, according to the Mayor's official invite, "close the gap between the current state of traffic safety in Portland and the desired state."

Speaking at the event were Mayor Adams, PBOT Director Sue Keil, Police Chief Rosie Sizer, ODOT Region 1 Director Jason Tell, TriMet GM Fred Hansen, Traffic Division Captain Eric Hendricks Portland Fire Marshall Erin Janssens, and others.

Adams, who is also the Transportation Commissioner, spoke about Portland's accomplishments and ongoing challenges. He shared stats that tell a story of our roads becoming much safer for all modes in recent years, but then warned of complacency. "I share these accomplishments not so we can rest on our laurels, but to show that progress can be made." Adams re-iterated that although "it has been controversial," he has chosen to prioritize safety improvements over "smooth pavement."

We need more money to save lives, said Adams, and thankfully there's $300 million in new transportation revenue coming into Oregon due to the passage H.B. 2001 (although Adams said there's a petition effort afoot to challenge that law). Regardless of budgets, Adams said PBOT relies on partnerships with agencies and citizen groups. "They're important and they make a difference."

PBOT Director Sue Keil on the mic.

While Adams' tone on getting more Portlanders to choose bicycles is hopeful and inspiring, PBOT Director Sue Keil -- the person in Portland with the most power to carry out Adams' vision -- has a different tone. After sharing the party line about the importance of safe biking and walking routes for everyone, she spoke about the "serious choices" she has had to make in terms of spending priorities.

Referring to a series of public meetings held prior to last year's budget talks (at a time when PBOT revenue was in much more dire straits than it is now), she said PBOT has "walked away from residential streets" and instead is focused on "the busy streets, the lifeline routes that carry goods and services to commercial centers." Below is a partial transcript of the rest of her remarks:

"...If we are going to meet that goal of 25% mode share -- and for all of you, sort of transportation groupies, that mode share feels good. But, if we're going to get to 25% of trips in the next 20 years by bicycle -- we're going to have to work at it. And it's not just about putting infrastructure out there, although that certainly helps, it is about encouragement and education and getting people who are like me; not the hot-rod teenage male that is the classic, sort of poster child in bicycling... It's about getting folks to use those bicycle boulevards which are much safer and will really increase the number of people who are cycling."

It remains to be seen how Keil will balance her priority on "busy streets" while also improving bike boulevards -- which are on the same residential streets her bureau has "walked away from," and that she says are so key to getting people like her on a bike and reaching the 25% mode split goal. Keil also seemed to lament PBOT's lost revenue due to 100,000 fewer cars being registered in Multnomah County last year -- a trend that should be encouraged and celebrated for someone committed to increasing bike mode split.

TriMet GM Fred Hansen's remarks included a reference to a key safety issue that remains to be solved -- the bike/bus leapfrog that happens on streets like North Williams. "Our buses are in direct conflict... with bike lanes. How do we do that [service bus stops] and still be safe." Hansen said they're working to identify the top 12 bike-bus conflict locations.

Hansen also shared a troubling stat: 25% of seniors and riders with disabilities cannot access TriMet's services due to an absence of sidewalks and/or unsafe crossings.

This was the first time I've seen the Portland Fire Marshall attend a transportation event. Mayor Adams knows the Fire Bureau is a key player on bike projects. They have final veto power (and have used it in the past) and they figure prominently in bike boulevard plans because some of the traffic calming measures PBOT staff prefer are not welcomed by emergency vehicle operators. Janssens weighed in on that issue: "Our goals have been directly opposed in the past... How do we meet our response time goals and still provide safe routes for bikes?"

Sharon White of PBOT writes down feedback
during the breakout sessions.

After these introductory speeches, attendees broke off into groups according to geographic area. The groups were separated into Portland's nine neighborhood coalitions and each coalition station had four focus areas; Safe Routes to School, bike safety, pedestrian safety, and high-crash corridors. Each area was staffed with a City employee to explain the issues, answer questions, and write down feedback.

The neighborhood focus stations were buzzing with activity. Citizens could view a map of crash locations and stick post-it notes with their feedback: "There is no reasonable place to get across the highway," "MLK is very scary," "Easier crossings of NE 33rd please."

One person didn't need a post-it note to make their point. On the crash location map, right on top of the MLK/Grand/Broadway corridor which was nearly solid red with crash incidents, someone had simply drawn a sad face.

In the Southwest Neighborhood section, citizen activist Don Baack told a city staffer that he'd like to see more communication between PBOT and residents before decisions are made.

Q & A.

With all the great discussions happening, it seemed like the event should have ended with everyone reporting back with key insights from their neighborhoods. But instead, the night ended with a short Q & A session.

The first question was about why the City should raise revenue by licensing bikes. Adams replied by saying, "We've looked at that a number of times" but that it doesn't pencil out financially. "It's not the big money-maker you might expect... it's not a panacea." He also pointed out that "Bikes are paying their fare share."

The next question went to a man who is legally blind. He said some of his friends are "fearful to go out" because they're afraid someone on a bike will run them over. "Bicyclists have to have some incentive to respect pedestrians," he said.

North Portland resident and member of the City's bike advisory committee Shamus Lynskey asked: "What's the next big idea for how to fund all of these great ideas?" Neither Mayor Adams (who mentioned his effort to find $20 million for bike boulevards in the Bureau of Environmental Services budget) or PBOT Director Sue Keil (who mentioned a pilot VMT tax program) had much of an answer for that one.

Overall, attendees seemed grateful for the event, but it's clear that these issues deserve much more attention. Hopefully Mayor Adams will share the results of all the neighborhood feedback and provide details on how/if he and PBOT plan to address all the citizen feedback. There was also survey launched prior to this event that was not talked about at the Summit. I've asked the Mayor's Office for results of that and will share them once they become available.

Tonight from 6:30-8:30pm at the White Stag Building (70 NW Couch St) is the 4th Annual Transportation Safety Summit. Hosted by Mayor Sam Adams, this event will be an excellent opportunity to learn and to share your insights and concerns with the leaders of PBOT, ODOT, the Portland Police Bureau, and others.

The Summit comes at a time of a lot of news and momentum around traffic safety (back in January I wondered out loud whether 2010 would be the Year of Transportation Safety in Portland).

If you can make it tonight, please plan to attend. With notables like Police Chief Sizer, Mayor Adams, TriMet GM Fred Hansen, the director of PBOT Sue Keil, and others slated to be there -- a large showing of concerned citizens will remind them how important this issue is to Portlanders. (Remember, these people have a lot of other things on their mind; for example, both Sizer and Adams are embroiled with a high-profile visit by Jesse Jackson today.)

There will be no shortage of issues to discuss tonight.

Among the things you might hear about are:

• Results from a transportation safety survey put out by Mayor Adams (take it!).
• How PBOT is working on safety improvements in neighborhoods citywide.
• Recent efforts by PBOT to gain more control over setting local speed limits.
• A new PBOT project that will tackle "high crash corridors."
• More details from Mayor Adams about recent promises to spend nearly $40 million in sidewalks and bikeways.
• An update on how new revenue from HB 2001 will be spent in our region.
• How the new Portland Bicycle Plan for 2030 will improve bike safety.

Bring your concerns, ideas and enthusiasm. Portland is at a transportation crossroads in many respects right now. Our city leaders need to know that the status quo is no longer acceptable and the future must include a larger commitment to making our streets safe for everyone.

See you there!

Transportation Safety Summit
February 16, 6:30 - 8:30 pm
University of Oregon - White Stag Building (70 NW Couch St.)

Continuing a campaign they began last year, the City of Portland's Water Bureau will hold a bike/truck safety event this Saturday.

The Water Bureau says this ongoing effort to improve safety was prompted by a number of near collisions over the years (mostly at the infamous NE Broadway and NE Flint Street intersection, which is close to one of their facilities).

The event will be held in outer Southeast Portland and, like last year, attendees will be able to jump up in to a truck driver's seat for a first-hand look at blind spots and the dangers of riding near large vehicles.

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Climbing into the cab of a
truck was a popular activity
at last year's event.

Also at the event this weekend, the Water Bureau will share information about a major construction project they'll start this summer out at Powell Butte. According to a press release, the Bureau says during the six to eight month excavation phase of the project, a dump truck will exit Powell Butte Nature Park at SE 162nd and Division once every two to four minutes.

That's an estimated 100 truck trips per day and 30,000 total trips from Powell Butte.

With that project, and the onset of summer's busy bike season, now might be a great time to re-watch the Water Bureau's bike/truck safety video they released back in October.

The Water Bureau has teamed up with the Bicycle Transportation Alliance to put on the event. It will be held in the parking lot of the Safeway Supermarket at 16409 SE Division Street and SE 162nd Avenue, from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm this Saturday.

"While we are working to improve conditions for bicyclists on the roadways, let's, please, remember the culture we've created over the last 100 years will not welcome bikes overnight."
-- From the US DOT blog

Came across an article on bike safety published to the official blog of the U.S. Department of Transportation this morning (which is unfortunately called "Welcome to the Fast Lane"). Since May is National Bike Month, the US DOT found it fitting to remind folks on both sides of the windshield that safety should be the top priority.

A blog post about bike safety isn't usually news, but when it comes from the US DOT I think it's worth noting how they approach the topic.

The basic gist of the article is, 'hey, we all know bikes are great, but this new push get more people on them will only work out if people don't run into each other'.

"As this Administration works to develop environmentally-sound transportation options, making our streets more bike-friendly is high on the list,"

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the DOT adds,

"But, as more people take to bicycling, that idea can only be sound when drivers and cyclists help each other share the roads safely.

And they share these tips for "motorists":

Motorists should:
* Recognize that bicyclists have a right to ride on the roadway;
* Stay alert and keep distractions to a minimum;
* Make a complete visual check for bicyclists before entering or leaving a lane of traffic.

It's great they made it clear that bikes have a right to be on the roadway. But what's with, "Keep distractions to a minimum"? How about "Do not drive while distracted"?

And here are the tips for "bicyclists":

But, bicyclists have an obligation as well. They should:
* Ride on the roadway, rather than on sidewalks;
* Follow the same rules of the road as other vehicles;
* Wear a bicycle helmet every time you ride;
* Make yourself visible, day and night.

Sidewalk riding is indeed dangerous, but unfortunately in many parts of our country it's the only viable -- and safe -- option. Sidewalk riding is also a common focus of anti-bike rants, so it's too bad that more isn't done to explain why people do it.

Then, after pointing out links to bike safety information resources (for some reason they didn't point to any car driving safety websites), the DOT went on to write (emphasis mine):

We all know about "defensive driving." But, bicyclists are vulnerable and exposed in a way that motorists simply are not. While we are working to improve conditions for bicyclists on the roadways, let's, please, remember the culture we've created over the last 100 years will not welcome bikes overnight. In the meantime, during National Bike Safety Month and throughout the year, I urge you to "bike defensively."

I like that part about how our entrenched car culture "won't welcome bikes overnight." That's true, and it's good to be honest about where things stand.

Read the whole article here.

[Editor's note: This guest editorial was written by Roger Geller, Bicycle Coordinator for the City of Portland.]

In the past week I've been noticing harbingers of spring: flowering magnolia, daffodils in full bloom, tulips beginning to push their way up, birds early in the morning, sun later in the evenings, and, on especially nice days, a city beginning to pop with bicycling. We are approaching Portland's high bicycle season.

One thing that is helping cycling spread in Portland is its visibility. People interested in cycling can easily look around, see how it is done and perhaps imagine themselves riding rather than driving. There are more people on bicycles in this city than there have ever been before. This visibility and accompanying attention presents challenges and also gives us an opportunity.

So, it is in that light that I make a request of regular cyclists: be exemplary.

What does it mean to be exemplary? To me it means the two "C's" of cycling: Courtesy and confidence.

Cherry blossoms in Waterfront Park.
(Photo © J. Maus)

When I think of cycling courtesy I think most often of people walking. Always yield to people on foot. They generally always should receive the right-of-way when there is the potential for bicycle-pedestrian conflict. Stopping in the presence of meanderers -- especially the old and the young -- is never a bad option. What does it cost you: a couple of seconds? What does it gain? Mutual respect and absence of confrontation

I believe courtesy also dictates passing at appropriate speeds. When it's crowded, this could mean at little more than a walking pace. When passing another person on a bike, always pass on the left. In my experience, people walking also appreciate hearing a discernible audible warning. That generally means more than a mumbled "on your left." A bell is best.

Courtesy also requires controlling your aggression. Displays of aggression seem to mostly invite aggression in response. So really, be courteous to everybody you find out there. Yield the right of way at intersections per the law; come to a complete stop at stop signs whenever anyone else is at or approaching the intersection, whether in a car, on foot, or by bike. Forgive those who err because they don't understand how to drive in your presence.

At the same time, it's important to ride with confidence. Confidence is knowing the law and your rights as a person on a bike. Take the lane when it's safest. Don't weave in and out of parked cars. Safely proceed when you have the right-of-way. Come to a complete stop at stop signs to demonstrate good behavior.

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Bike counts and spring flowers tend
to come up at the same time.
(Photo © J. Maus)

I expect this to be an excellent spring, summer and fall for bicycling in Portland. The City is doing its part. We have more projects on the books than we've had for quite some time. This is an exciting time for bicycling in Portland, for the region, and indeed, for the country.

Nationally, Portland is leading the charge in demonstrating the effectiveness of bicycling as not only a means of transportation, but as a transformational tool of our very culture.

Let those of us who do bicycle regularly demonstrate how enjoyable it can be to ride in Portland. I want all my friends, family and acquaintances to ride often this year. There will be many people taking to Portland's streets who will be new to using a bicycle for transportation. Be patient with them. Set a good example for them.

Because our infrastructure hasn't yet caught up with the growing demands on it, it's imperative that we do all we can to share well. Let's make bicycling in Portland look like the pleasant, safe and fun activity it is. I do believe that collectively behaving in an exemplary manner will help attract more people to bicycling.

After all, when it comes to bicycling it's accurate not only to say "the more the merrier," but also "the more the safer."