Broadway and Flint.
(Photo © J. Maus)

A woman was handcuffed and placed under arrest this morning after she was stopped for running the stop sign at NE Flint and Broadway when she asked the police officer if she was required to show identification. She was subsequently issued a citation and released.

Jessica Jarratt, 37, the executive director of an arts funding nonprofit, was commuting from her Northeast Portland home to her office in the Pearl this morning around 9:00am. In a phone interview this afternoon, she described being stopped by a police officer at Flint and Broadway, along with several other people on bikes, after she had turned right onto Broadway from Flint without coming to a complete stop. (more...)

View of new sign on SE
Caruthers at Water, looking west.
(Photos © J. Maus)

City of Portland crews have removed two stop signs on SE Caruthers Street at the intersection with SE Water. Initially installed in 2002, the stop signs have been a thorn in the side of many people who ride through the intersection and a source of frustration and complaints by others who say no one obeyed them.

Back in November, when the Bureau of Transportation announced they would remove the signs, City Traffic Engineer Rob Burchfield said the stop signs had been the source of numerous complaints. Some people complained about poor compliance with the signs from both people on bikes and in cars, and others complained that the signs seemed unnecessary. (more...)

(Photo © J. Maus)

The Portland Police Bureau sent three motorcycle cops to SE Clinton Street this morning to observe and enforce stop sign compliance at 34th and 21st Avenues.

According to Traffic Division Lieutenant Bryan Parman, the "enforcement mission" (a.k.a. sting) came after his office received a complaint via email last week from a nearby resident. Parman said, (more...)

The stop sign at SE Caruthers and
Water has been a source of
frustration for many.
(Photo © J. Maus)

Two stop signs at the intersection of SE Water Ave and SE Caruthers St. in Southeast Portland (map) will be removed by PDOT.

The news comes from an employee of the nearby Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI). The employee sent BikePortland a letter received from City Traffic Engineer Rob Burchfield outlining the changes (download PDF of letter here). In the letter (dated today, 11/25), Burchfield writes that since the stop signs were installed in 2002 (under transportation commissioner Jim Francesconi), "PDOT has received numerous complaints from the public about this intersection." He goes on to write: (more...)

As bike ridership spikes in cities across the state, Oregon's upcoming legislative session is sure to be full of bike-related action. Figuring prominently in that mix will be the lobbying efforts of the Portland-based Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA).

Leading the charge for the BTA will be their new Government Affairs (a.k.a. lobbyist) man Karl Rohde. Today I learned more about what Rohde and the BTA might be focusing on in January when Oregon's 75th Legislative Assembly convenes in Salem. (more...)

Broadway and Flint.
(Photo � J. Maus)

As part of an ongoing effort, the Portland Police Bureau's Traffic Division is performing a series of "traffic safety educational missions" at the intersection of Broadway and Flint.

Traffic Division Captain Larry O'Dea says his officers are conducting the missions during morning commute hours every day this week. According to O'Dea, the missions are being done in conjunction with the first round of changes made by PDOT (the "Bikes Stop" markings installed last week).

In an email sent by O'Dea this morning, he described the PPB's efforts as, (more...)

New markings in the bike lane on N. Flint at Broadway.
(Photos � J. Maus)

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Robert Pickett
(Photos � J. Maus)

Robert Pickett is a member of the Portland Bicycle Advisory Committee, an Alice Award nominee, a regular commenter and contributor to the Forums here on BikePortland.org, and he's also a police officer in Portland's Southeast Precinct.

When he's not working in our community, he likes to ride tall bikes.

In the article below, Officer Pickett clarifies the age-old question of whether or not you've got to put your foot down at a stop sign. As a bonus, he also uncovers some important info about yellow lights you might not have been aware of.

(more...)

[Stop sign on N. Williams Ave.]
Photo: haljon/Flickr

A recent interview I published about an effort to change the laws around how bicycles treat stop signs touched of an engaging and lengthy debate (92 comments so far).

In reaction, this is the first of two posts I will publish to present different perspectives on the proposed law change.

This first one is in support of allowing bicycles to treat stop signs as yields. The eloquent argument comes from newbie bike commuter David Dean (who originally left it as a comment): (more...)