I don’t usually cover news from other cities, but since road safety issues are a very hot topic in Portland right now, I thought I’d pass on some news from Grants Pass. Grants Pass is a town of about 25,000 just north of the California border.
According to Mark Lansing, a bicyclist and lawyer from Grants Pass who also writes a monthly column in Oregon Cycling Magazine, just last night their City Council adopted the following ordinance by a 6-1 vote:
“A person operating a motor vehicle on a public or private road shall maintain a zone of protection for a distance of not less than 3 feet between the motor vehicle and a bicycle, skateboard or scooter.”
Mark added that this happened as a result of a 5-year effort by the Josephine County Bikeways and Walkways Committee.
I know of one other city in Arizona where a similar law exists, perhaps there are others? Is it time for Portland to look into something like this?