I received an amazing Close Call report yesterday:
I was driving down NE 28th today and as I was passing Fred Meyers, noticed someone laying in the gutter on the corner. I stopped to help. What I understand, was that a cyclist headed north on 28th had been clipped at relatively low speed by a driver turning left into Fred Meyers. Unfortunately, his hat didn’t protect him very well, and he appeared to have sustained a severe head injury (read: not really breathing when I arrived). Another bystander and myself got his airway open, and he was still alive when the ambulance drove off.
The reason that I’m posting this is not necessarily that this is a super-dangerous intersection, but more as a plea for people to wear their helmets. Although I love being useful, and plying my trade (RN), I really do not like people getting injured, permanently or otherwise. I ride by so many people without helmets every day. Even if you are careful, even if you are an awesome rider – you can easily sustain a head injury when you wreck without a helmet. Come on Portland cyclists – it isn’t hard to wear a helmet, and it could save you a lot of suffering.
Turns out that the passing cyclist just happened to be a Registered Nurse and avid bike commuter who works at Portland Providence Medical Center.
I sometimes take quick, neighborhood trips without my helmet but stories like this remind me to reach for it next time…I may not be as lucky as this guy.
Thanks for reading.
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Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. Security does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than exposure. ~ Helen Keller
Thanks for putting this into perspective BVM. I really like that quote.
Thanks for a timely reminder – I have noticed with concern and consternation, not to mention annoyance and irritation, that the recent not-very-scientific British study regarding driver reactions to riders wearing helmets has been getting a lot of play as an argument for not wearing a helmet. Frankly, NONE of my bicycling accidents involving head injuries (and there have been more than one – go ahead, make your jokes now) have involved a car. Okay, there was the one in which I drafted a PARKED car on Cathedral Oaks Blvd (long story, I blame my riding partner), but the rest were all the result of road conditions or operator error. In every case I was wearing a helmet. In every case, that helmet is what saved my brain and possibly my life. It doesn’t matter how good a rider you are, and how far from home you are. Rant over.
Another quote I like is, “I do not intend to tip-toe though life only to arrive safely at death!”
That said, I, like Jonathan, often do not wear a helmet for neighborhood/quick back street jaunts. BUT, for everyday riding, I often just have to remind myself that it isn’t death that scares me, it’s a lifetime of traumatic brain injury.
The rider mentioned above may live, but may never be the same.
Life is indeed a calculated risk, but the image of living out my days in a wheelchair, drooling all over myself surely makes me reach for the helmet more often.
Funny, that Helen Keller quote is featured on Adventure Cycling’s advertising materials – along with pictures of riders, all of whom are wearing helmets. And by “funny” I mean “opportunity to make a snarky comment.”
But seriously, it is a good quote, but I think even Helen Keller would agree that there is a difference between being adventurous and being foolhardy.
Helmets aside, does anyone else here ride that section of 28th regularly? It is one of the best (and only) north-south routes that get you over I-84. And it’s a real gauntlet. It’s amazing there aren’t more wrecks.
Heading north, first you get 10 or so blocks with no shoulder and parked cars reducing visibility for people wanting to turn onto the road. You have three pretty hairy intersections at Burnside, Glisan, and Sandy. You have a short respite on the I-84 bridge with actual bike lanes (!) followed by having to dodge folks who are in a big hurry to turn into and out of the Fred Meyers parking lot. Next, you have a tight curve with a suggested 10mph speed limit, during which someone in a car has tried to pass me about once a week. And finally, there is a short straightaway to the intersection with Broadway, where you can almost count on the motorist behind you speeding up to pass you over the double-yellow line so that they can wait while you pass them in turn at the red light. The intersection with Broadway isn’t so bad except that drivers on Broadway sometimes completely fail to see and stop for the red light.
There’s really no “right way” to ride on this street. I always take the lane, look sharp, haul ass, let people pass me when there’s a gap in the parked cars, and ignore the inevitable horns. Doing something to slow cars down a bit on this road would go a long way to making Portland more bikeable.
Oh yes, of course your right, because she lived such a protected, safe life. Your interpretation of her work is spot on….
Everybody should really stay home and knit sweaters. It really is the only way you will live to die of old age.
Daring adventures and not tip-toeing sound great! Would folks following that pursuit mind posting a bond so that the rest of us don’t have to pay for you or your kids if you are turned into a vegetable?
Seriously, the long-term cost of care was a major argument in requiring motorcyclists to wear helmets. I don’t see that it is much different for bicyclests.
I tip my helmet to the nurse and invite the Portland bike community to do the same.
Yep, that section between 84 and broadway is especially bad.
I suspect if more bikers actually knew someone before and after a serious brain injury, they’d be inclined to wear a helmet. I personally know two men who have had serious head injuries and I think that is why I never ever ride an inch without one.
A co-worker was hit by a softball at a company game and a family friend fell off a balcony at OSU. They are forever changed to their friends, family and co-workers. They are like completely different human beings now.
In general, if one isn’t also physically disabled by the injury, i.e., having to learn to walk and talk again, they are definitely changed in all other areas such as: personality, speaking manner, appearance, intellect.
Isn’t head injury the #1 injury or cause of death in men under 25 yrs of age?
Re: 28th Ave. I use it a lot and agree that it is dangerous at Sandy and the curves at Fred Meyer. The zombies think their cars can take the corner faster. Most drivers do however leave room on the right at the Broadway intersection. I don’t ride slow to piss people off. I ride fast so they can’t pass me. I think slow riders should take side streets.
You have an excellent point! Everybody should wear a protective helmet 24/7. You just never know when a traumatic brain injury could occur.
If you’re afraid, then be so. Don’t try and project your sickness on the rest of us.
Oh, BVM, you started out with such a nice Helen Keller quote and then ruined it with your sarcasm and lack of perspective.
“Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than exposure. ~ Helen Keller” You’re exposing yourself every time you get on your bike and ride on the roads with cars. Where is the avoidance in that?
There are often two major personal, long-range consequences of traumatic brain injury: compromised quality of life and usually one or more people has to help take care of you. You may be willing to compromise your quality of life, but are you willing to be dependent again on your mom and dad (or someone else)?
I dare you, BVM, to go visit the neurology floor of your local hospital or a rehab center for neurological injuries. Then come back and comment here. Your mind may open.
So I guess I will have to reiterate…
“If you’re afraid, then be so”
So I quote myself. Is that being facetious?
“There are often two major personal, long-range consequences of traumatic brain injury: compromised quality of life and usually one or more people has to help take care of you. You may be willing to compromise your quality of life…”
You nailed it perfectly, thank you. There are two major personal, long-range consequences of growing old: compromised quality of life and usually one or more people has to help take care of you.
Sorry, but you don’t have a pot to piss in. The moral ground that you think you stand on is shaky at best.
I don’t berate adult cyclists who go helmetless — the current law allows us to make the choice.
I choose to wear one when I ride because too many loved ones would be hurt beyond words if I didn’t and something tragic happened as a result.
Dear RN: I applaud your actions, and I wholeheartedly support your impassioned plea for safety first. Two thumbs up!
I weigh the cost of wearing a helmet with the potential damage not wearing one would cost times the probability of said damage occurring. My conclusion, for myself, is that it is worth wearing a helmet. But then, I’ve already had 3 concussions in my life, and I would really like to not have a 4th. I certainly don’t live in fear. I just feel like it’s so simple to wear a helmet, doesn’t cause me any discomfort, and it could save me from pain or worse.
I am uncomfortable with the idea of making it illegal for people to bike without a helmet, for the reason that I like people to be able to make their own decisions.
I remember a friend of mine who was zipping down a hill south of Salem and had two dogs sprint out in front of him. Split his helmet into 3 nice little pieces, left, right and middle. Thanks to him bringing by the helmet and showing it off, I choose to wear a helmet.
He is, of course, not the only one I know who has impacted my choice to wear a helmet. Another friend, who was literally skewered by a rear mount bicycle rack (oh, the irony) split his helmet, too. The one that sold me was the friend who wasn’t wearing a helmet while he was rollerblading. He is not the same to this day. Sad, really.
So I choose to wear a helmet to limit my risk because it would be foolish to say simply going into the street on a bike with vehicles 100x your mass is risky. Sometimes I wonder, though, when studies show cars give helmetless riders more room when passing. In the end, I just want to make back home safe and sound that much healthier and happier for my family’s sake.
Or maybe people in cars could look for bikes. The person on their bike did not land on their head of their own volition, a cars caused them to crash. Somehow the car and the driver are exonerated for causing the injury because the rider was not wearing a helmet?
BTW I wear a helmet 90% of the time.
A couple random points…
Does anyone know how the injured fellow is? I didn’t get his name, thus had a hard time getting info on whether he is alive, dead, stable, unstable, etc.
A suggestion for the curves on 29th just south of broadway – I ride just left of the middle of the lane, monopolizing it before the curve starts. I figure it is a bit easier to be seen this way. From there to Broadway, I NEVER want cars to try and squeeze past.
In regards to BVM and the Helen Keller quote, I’m all for plenty of adventure. We absolutely should not live our lives constantly shielded from the world. However, wearing a helmet when you are riding a bike doesn’t seem like a terrible imposition. Wearing a helmet when riding one’s bike isn’t the same as driving around all cozy and protected in an SUV. You are sill outside, on your bike with the wind in your hair. Life after a traumatic brain injury definitely can be a “daring adventure”. BVM, I suspect that you can comprehend that there is a major difference between the impact of a traumatic brain injury (TBI) and growing old (especially if you are growing old with a TBI).
Here’s a little quote from a woman who received a head injury in an auto accident. It seems like it gives some quick perspective. “After two years of therapy, I can get up out of my chair and walk a short distance. I surprised many people recently when I got up and danced at a concert. Not only do I eat, but I eat like a pig. I can speak a few words, and with practice, I’m confident that I will eventually be able to put sentences together. (I keep telling my parents I’d better shut up since I’m not supposed to know how to speak!) You’ve probably already guessed that my intellect is intact. So is my sense of humour. And for someone who was never supposed to be able to get out of a bed, well…” (quoted from http://www.belec.ca/michelle/michelle.html)
Being a long-time motorcycle rider, from California – I remember being up in arms when the helmet laws passed. I was a new, relatively inexperienced (and young) rider at that time.
2 accidents later, I realized that it is SUICIDAL to get on a motorcycle and ride without a full-face helmet. I would have no face today – literally – if I had not been wearing one when the second accident I mentioned happened.
Many years went by, I moved to SF (where I lived and very rarely tried to bike for the last 12 years). I moved to Portland a few months back, and re-discovered cycling. Since then, I have become an avid amateur cyclist. And I would not dare to ride my bike through most busy public streets in this “bike friendly” town without some form of head protection.
Everyone has the right to choose wether they wear or not wear protection. Everyone has the right to choose to drive safely, have brakes on your fixie, use lights at night, etc.
But all those choices not only affect you – they affect the people in your life when something goes wrong.
What I learned as a Motorcycle rider, and continue to apply as a bicyclist is that it doesn’t matter how “good” you are – all it takes is someone not paying attention and doing things you don’t expect – and then you’re dead, or worse.
Take it as you may. If a helmet isn’t part of your fashion ensembles when riding your brakeless fixie and blowing through stops… great! That’s your choice. Meanwhile, I’ll stick to wearing a helmet, having blinky lights all over me, and I’ll continue to read Darwin’s Origin of the Species in my free time. 😉
BVM, You are putting up faulty arguments that may work where people don’t think clearly, but not where they do. A black or white fallacy is where you pose that the issue is abosolutely one way or the other when this is not actually true or relevant to the case at hand. The other is a straw man argument where you pose a ridiculous position in substitution for the real one.
mmmm. I think I may have been taken by a troll.
3 quick true stories:
I was t-boned while on my bike. The car hit me and threw me skidding across the street where my head, with helmet, stopped my by slamming into the concrete curb. The broken helmet was much better than a broken skull. No adventurous excitement was lost.
In the dark, I struck an unseen, low hanging temporary sheet metal sign on the Morrison bridge. The blow nearly tossed me over the rail and into the river. The top of my helmet was peeled off. If that had been my bare head it would have peeled off the top of my head. No daring excitement was lost.
A fellow I used to work with would not wear a motorcycle helmet. He was involved in an accident that could have been the same as with a bicycle. His head injury left him with a short term memory impairment. He could not recall anything more than about 15 minutes. I had to re-introduce myself every time I saw him. He could not remember to stop eating. He gained 100’s of pounds and died of diabetes. I guess the remainder of his life was rather adventurous in a perverse Helen Keller sort of disabled way.
DRIVEWAY CRASH – WEAR HELMET ALWAYS NOW..
I decided to wear a helmet ALWAYS, even short trips, after I went over the handlbars in my steep driveway when I hit a small rock. I did not even make the sidewalk. Unless I am on a stationary bike, I have a helmet on. I have been cycling since 1954 and crossed America by bike, but the rock in my driveway got me.
– Tankagnolo Bob
Variations in helmet use…. I volunteered for the city’s bike count this year at three widely-spaced locations. There was a big difference in helmet use among the three.
Terwilliger by OHSU – 98% helmets (100% for the ladies)
N Interstate by the Colliseum – 75% helmets (roughly 90% for the girls)
N Denver & N Portland – 50% helmets (roughly 50/50 male/female)
Perhaps the medical folks know something.
-John
It’s almost a law of Physics that you can’t fall off your bike without hitting your head on the ground. Your neck just isn’t strong enough to support 10 lbs in an impact situation. Just give it test.
I feel naked without my helmet, but I too agree that people are free to make their own decisions on whether to protect their life or not. The same as I also agree that people are free to have suicide rights.
Why is it I see so many people riding their bikes with helmets on the handle bars? is this a fashion? or just too damned lazy to put it on and protect the most important part of their body?
The way I see it, there are lots of people out there that think they are invincible. Those people are always going to push the envelope on safety issues. I grew up in a family where we never wore helmets (this was in rural McMinnville). I’m not sure why we didn’t, but that’s just the way it was. It wasn’t until I moved to Portland and met my husband that I was educated about the risks of riding a bicycle without a helmet. He also told me of a story where he was riding down Mt. Tabor when he was in highschool & crashed into a tree. His helmet broke apart, and even with the protection, he suffered a concussion. My point is that some people aren’t going to wear a helmet no matter how much you educate them. For others, like myself, awareness & education make the difference. Now, I would never think of even going for a short ride without my helmet. When I was 23, one of my best friends was killed in a fiery car crash. Since that day, I no longer consider myself invincible, though I used to–I guess that’s a state of mind in youth. Sadly enough, it might take a wreck/injury like this particular cyclist suffered for some to realize the importance of taking safety precautions. –Karli
pdxrocket points out something I have been noticing a lot more recently – the handlebar/rear rack helmet – I am glad those handlebars and racks are being protected from TBI, but I can’t imagine that the cost of long-term care for a handlebar or rear rack is nearly a much as it would be for a human. And how would you tell if the handlebar is in a coma?
pdxrocket and Cecil, I’ve been wondering the same thing. At what point do those bicyclists decide to put their helmets on? Or are their helmets always just bike accessories?
Looks like another ‘failing to yield to a bicycle’ ticket in the making. Nice to know that driver will be back on the road soon.
I realize accidents do happen, but road safety could easily be improved with some actual enforcement and a couple of new laws.
I can’t see the downside of a wearing a helmet. If I don’t know you, and you don’t want me or my taxes to pay for your medical care after an accident, ride how you please.
I gave out 550 bike helmets this summer, if people were offered one they would wear it, so my surveys show. Sometimes money is a barrier to getting a helmet (& lights ).
I’ve had 2 “helmet required” accidents, both on bike lanes (no cars). We are all representatives of the Bike Community, if you want drivers to bike we need to show them that bicycling is safe. Everytime there’s a bike accident with injury, regardless of whose fault it is, we lose more new potential cyclists. Lights and Helmet help the cause of “Start Seeing Bicycles” as a positive transportation option.
The best comment I got on my surveys was: “The only thing that looks more ridiculous than wearing a helmet is not wearing one”
Sounds like another hit-and-run-blame-the-victim incident to me…
The stretch of 28th from Stark to Broadway is one of the worst segments of road for bikes in the inner eastside. But as one of the limited crossing points on I-84…and way better than 33rd or 39th, it needs to be made to accommodate bikes.
PDOT needs to bite the bullet and act “Platinum”…remove parking on one side and strip bike lanes.
Choosing to not wear a helmet is an irrational decision. It’s not about safety, life, limb, or longevity. It’s about the wind in my hair, the convenience, fun and even vanity.
People make irrational decisions all the time, and it’s part of what keeps life interesting. I, as a 2/3s time no-helmet rider, appreciate everything anyone says about helmets and safety. But please don’t prognosticate. The law is clear, and it is my choice. Like so much in this world, it’s up to the individual to decide their risk level, not the State, not society, and not You. It’s up to Me.
I am sorry if my irrationality upsets you or causes people to whinge on about the social implications of my choice, or hidden medical costs. It’s still my choice.
And who knows, maybe I’ll regret it. Maybe I’ll regret not asking the pretty girl on a date too. But no one can save people from themselves, no matter how hard they try.
Irrationality at its best.
S
Folks,
The attached link is to a study that brings up and proves some very good helmet points, although not the ones you folks will want to read, or believe.
I wear my helmet randomly, mainly when I have a bad feeling about it, it being a wreck.
And, there are no need for lectures here , for I have heard it all before.
I have been riding for 36 years now. I make my helmet choices, based on this experience.
I strongly reccomend that everyone wear a helmet while cycling, if you feel your skills are not god enough to get you out of trouble.
Please read the article attached, and think abot it’s content for a while.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-09/uob-wah091106.php
BVM – you may see wearing a helmet as a matter of personal choice and accepting the consequences of your actions as a personal choice but it isn’t that black / white.
People who suffer massive brain injuries are permanently disabled. As such (and after their personal insurance gets maxed out) the taxpayers become responsible for their care, feeding, housing, rehabilitation, etc. If you are (un)lucky enough to live another twenty years after becoming disabled, the state will spend in excess of a million dollars for your upkeep.
What about the suffering of your loved ones? I am certain that those who love you would feel great pain seeing you in a vegetative state. If you have a spouse and children, would you feel you “freedom” is more important than their ability to pay the mortgage, buy food, or go to college? Remember – you are a vegetable, not dead so they didn’t get that big life insurance payout.
The choice is not just about you.
Also, the only problem I see with the 28th route through se then ne, is the lack of consideration by motorist between Se Stark an NE Glisan. Shoppers and movie goers pulling out without looking, pulling in without looking, looking, without looking.
Driver education and big signs along 28th, in that stretch only, are needed. The above mention of pullling parking for bike lanes is never going to happen. Remember , our city is all about commerce,not safety.
The Fred meyer stretch is one of the safest around in my opinion. As long as you look ahead and try to predict what the cars are going to do, it is safe. I guess this is a tragic accident due to a driver not looking, a driver our own Police will certainly never search for…
Personally though, I cut off of 28th, just after Glisan, and cross Sandy on 26th, cutting over and through to 20th. This makes sense topographically, as well as time wise…
I think we are at an impasse. There is a group that gets helmet use and a group that prefers personal choice. Perhaps we all can encourage those under 16 to use helmets. That is the law.
In the whole injury episode described above there was another arena of choice: The choice to be a first responder. In this case luck or a higher force (another impasse issue) provided a first responder with medical skills. May we all be so lucky (or blessed).
Helmet-wearing is an individual decision. You’re not going to convince BVM to wear a helmet. And that’s fine, there’s no law mandating it, and it’s BVM’s choice.
Arguing about medical costs and the burden on loved ones is hypocritical for 99% of us on this list – unless you are vegan, don’t own or drive a car, don’t use oil or natural gas, don’t buy manufactured items, don’t drink, don’t smoke, don’t do drugs, get enough sleep, don’t eat fatty foods, and exercise daily, then you’re contributing to health costs, burdening your loved ones and society as a whole, and generally being a bad citizen. We all do things that are unhealthy, because they’re fun, or convenient, or we just don’t care at that moment for whatever reason. If we try to live our lives so as not to cause INDIRECT harm to anyone, we’ll never do anything at all. Nearly every action causes harm somewhere. The helmet decision affects the rider and those who choose to care for him.
Traffic laws, on the other hand, afect everyone. When motorists get mad at a cyclist for blowing a stop sign, it affects how they react to ALL cyclists. I’d much rather see this community get excited about the issues that directly affect all of us, rather than the ones that only directly affect one person and their circle of family & friends.
If you really want someone to wear their helmet, don’t try to convince them – try to convince the ones they care about.
-Matt P.
bravo to the RN who saved that biker’s life! i hope the police can find out who hit him. maybe fred meyer has surveillance camera footage from that time period? i can’t call, but their number is 503-280-1315.
my feeling on helmets is that i can’t injure my brain — i’m still making student loan payments on it.
A bit of a tangent to those who are worried about how the “victim is being blamed”. I left the driver out of the original post, as my focus was on the injured cyclist and his lack of helmet. The cyclist is NOT being blamed (at least not by me) and the driver did not “just drive off”. She stopped and stayed on scene until police arrived.
This has always been such a difficult issue for me. I do wear a helmet, but do not bother others about it. I’m not a doctor or a nurse and you’re grown-ups. Doctors and nurses pay their dues in caring for us when we’re injured or ill. I’m sure it drives them nuts when they see some injury or death that was easily preventable. I think when we make poor health choices, medical practitioners get to nag us and we get to deal with it. To me, that’s all this story is about. I don’t think the nurse was blaming the cyclist for the accident at all.
what percentage of patients in a typical brain injury ward are there for bicycling without a helmet? are the others there for any other particularly risky activity, such as driving, swimming, or bathing, for which helmets are seldom if ever seriously advocated?
In her profession, my wife has had the opportunity to examine and share many EEG brain scans from people suffering from various cognitive impairments and imbalances, like ADHD, depression and memory loss. In too many cases to count, the scan will reveal the remnants of brain trauma sustained even decades earlier. She could pick out soccer players every time by the fore-and-aft pair of red spots on the scan, little imprints of all the impacts from heading the ball, a seemingly mild bump to the head. I think of those images every time I put my helmet on, and I’m glad I have something I can do to prevent it. I never want my kids to have to look at one of those and know it’s their father.
my cousin fell off his bike several times as a kid, each resulting in a concussion. now, he’s really not to smart. coincidence? you decide!
todd, the risk of hitting one’s head in an hour spent driving, swimming, or bathing is probably lower than the risk of hitting your head in an hour biking around in traffic full of cell phone gabbers. there are more appropriate safety measures (seatbelts, life jackets, bath mats and handles) for all of those other activities, though.
also, the percent you’re asking for would be artificially low because the majority of bikers do wear helmets, so they don’t get injured that way as much as they would without helmets.
OMG! Wear your helmet when you are riding in traffic if you care about the possibility of getting hit by some driver, or another cyclist,please.
You kow what is cool when you are spinning in the air with your helmet on and all of the sudden your bike not underneath you? The thought that if you do hit your head on the way down you won’t get hurt as much as if you weren’t wearing it, probably. Of course that didn’t sound very solid, right? That is intentional. There are no gaurentees.Yes, you can break your neck with a helmet on, too but you can’t smash your head into the concrete if it is being protected by a helmet. Which is reassuring enough for me.
If you don’t really mind one way or another what could happen if you get injured whilst riding about sans helmet then you needn’t bother with it.
Regarding teaching kids about helmets – it’s a little late in this thread for a new topic, but I’d like to see a discussion of kids (not) wearing helmets, even though it is the law.
I’m a retired bike mechanic, and offer free bike repair to folks in my neighborhood. Naturally I get a lot of kids, mostly boys, and virtually none of them wear a helmet. Although this is a working-class, not-that-rich neighborhood, I can’t believe it is solely a money issue.
How about asking the schools to disallow kids riding to school if they arrive w/o a helmet? (20 minutes supervision in the morning). Or (heh, heh) how about assigning that policeman how is so “fixated” on fixee bikes to helmet enforcement. It might actually save a brain or two. There must be other great ideas to get kids used to riding with helmets.
I have enough swelling on the brain that the skin covering should be Snell-certified…….
Re: bike lanes on NE 28th. An emphatic NO!
Considering all the near misses we all experience while in bike lanes, I don’t see how they would make this stretch of street safer. It is far safer to ride fast and take the whole lane until a gap in parking comes up. I have yet to sense that any drivers are angered by this practice.
I agree that parking will never be removed for bike lanes, nor shoud it be. Can you imagine what the ambiance of the restaurant blocks would be like if drivers had a free and clear lane in which to speed through? It would detract from the busy, community feel of the street just north of Burnside and we’d all be dodging zombies turning right across the bike lane.
If anything, cars should be banned from a portion of 28th. One lane could be for Max, one for bikes. Residents could drive to Burnside, Glisan, or 33rd for thru traffic. (This is not well thought out, of course.)
As it is now, drivers have to go much slower than they’d like to, I’m sure.