Bus mall construction.
(File photo)
(File photo)
The Traffic Division of the Portland Police Bureau are warning of increased presence in the downtown bus mall construction zones.
Commander Mark Kruger says he was contacted by a PDOT engineer in charge of the project who said they’ve seen,
“numerous examples of bicyclists disobeying road closure signs and riding through areas where heavy equipment is operating.”
Be warned: Police will be watching bicyclists closely in the area between SW Harrison and SW Market Streets.
Kruger says they “will take enforcement action if any violations are observed”.
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I saw a cyclist ride through a closed construction area just yesterday. It made me mad.
Obviously anyone who rides a bike thru a heavy construction zone is not using their head, but I still believe that at a time when there is no police enforcement on Portland freeways due to lack of personnel, enforcement against bike riders should be a lower priority.
I work at 6th and salmon and the signs and postings change daily. This morning I had to ride past a closed sign to get to my garage. It took a minute to figure out that local traffic was ok. The construction folks do not have flaggers. They have people dressed like a regular construction worker on the street just yelling at people. It is poorly organized chaos. Watch your selves.
yet they wont ticket the guy who consistently parks his SUV accross from pioneer courthouse square in a no parking zone (when the two open spots are filled) to unload stuff for his store.
this happens everyday around 6:30am ish. maybe someone from enforcement will read this and dish out the appropriate punishment.
This morning at approximately 9 AM, I witnessed a SUV travel eastbound on SW Yamhill St, between SW 5th & 6th (which is currently closed)and I also witnessed a dark colored mini van parked in the loading zone on Yamhill. Could this be the same van Todd is describing?
Why aren\’t motorists being \”closely watched\”??????
In defense of cars and bikes, it is often pretty darn hard to tell if a street is open or closed. They have started putting up \”road closed\” signs on some, but there are other streets where it is anyone\’s guess. Not, of course, that there aren\’t cyclists out there who will blatantly disregard any sign they come across.
And I would be surprised if cars aren\’t already being \”closely watched.\” It\’s just that — like those stop sign runners — a few irresponsible riders are gonna put us all under the microscope. Thanks.
I would think that motorcycle Police in particular would be more concerned with cars,SUVS, and trucks changing lanes and turning without looking or signalling as it endangers them just as much as it endangers us citizens. This happens all the time downtown, and usually when a person doesn\’t signal t is because they are holding a phone to their ear with the hand that would operate the turn signal. Someone could die from this behavior. Oh wait someone already did…
These is the same quadrant that Barnum and Balzer do their dirty work, right around and near First and Second and SW Main.
Bicycle targeting, or sometimes even legitimate tickets, is a very regular thing now in this area.
motorcycle units were also ticketing at the Broadway Bridge by Vancouver Ave today– be warned.
There was another one waiting for cyclists at the stop sign on 4th by OMSI.
When the construction first began, the signage and number of flaggers directing traffic was great. I felt like I knew where I was going, and if I didn\’t, someone would direct me. That seems to have fallen apart somehow. I see fewer flaggers and very little signage telling me of a street closure. It\’s like no one cares anymore.
If the PPB are issuing tickets under these circumstances, I do feel it is incredibly unfair. It\’s like we\’re being set up for failure.
downtown worker @ 5
it doesnt sound like the same vehicle, this one is some asian guy unloading soda / bread every morning.
Regardless of whether we think it is fair or unfair that police are writing tickets to cyclists, the bottom line is too many cyclists are blatantly runing red lights (I see it at least three times a day downtown), going the wrong way, or not yielding to peds. if we want them to leave us, alone start obeying the laws consistently.
Of course, with instructions like this , what are people to do?
What the hell do you expect? While this may stink of police bias against cyclists, the truth is that the majority of cyclists disobey traffic laws. I am a dedicated cyclist, both in my career, my commuting, as well as recreational and competitive riding. I live on a popular bike route and am priveledged (usage?) to countless arguments and incidents, the majority of which are the result of cyclists.
Jim:
The time has expired on your argument. It is not my responsibility to represent every cyclist in the city, nor is it anybody\’s right to punish me for the actions of any other cyclist. We as cyclists do not get together every evening and decide how many people are going to blow which stop signs. We are all individuals, same as motorists. (The only difference is that motorists drive vehicles that can kill cyclists with very little loss of control, and cyclists have no impact on the health of motorists.) We are capable of making up our own minds, but we are not in control of any other cyclist, because they make up their minds about their actions. Cyclists going the wrong way or blowing off stop signs – bust \’em! Motorists speeding or failing to yield – bust them, too! But don\’t bust me for anyone else\’s crime!
It\’s funny how everybody always wants to blame everyone else for their breaking a traffic law and getting caught. Your decision, your ticket. I think it\’s great when I ride by a cyclist getting a ticket, because I know they\’re thinking how stupid this is, and how the PPB is out to get cyclists. Follow the rules and it won\’t happen. Or at least be smart enough to view your surroundings before rolling with your riding decision.
When you plead to fellow bikers to obey the law so \”we\” can look good, you have completely lost the battle. Most bikers drive cars. The motorist who gets on a bike tends to behave differently and may see no point in obeying a stoplight in the absence of traffic. This is especially true with those with less biking experience.
Why do we divide people by the mode of transport they are currently using? The vigilante driver who curses the stopsign scofflaw on a bike, finds himself doing the same thing the next time he rides his bike. Dividing us into bikers/drivers is how we fail. We are the same thing. The percieved division makes it easy for bigots to point to a group claiming that \”they\” are the problem.
The sooner it is legal for bikes to roll thru stopsigns where there is no crosstraffic, the better. We all do this anyways, on bike or in car.
Logan 5 (#14)
Yeah, that\’s a great one, here\’s another shot of that same intersection
peejay,
I am not saying that the police should harass or ticket those that are not breaking the law. What I am saying is that I am tired of all the whining about \”it\’s not fair\” and \”what about the cars?\” No doubt the cars should be ticketed as well for breaking the law. Your statement that I am holding YOU responsible for the actions of others is ludicrous. I did not say, nor do I believe, that law abding citizens, whether on a bike or in a car, should be \”busted for someone else\’s crime\”. I have NO problem with the police paying more attention to ALL traffic in the city.
Were you ticketed for no reason whatsoever?
i\’m echoing the comments that it\’s confusing as hell down there. i\’ve ridden through a sign, too, because the car in front of me did, and i didn\’t notice until i was halfway through that there\’d been a sign. unlike the car driver, i heard all the random construction workers screaming at us. loud and clear.
if they\’re putting up the signs to keep us safe, they should make sure the signs are clear and effective.
The dynamic duo – Barnum and Balzer – were out keeping the public safe again this morning – by giving out fixed gear tickets to cyclists at SW 6th and Main, outside the construction zone.
It\’s all fucked up down there.
we don\’t even need that max line.
They should have run the north-south light rail line underground through the downtown area, and not at street level on the bus mall.