(Photo: Aaron Tarfman)
The Portland Water Bureau plans to host an event next week that will educate the community about the unique safety concerns of large trucks.
According to a press release from the Bureau, the event will take place in a parking lot near the Rose Quarter (adjacent to their Interstate facility) and it will give “bike commuters” the “opportunity to see the view from a dump truck’s driver’s seat and learn more about blind spots and other dangers of riding near large vehicles.”
Set to debut at the event will be a new video produced by the Water Bureau that illustrates hazards and “tells cyclists ways to help ensure their safety by being visible to car and truck drivers.”
The event is sponsored by the Portland Trail Blazers, the Rose Quarter, and the Lloyd Transportation Management Association. The Water Bureau is teaming up with the Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) on the event and folding it into their Eye to Eye Campaign that was launched last month.
This event is just the latest manifestation of a commitment to bike/truck safety by the Water Bureau.
Spurred by a constant stream of close-calls and collisions near their Interstate Facility (mostly at the infamous Broadway/Flint intersection), the Water Bureau began looking at solutions over a year ago. Bureau Risk Specialist Jeff Guard has led the charge and his bike/truck safety committee has met regularly ever since.
Back in December, the Water Bureau announced that official vehicles were no longer allowed to enter or exit their Interstate Operations Facility via NE Wheeler Street.
Water Bureau administrator David Shaff says that, “Our field maintenance and construction crews operate more than 270 large vehicles each day, so it’s important that our drivers know a bicyclist is nearby and that riders know they may not be seen.”
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Water Bureau Bike/Truck Safety Event
September 16th, 4-6:00pm
Rose Quarter, Benton Parking Lot (N Broadway and N Larrabee)