(Photo © J. Maus)
As we hinted at yesterday, Mayor Adams has released a statement in response the fatal collision on SE Foster last week.
Adams was expected to share plans for “immediate changes” to a crossing of SE Foster that was the site of two collisions last week (one woman died and another remains in critical condition) and has a hazardous history for people trying to walk across it. In the statement released just a few minutes ago, Adams says he was “saddened” by this tragedy. He then listed examples of initiatives taken by the Bureau of Transportation — which he has been in charge of since 2005 — to improve traffic safety.
Adams also pointed out how “budget challenges” threaten “key safety efforts” and that he has recommended Portland set aside $400,000 of new revenue the City will receive from the State of Oregon (thanks to increases to the gas tax and vehicle registration fees as passed in House Bill 2001) to “annually to improve pedestrian crossings such as the one at Foster and 80th”.
Even with the recent tragedy, Adams says, Portland is making progress. He cites an “encouraging” decline in fatality trends and touts a recent study by Transportation For America that ranks Portland as the 9th safest city for people who walk.
So, what about the immediate actions Adams will direct his PBOT staff to take to improve this intersection? From the statement:
“City staff and I are looking at the environment around the crosswalk for any possible improvements that would increase sightlines and overall visibility for both pedestrian and drivers. PBOT engineers will further investigate the location once they receive a report from Police, which is standard operating procedure following a transportation fatality.”
Read the Mayor’s full statement on the BikePortland Newswire (a new place where we’ll be publishing press releases).