(Photo © J. Maus)
The Portland Bureau of Transportation has announced a new twist in their North Williams Traffic Safety Operations Project — an educational campaign “to encourage safe and respectful traveling.”
The announcement was sent out via email to a list of project stakeholders. It comes just over one month after PBOT announced they would extend the project timeline in order to mollify some in the community who felt their concerns about the project were not being addressed.
Here’s an excerpt from the email (emphasis mine):
“While discussions about changes to the roadway continue as part of the North Williams Traffic Safety Project, we have heard loud and clear from the community that how people interact with one another while traveling up North Williams is just as important as engineering, and that conditions on the street feel dangerous today and should be addressed as soon as possible.”
PBOT has scheduled two meetings to brainstorm answers to the following questions:
1. What actions do people take when traveling on North Williams that seem unsafe or disrespectful to you?
2. What can people do when driving, biking and walking on North Williams to show their concern and respect for one another?
3. What is the most effective way to ask people to change their behavior during this summer campaign?
As N Williams bike traffic has exploded in recent years, it has also become notorious as a commuter raceway. During the hectic evening rush, the vehicle lanes are crowded with people — in cars and on bikes — zooming by, often without regard for others.
Case in point: The other day I was in the front of a platoon of about 30 bikes when I noticed a family with a stroller trying to cross the street. I stopped (as per Oregon law); but many cars and bikes zoomed past me and didn’t even seem to notice that someone was waiting to cross (or maybe they did but chose not to stop). It was disappointing to say the least.
And everyone has a story like that.
Suffice it to say, these brainstorming meetings are sure to provoke a lot of testimony. The question is, what will PBOT do with all of it? Asking people to be nice could have limited impact. The way I see it, until the roadway engineering changes significantly and bicycle traffic is given adequate access, the dangerous and stressful behavior will continue.
The meetings are this Wednesday (7/20) and next Wednesday (7/27) from 7:00 – 8:30 pm at Legacy Emanuel Hospital Room 1077.