(Photo © J. Maus)
Ladd Circle has been a thorn in the side of neighbors, vehicle operators, and the City of Portland for years. The circle — which happens to sit on one of the most heavily traveled bicycle corridors in Portland — has stop signs at every entry; but they’re notoriously ignored.
The survey is titled, “A Busy Circle – In Search of Solutions.” Here’s more from an email being distributed about it:
“Ladd Circle is a memorable landmark in the Hosford-Abernethy neighborhood and during commuting hours can be a very busy thoroughfare. Thousands of cyclists, drivers and pedestrians make their way through each day.
In the last few years, neighbors, commuters and various advocates have raised a wide range of safety concerns related to traffic movement (cars, people and bikes) within and near the circle. What are the most concerning problems? What are the most appealing solutions?The neighborhood association, Hosford-Abernethy Neighborhood Development (HAND), wants to know what you think. In an effort to better judge the concerns our community has about traffic issues in Ladd’s Circle, we’ve compiled a list of questions in an online survey.”
The 20 question survey includes questions like:
- As a motorist, cyclist, or pedestrian in Ladd circle have you yourself had a “near miss” where you felt very lucky to have not been involved in an crash?
- What level of concern to you have about motor vehicle/cycle/pedestrian issues in and around Ladd Circle?
- Given the current configuration of Ladd’s circle please state how concerned you are about the following types of crashs taking into account the likelihood they will happen and the potential consequences.
The survey also asks people for feedback on a variety of “interventions” to fix the problems including “Change stop signs on entering the circle to yield signs,” “Increase police enforcement of traffic laws in the circle,” “Provide volunteer crossing guards during school transportation times,” “Paint a bike lane in the circle,” and more.
Creators of the survey say the goal is to define the issues and facilitate a solution. Questions were developed by the Hosford-Abernethy Neighborhood Association, PBOT, resident expert Mia Birk, the Willamette Pedestrian Coalition and the Bicycle Transportation Alliance. The survey closes November 8th and it’s available online.