Human-protected bike lane protest draws attention to deadly intersection

The line of protestors on SE 26th Avenue south of Powell Blvd. (Photos: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)

Taylor Griggs contributed to this story.

Showing a remarkable mix of courage, anger, and hope, nearly 200 people stood in the lanes of SE 26th on both sides of Powell Blvd Wednesday afternoon during rush-hour. They formed a human-protected bike lane as part of a protest organized by Bike Loud PDX, The Street Trust, and Oregon Walks meant to keep pressure on the Oregon Department of Transportation to make the intersection safer and to remember the deadly collision that cut Sarah Pliner’s life short just nine days ago.

Wearing bright green vests and shirts, these volunteers brought humanity to a car-centric streetscape and held the space for 30 minutes mostly in silence. Their mere presence made more noise than yelling ever could.

Outgoing Oregon Walks Executive Director and incoming Metro Councilor Ashton Simpson stood just feet from where Pliner’s body came to rest. When the signal on the southeast corner of the intersection turned red, he moved in front of car drivers, stared directly through their windshield and held a large sign that read, “Human Bike Box.”

Estelle Morley came to the protest with her friends Jean and Dave Gray. Morley was critically injured after being hit by a drunk driver while she was biking in Portland last summer. She said coming to this event was nerve-wracking considering what she’s been through, but she wants to see change on our streets. 

“There’s not enough urgency,” Morley said, as she stood in the street using a cane for balance. 

Dave Gray said the experience of waiting to see if Morley would survive the crash was horrifying. He thinks Portland has become a more dangerous place to ride a bike in recent years. 

“It’s supposedly a very good bike city,” he told me. “But I think road rage has become a lot worse during the pandemic.” 

@bikeportland

Direct action protest just happened at SE 26th & Powell where Sarah Pliner was hit and killed last Tuesday. Bike Loud PDX, Oregon Walks, and The Street Trust organized this human protected bike lane. Brave folks stood in the street to stand up for safety! #portland #directaction #protest #bicycling #visionzero

♬ original sound – bikeportland

One attendee, Meg Niemi, was wearing an eye-grabbing shirt that read ‘my kid got hit by a car on Powell Blvd.’ In August, her 15-year-old son was hit while biking on SE 45th and Powell and suffered life-threatening injuries. He is recovering and just went back to school. Niemi said they’re lucky he survived, and hopes Pliner’s tragic death will result in something tangible. 

“It’s so unfortunate that there’s been this death. But I think we’re at a moment where some change could happen.” 

The trauma of Pliner’s death has reverberated throughout the community. One group of people immediately impacted were those who witnessed the crash, which included hundreds of Cleveland High School students on their lunch break, employees of the nearby Burgerville and people who live in the surrounding neighborhood.

Jacob Scaia lives on 26th Ave right next to the scene of the crash. He was one of the first people on the scene when Pliner was killed. “Every time an 18-wheeler or a bicyclist comes down here and I see them, I relive it,” Scaia told me. “If I hear a loud noise, I’ll jump off the couch and look out the window.”

Scaia has some ideas for what ODOT could do to make this intersection safer, especially considering its proximity to Cleveland High School. “Remove trucks from 26th Ave,” Scaia said. He also suggested turning the block of 26th in front of Powell into a carfree zone.

At one point during the protest the driver of a large, 53-foot semi-truck pulling a trailer — almost identical to the one that killed Pliner — rumbled north on 26th past the long line of protestors. Heads turned and tracked its movement as it made the same type of sweeping right turn onto Powell Blvd that we think led to last Tuesday’s tragedy It was a sobering reminder of the dangers still present at this intersection. (Note: Watch the truck take the turn in the video above.)

Related: ODOT says US DOT Sec Pete Buttigieg will be Oregon’s ‘new best friend’

Another reminder of what we’re up against came in the form of a few people who yelled mean things out of their car windows or threateningly revved their car engines as they passed. But given the mood of many these days and the in-your-face nature of the protest, I was actually relieved there weren’t more, and more serious, altercations.

That might have something to do with the sheer number of people that turned out. There’s always strength in numbers. Those at the protest felt it, and those in their cars did too.

Now comes the part of waiting to see if those numbers translate into real, substantive change. This is the third protest we’ve covered at this intersection since 2015. If our leaders’ actions speak louder than their words, it should be our last.


Full gallery below:

— If you want to stay engaged and help make a difference, attend the Community Forum at Cleveland High School next Thursday, October 20th. The Street Trust is also hosting a community information session on October 19th where they’ll help you with the policy and political background you need to prep for the forum.

Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor)

Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor)

Founder of BikePortland (in 2005). Father of three. North Portlander. Basketball lover. Car owner and driver. If you have questions or feedback about this site or my work, feel free to contact me at @jonathan_maus on Twitter, via email at maus.jonathan@gmail.com, or phone/text at 503-706-8804. Also, if you read and appreciate this site, please become a supporter.

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Nick
Nick
1 year ago

There was also a guy in a car who stopped at the light and made a show of moving his long gun from the trunk to the passenger seat of his car.

Josh G
Josh G
1 year ago
Reply to  Nick

That was scary. Got a pic. of plate along with many other people. This was while the southbound driver was waiting to turn east on Powell.

Nick
Nick
1 year ago
Reply to  Josh G

Yes it was, I think I’ll be bringing a helmet mounted camera to future bike events.

Luke
Luke
1 year ago
Reply to  Nick

Such sick behavior. That sort of thing ought to warrant court-enforced behavioral therapy sessions; he should be ashamed of his actions, not think that they were in any way justified. America, the terrible.

Nick
Nick
1 year ago
Reply to  Luke

The best part is, even if someone reported it I know there will be absolutely no consequences.

Watts
Watts
1 year ago
Reply to  Nick

What consequences would you want to see?

Andrew
Andrew
1 year ago
Reply to  Watts

Suspended license personally

Brandon
Brandon
1 year ago

The people yelling from their cars is an example of what half the battle is. The thing is, they see us as “entitled” because we want bike lanes etc, but they want the entitlement of being able to drive their cars wherever they want, as fast as they want, with no one getting in their way. All we want is to not be killed.

Sequoia
Sequoia
1 year ago

In he video above showing the truck make that right turn on SE Powell from SE 26th, that truck comes no where near the corner, not even the original one before it was cut back to what is there now.

I’m just gonna say it plainly, ODOT doesn’t know what the F! they’re doing.

D2
D2
1 year ago
Reply to  Sequoia

A skilled truck driver can make all sorts of awkward maneuvers with a 53 foot box. Looking at large semi trucks in Europe. The key to this intersection is ODOT wanted to allow those trucks to do so faster. Take from that what you will.

Note; most of the European trucks are likely utilizing axles closer to the middle of their trailers to maximize turning radius at the expense of weight capacity.

City-lover
City-lover
1 year ago

I think there needs to be an ongoing silent vigil at this location. Even if it’s one or two people at a time.

FDUP
FDUP
1 year ago

I completely get it, but that bike lane is so narrow no cyclist could have gotten through with all of those ppl standing on the white line.

Ryan
Ryan
1 year ago
Reply to  FDUP

I didn’t get there until near the end, but they were calling out when a bike would come in the lane to have people move out of the way if needed. The cyclists I saw come after me just took the lane, since the cars were moving slow enough.

Barbara
Barbara
1 year ago

Nextdoor Roseway had plenty of negative comments from people uninformed as to what occurred. Sort of like until ALL bicycle riders obey the rules then they deserve what happens to them.
Worse yet was a my friend say the cyclist wa on her cell phone! She was riding on SE Powell.
So discouraging that rumor and ignorant and people who don’t even know what the laws are making all the statements they do.

FDUP
FDUP
1 year ago
Reply to  Barbara

They are all screaming into their own anti-cyclist echo chamber much like every other selfish human on the internet, welcome to the social media-ruled 21st century, where reality, empathy and truth are all optional.