I have always made an effort to visit places where people have been killed while using Portland roads. It changes me to be in the same place where stuff like this has happened. It’s radicalizing, illuminating, sobering, often terrifying, and usually, extremely frustrating. Frustrating because I’ve done this dozens of times over the years, and each time it just seems like such a senseless waste of human potential and something that we could have prevented. Whenever I hear from family or friends of victims, the one thing I always share is “I’m sorry.” And I say that not just in the traditional, general sense of empathy for their loss, but “sorry” because I feel like we all have a roll in making our streets safe and when we don’t do enough, a death can be the outcome.
As I sat in the passenger seat of our car Saturday with my phone balanced on the dashboard to get video of NE Glisan (I wanted the driver’s perspective too) where it passes Menlo Park Elementary School, I could feel myself getting angry. All last week I was in touch with a nearby resident who shared videos of people driving into medians and sign poles on this same section of road. But it was the video of a sports car driver flying west on Glisan near the pedestrian overpass outside the school that made me mad. Actually, it was the seconds before that car zoomed across my screen. The seconds that showed someone on a bike, leisurely riding with no hands in the middle of the lane (not the bike lane). I’ve done that myself so many times. When I was a kid I’d ride home late from my girlfriend’s house. I lived in a quiet Orange County, California suburb and the massive stroads in my neighborhood were barely occupied late at night. I would ride in the middle of the street as fast as I could, trying to beat my record home. With noise from wind in my ears, especially if it was raining or stormy, I could imagine not hearing a fast driver coming up behind me.
All I could think of while at the site Saturday was that video. The sound of the car and its impact. The finality of what happened. Just because one selfish person decided they mattered more than everyone else for those few fateful minutes.
The sight lines are perfect at this location. The driver going westbound on Glisan toward 128th (and the pedestrian overpass) would have had nothing obstructing their view in front of them. I will not speculate further about what might have happened until I can verify details.
I’ll speak to what I saw on Saturday: concrete median islands clearly damaged from reckless drivers and many plastic posts either damaged or completely uprooted. Glisan has parking-protected bike lanes in this location. That means PBOT puts a bike lane curbside and floats car parking spaces in the street. Ostensibly these parked cars provide a protective buffer between drivers and bike riders. PBOT likes the design because it’s cheap (parked cars usually take the place of permanent concrete) and it doesn’t upset the apple cart as much as removing parking spaces does. One problem with this approach however, is that when there are no cars present, we’re left with a wide road and bike riders that are totally unprotected. The only thing “protecting” someone using the bike lane are a few parking sign posts on floppy springs, maybe plastic delineator wands (if they haven’t already been uprooted by errant drivers), and stripes of paint.
Curbside bike lanes are also more likely to be obstructed, since debris accumulates in them and PBOT still doesn’t reliably keep these spaces clean. I have no idea why the victim in this collision was riding in the general travel lane instead of the bike lane. They might have been prepping to take a left and go south on the neighborhood greenway a block away on NE 128th. Or they might have felt like the bike lane was too narrow and obstructed. Looking west at the point of impact, the bike lane narrows due to a sign pole, then it’s obstructed by a storm drain grate, then curves to go around a planted bioswale and then makes another curve into the protected crossing and bike lane in front of Menlo Park school.
Not sure what else to say about this location. Usually fatal crashes happen at intersections and there’s a turning movement involved. Collisions like this where someone just rams into another person from behind, are very rare.
I am still waiting to hear from police about the identity of the rider and get an update on the hit-and-run investigation. Stay tuned.
If you’d like to take part in a vigil for this rider, and for the person killed while biking just three miles away, there’s a vigil planned for this Saturday. It’s being organized by Bike Loud and Families for Safe Streets. They’ll meet at NE Marx and 105th (I have a post and video about that coming soon) at 11:30 am for a moment of silence and then ride to NE Glisan and 128th for a vigil and call to action. More event details here.
Thanks for reading.
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https://www.koin.com/news/portland/suspect-faces-manslaughter-homicide-charges-after-deadly-crash-victim-identified/
A car versus car crash at NE 118th & Halsey on Monday.
You linked to a crash between two automobiles, not the incident in the story above.
So many fatal crashes out in these parts. It’s hard to keep them straight.
Timur, let’s be real—you’re running for city council, right? Then where’s the plan for actually lowering traffic deaths? I checked out your site, and it’s just a lot of the same “let’s get to the root of the problem” talk we’ve been hearing in Portland forever. Your response to gun violence? More “green spaces” and “public space activation”—sounds a lot like Joanne Hardesty’s “let’s throw plastic barrels at bullets” idea. Honestly, until we see some real, concrete action to tackle traffic violence (yes, that includes more actual police traffic enforcement), we’re just left with nice words and rising stats. So please, let’s get serious about this.
Hopefully the voters are getting tired of the performative/woke politicians of the past and will elect ones that have actual plans, not just fancy $2 words.
First, my bad about linking an article about a different crash. The picture on the KOIN link showed 128th/Glisan so that is what led me to believe it was about the crash at 128th/Glisan. And yes, it has been hard to keep track of because there have been 5 fatalities in district 1 over the past 2 weeks. Second, thank you for your question; I appreciate the opportunity to elaborate more on my policy positions.
Things I’ve done related to traffic/transportation safety: (more posted on our instagram @enderineastportland; it is pinned to the top)
-helped develop the fixing our streets program which has yielded $16M a year for projects like safe routes to school, streetlighting, curb ramps, sidewalks, and local match for federal funded projects. Due to demographics and need, a disproportionate amt of this funding has gone to neighborhoods in East Portland.
-managed a portfolio of $30M of infrastructure projects (neighborhod greenways, crosswalks, paving, protected bike lanes, sidewalks, and street lighting infill) in East Portland
-worked to bring frequent transit service on 122nd Avenue in partnership with TriMet
-helped launch fixed speed safety camera program
-helped launch BIKETOWN
Things I hope to accomplish once in office:
-continue to advocate for safe streets with best practices from NACTO (Nat’l Assoc of City Transportation Officials). This includes working to design streets where design speed, actual speed, and posted speed all match. As Jonathan said, street designs should be self enforcing.
-I agree with the need for more traffic enforcement. On city council, I will look to also pilot unarmed traffic enforcement which many local governments across the world have had success with. (PBOT staff reviewing automated enforcement citations and issuing citations for lack of registration/license plates are some local examples of unarmed traffic enforcement)
-I will work to prioritize investments in streetlighting which not only helps traffic safety but also makes ppl feel safer walking in low-lit conditions and is a place-based intervention for gun violence.
-I will work to strengthen partnerships with TriMet so that our zoning, traffic signals, pedestrian infrastructure, policies, and funding work to support the region’s investment in public transit. And working with TriMet so that people feel safe riding public transit.
-I will work to protect the Portland Clean Energy Fund (PCEF) which can help fund street trees that provide not only shade but also a buffer between pedestrains and traffic. PCEF also funds important carbon reduction programs like the transportation wallet.
-I will advocate for the Portland Street Response and the Fire Bureau’s Community Health Assessment Team which can be important upstream interventions for people living in close proximity to arterials.
Broadly speaking, due to higher rates of gun violence and traffic crashes (which tie back to underinvestment and lack of political representation), District 1 has a 10 year lower life expectancy than people living west of 82nd Ave. Health equity is my north star for budgets and policy as it relates to local government. My vision is that a kid growing up in East Portland has the same access to shade, sidewalks, safe streets, parks/playgrounds, clean air, health outcomes, and life expectancy as a kid growing up in the west hills of the same city.
This is ultimately why I decided to run for city council. This new form of government is the first time where we see political boundaries (of council district 1) tied to where we see depressed life expectancy on a community level. Because of how our local government has historically been elected at large, no elected official has ever been accountable for East Portland’s lower life expectancy. Assuming I get elected, how I will define success will be: “Have we reduced health disparities between east and west of 82nd Ave and have we extended East Portland’s life expectancy?” Working to make our transportation system safer for the council district that has the youngest median age (38), most diversity (100+ languages represented), and most families with kids (+30%), is a key part of my vision.
Good luck Timur, I hope you win, I’m rooting for you.
If I could wave a wand and change one thing about the Portland political dynamic, it would be that east side leaders stop using “west hills” as a stand-in symbol for abundant city services.
Per PBOT’s own statistics, east Portland has double the sidewalk coverage of SW Portland (on centerlined streets, IIRC). Also, SW and West Hills have the poorest bus frequency and coverage.
I’m looking forward to the day when my D4 council reps will be saying this instead of just me, over and over again.
good point!
Thank you Timur. I really hope in a few months that it will be you and Eric Z. having these conversations!
Hi Timur,
Thanks for laying out your vision for Portland! I’m all about seeing new ideas in local government, but I had a few questions that feel important to dig into.
First, you’re claiming some major accomplishments for a private citizen—kudos if so, but I’d love to hear more details. It’s one thing to have ideas, but Portlanders need someone who can turn those ideas into actual change. Could you share a bit more on your role in making these happen?
Also, while the Portland Street Response has good intentions, there are some real issues with its effectiveness in practice. Their ability to get people off the streets seems very limited, and responses haven’t always been swift or as impactful as initially promised. How would you approach this to make sure we’re actually getting the results our city needs? And given you signed the No Police Money Pledge, I’m curious how you plan to tackle public safety challenges with an anti-police bias. People want both reform and solid safety measures, and I’d love to hear how you’d realistically make that work.
Looking forward to hearing how you’ll balance these goals for a safer, more effective Portland!
Best,
In 2015-16, I served as a policy advisor to city commissioner Steve Novick, who at the time was the City’s transportation commissioner. In that capacity, my role involved helping launch the Fixing Our Streets program (10 cent local gas tax), bike share, and the fixed speed safety program. Specifically, I worked to develop policies around these items, work with bureau staff on development/implementation, address concerns from Portlanders/various interest groups, and ensure these policies & programs had the necessary votes/support on council. A few more examples, for fixed speed safety cameras, the City did not have legislative authority to put up the cameras until the State of Oregon allowed cities this opportunity so we worked with government relations to include this in the City’s legislative agenda. As it relates to bike share, we vetted/courted various private companies who could be potential sponsors and discussed alignment and vision.
As it relates to PSR, my priority involves ensuring it is available for people in crisis, as this was the original intent of the program. For me, this means it is available 24/7 in every corner of Portland so that it is available to accept the appropriate 911 call types. I hear your concern and would welcome to chance to talk more about that after I get through the next few hectic days of the campaign. My email is enderineastportland@gmail.com
In terms of public safety, I’m excited that the new form of government will have a deputy city manager for public safety which will allow us to look at public safety holistically including 911 response times, triaging calls, office of violence prevention, emergency management, and other safety functions local govt. I’ll also be advocating for crime prevention through environmental design which includes things like street lighting and is the portfolio of public works but has a strong public safety nexus. I’m definitely looking forward to working with everyone who has a role in public safety.
In reference to the no police money pledge, I knew that as a city councilmember, I would be making decisions about city policy as it relates to bureaus, including police. Undoubtedly, some of these decisions and votes may be favored by the police union and others may not, but I felt it was important to maintain independence. By signing the no police money pledge, district 1 residents know that any decision I make is based on what I think is best for our community, which is who I am ultimately accountable to as an elected official.
“I’m excited that the new form of government will have a deputy city manager for public safety”
This isn’t really part of the structure, it’s just something Wheeler set up. The next mayor might want to do something completely different.
I’m glad you aren’t accepting police union money. I think no politician should accept money from unions they might have to bargain with, for the reasons you described. I hope you didn’t take any money from other city unions as well.
I dare say the driver was likely stoned/drunk/medicated/looking at their phone (or all of the above), and clearly not looking at the road in front of them, for far more than “a few fateful minutes”, likely for most of the drive before the hit, and quite likely after it as well. Did the driver even feel the hit? Or where they too numb to even notice it? Did they panic and drive fast to get elsewhere? Or were they so out of it that they drove fast to get elsewhere out of force of habit?
From the video you showed us, I’d say a lot of drivers on Glisan are much the same way, used to driving on Glisan as if it is not only a freeway like I-84, but an autobahn with no speed limits. Note how many drivers hit sign posts and didn’t stop at all.
You presume the driver cared at all, ever, when you describe a “selfish driver” – I’ve seen too many drivers, including people I’ve worked with, who simply don’t give a f**k about others, particularly when they are stoned/drunk/medicated/looking at their phone – and ultimately they are not fun people to work with. They get extraordinarily moody, paranoid, drunk, stoned, eat vast amounts of junk food in one sitting, believe what they see and hear on Fox News, bully and yell at their friends, go on 25-mile midnight bike rides (often without lights themselves), drive drunk, suffer from depression, PTSD, ADHD, and autism, marry and divorce frequently, and couch-surf. Many end up at homeless shelters and in the emergency room. They rarely vote – they have trouble even telling what day it is. Common sense isn’t their strong suit – that’s often why they are screwed up in the first place – and a threat to decent folks everywhere. Every community has such folks – poor rural towns usually have a bigger concentration of them – but cities like Portland have their fair share, maybe a bit more than usual with your unusually liberal drug laws.
And the matching article on today’s Washington Post about the increase in road rage
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/interactive/2024/road-rage-aggressive-driving-increase/
When this first happened I remember having the same thought. But seeing your photo, I wonder… I don’t remember the weather on 10/21 and am too lazy/busy to check, but I notice that storm drain looks like it may not be fully functional. With enough rainfall, it wouldn’t surprise me if the entire bike lane was flooded and unusable. Not exactly a rare occurrence with curbside bike lanes in my experience.
great point Nate. It was drizzly and had been raining.
Just prior to annexation the County put in sump pumps all over East Portland. When I lived there some of them would periodically break down and we would get some street flooding during major storms, and later you would see the city making storm sewer repairs. A also remember hearing from other NA members who had more sewer expertise than myself complaining that most of East Portland still hadn’t been hooked up to the city’s storm sewer system, that a lot of our water was being sent directly to the Columbia River untreated under I-205, but I don’t know if any of this is true or not.