A person riding a bicycle died after being involved in a collision with a MAX light rail train today around 1:30 pm. It happened near Southeast Division and 8th Avenue.
It appears that the bicycle rider was using the street, not the bike path. The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office says the rider was headed north on SE 8th when they went around caution barriers that had been lowered due to the passage of a Union Pacific train.
“The cyclist rode his bike into the opposing southbound lanes of travel, where there are no crossing arms, and was subsequently hit by a MAX train traveling in the direction of Milwaukie as he crossed the railroad tracks,” reads the Sheriff’s statement.
There are four rail tracks at this location — two northern tracks for heavy rail and two southern tracks for light rail. According to local news reports, TriMet Media Relations Manager Tia York said at the scene that, “Maybe [the cyclist] was anticipating or looking out for the Union Pacific train and didn’t stop to think that there could be a MAX train here as well.”
This double-threat posed by two separate sets of tracks has been a concern of TriMet ever since the Orange Line opened. When service first began on the line in 2015, TriMet worked with Portland Police on targeted enforcement of cyclists crossing the tracks. Where the bike path crosses the tracks, TriMet installed special swing gates and caution signs that state, “Look Both Ways.”
With four sets of tracks it’s very possible this bike rider saw one train clear the intersection and believed it was safe to cross — only to be hit by a train they never saw.
Another issue at this location is the frequency and duration of train crossings. These crossings often lead to bicycle riders becoming impatient and going around barriers, or in some cases, hopping over freight trains as they pass. The issue is so acute that local policymakers have sought federal grants to study it and find a solution. With so much attention on the crossing delays and related safety issues, this fatality is likely to spur even more conversations about how to rebuild these crossings to make them more compatible with urban traffic.
This is the first person to die while bicycling and 14th fatal traffic crash overall in Portland so far this year.
There is still more to learn about this crash. Stay tuned for more coverage. If you saw what happened and have anything to share, please get in touch.
UPDATE: A BikePortland reader rolled past the scene right after it happened and shared this account:
I rode past as the 2nd fire rescue was arriving on-scene.
The MAX train was headed east toward Gresham and was in the furthest South TriMet line of the 4 tracks.
There was a white ball-cap (and some misc other debris) in the northbound car lane on SE 8th Ave. and the cyclist was dragged east from the crossing before the MAX train stopped with the cyclist on the south side of the train outside the rail pinned under one of the MAX cars.
Even if there had been a Union Pacific freight train, that would have not obscured the cyclist view of the MAX train. Perhaps there was an approaching UP train that they were racing to beat and had tunnel vision on the UP locomotive. Or they were just trying to beat the MAX train at the very last second, going north in the southbound lane to avoid the crossing arm.
UPDATE, 6/19 at 3:50 pm: KOIN is reporting (via the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office that the person who died in this collision was 80-year-old Michael O’Callaghan. Michael ran for Portland Mayor in the last election and was a regular at Bike Happy Hour where he spoke several times on open mic about his plans to help the homelessness crisis. Check out his campaign website to learn more about him. This is such sad news. Michael was a really bright and warm guy.
Thanks for reading.
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I rode past as the 2nd fire rescue was arriving on-scene.
The Max train was headed East toward Gresham and was in the furthest South Tri-Met line of the 4 tracks.
There was a white ball-cap(and some misc other debris) in the northbound car lane on SE 8th Ave. and the cyclist was dragged East from the crossing before the MAX train stopped with the cyclist on the South side of the train outside the rail pinned under one of the MAX cars.
Even if there had been a UP freight train, that would have not obscured the cyclist view of the MAX train. Perhaps there was an approaching UP train that they were racing to beat and had tunnel vision on the UP locomotive. Or they were just trying to beat the MAX train at the very last second, going North in the Southbound lane to avoid the crossing arm.
The MAX train should have cameras that would answer most of these questions. Tragic for all involved.
That train goes to Milwaukie.
I feel terrible for the person that was killed and the people that care about them. Such a senseless and tragic mistake.
When I heard about it yesterday I’d just assumed it was a case of one train masking another.
We’ll never know what was going on in his mind at the time he decided to cross, it’s just sad that it resulted in about the worst possible outcome.
Having been the person left behind by a loved one’s decision, I feel tremendous empathy for his family and friends, as well as the MAX operator – they all have some tough times ahead and deserve our compassion.
I also saw a report that the investigators said the cyclist was Northbound in the southbound car lane, supporting your statement here. I think the image Jonathan made with him NB in the NB lane is not accurate based on recounts I’ve heard from neighbors and social media. Awful incident regardless of fault, the last thing I want to do is victim blame here.
My only intention w the image was to show the general direction of the rider’s movements. I’m aware that witness accounts say he went around the railings and might have been in the southbound lanes prior to entering the tracks.
Willfully disregarding traffic signals and train horns/sounds kind of precludes one from being a victim.
Sad news.
I ride through this intersection constantly and the grimmest intrusive thoughts always cross my mind when it’s time to ride over the tracks. It just takes one inattentive and overly confident and impatient decision to let yourself go when you should just stop and wait. Anyone is capable of this kind of error.
In an ideal world the freight tracks would be in a tunnel and the MAX would be either a subway or on an elevated ROW. Or, at the very least, a ramp-only bike/pedestrian over or under pass would be at this intersection and at 12th.
In this world, it really is the responsibility of cyclists and pedestrians to not let the trains get the better of them and disregard the gates or assume its only a MAX or only an Amtrak or UP train coming through. If you need to keep moving, detour to the Bob Stacy Crossing, elevators be damned, or back track to the Eastbank Esplanade and go over the Hawthorn viaduct. Just like there are no good drivers, just good driving – there are no good cyclists, just good cycling.
The UP tracks can’t really go in a tunnel and still manage acceptable grades. The constraints of the Brooklyn Yard (and the bridge over Powell) and the Steel Bridge Junction make it too difficult. A viaduct would probably be more practical, but also extremely difficult – but viaducts have an advantage of not needing as much vertical clearance
Not if you spend 5 seconds thinking about what trains are known to do to the human body. Cycling dead is impossible, but thinking about how hard it is without legs, an arm, even just getting lucky and losing a hand is a great way to put on the brakes, and follow all your advice of being patient or finding any one of a number of alternative routes.
Maybe it is because my dad was a railroader for 35 years and I am full of horrible stories contributing to a negativity bias, but there are too many (stupid) people who think these things are Thomas the Train choo choos. They are death and dismemberment perfected and should be treated as such.
Wow – kinda harsh.
Which part?
reality often is…
I’ll echo what Adam said. I ride through this section 2x/day commuting to/from South Waterfront, and have been afraid of what a moment’s impatience or inattentiveness could lead to. I went through yesterday just after 2 PM, when the Max train was still on the tracks, emergency personnel on scene, and more TriMet blue shirts on site than I’ve ever seen in my life. It was grim.
I’m not putting any blame on Trimet, but one thing that might help here is a speed limit on Max trains of 10 or 15 mph from the Tilikum to the Bob Stacey crossing, and operators blowing the horn before all crossings (the freight trains already do this).
My heartfelt condolences to all affected by this tragedy.
Yeah, I go through here all the time, east-west. When the crossing arms are down, I look to see where the train they’re for is. Sometimes it’s a UP train that’s still a couple minutes from the intersection, or sometimes it’s the MAX train that’s just passed. I still look for trains coming from the other direction even if I’ve spotted one. But I still think the MAX blowing its horn at these crossings might be helpful.
Maybe the solution is to not ride across the tracks with a train present
There is a problem with how long the signal stays active after a train is finished crossing. People are trained to ignore the warning since it usually keeps going for a long time after the crossing is clear. There should be a limit of 3 seconds or something from when a train is physically clear of the crossing to when the signal stops. Then if it kept going people would know another train was coming and take it seriously.
Well, people should always look in both directions and not just assume one crossing arm down = one train. Might be hard to reminder there’s two kinds of trains in both directions, though?
“not just assume one crossing arm down = one train”
Much of Portland’s bike path design presumes that people are familiar with the route they are using or the eccentricities of Portland. This is a mistake, particularly in the central areas, given that biking is a popular method of tourists traveling through and experiencing the city.
This is especially true when the 1st train through is on the nearer of the 2 tracks – it can easily mask the train coming from the opposite direction.
The MAX crossing of SW 117th is a case in point: Because WB MAX trains are coming from around a bend it is very possible for it not to be in sight when an EB train goes by (moving a bit slowly having just come out of BTC) and for it to be right on top of the crossing when the EB train clears the crossing.
This is heartbreaking and close to home. I ride through this section all the time.
While the cyclist likely acted in a dangerous way, the choice to route the Orange Line along the UP tracks here was always going to invite this kind of danger. With so many long freight delays, it’s easy to forget about the MAX, and it just makes me wish the Orange Line would have been routed down McLoughlin rather than up and around via the UP tracks. There’s drawbacks to every transit line routing choice, but given the dangerous situation at this crossing and at 11th/12th/Milwaukie, it feels like we might have gotten this one wrong. Hopefully this will give the impetus for better safety features at the crossings, though I’m not entirely sure what more can be done
Here are a few ideas:
Those are just two ideas. I’m sure there are many more. Portland is just so pathetic and disappointing at most times.
Grade separating the line is possible, but will never happen without significant public investment, which seems as far as way as it’s ever been.
On the second point, I suppose it’s cost again. I don’t think anything short of closing the crossing would be a budget-acceptable way of dealing with the kind of safety issue presented here. Overcrossings are generally out of the way, and if you are rushing through a rail crossing with barriers down surely you aren’t just going over to the overcrossing.
The original design for the South/North MAX line that was voted down by regional voters in 1998 called for a grade separated crossing here. Saving money sometimes costs lives.
That’s a nice bit of trivia, but this tragedy is the result of poor human judgment and impatient behavior. Don’t blame designers, engineers, voters, and politicians from nearly 30 years ago for this incident. My rides and runs cause me to cross MAX and train tracks with frequency. I obey the warnings and the signals. Life isn’t worth risking for Strava kudos or a few saved moments.
What you can absolutely blame past decisions by engineers and politicians for creating more dangerous roadways. They knew this design would be more dangerous because humans aren’t perfect but they chose to go with it to save money. There’s legal precedent for this.
Obviously this cyclist is at least partially at fault but this is a very dangerous area and we chose to build a less optimal design to save money. We even chose a second time to save money over safety when pedestrian bridges suggested for this spot and at 12th were killed to save money.
How is it very dangerous area? How many freight trains, light rail trains, cars, trucks and pedestrians/cyclists use it every day without issue? The type of rider who will go into the wrong lane to avoid a lowered barrier was not going to be climbing stairs/ramp to a pedestrian bridge and the type of people who would use the pedestrian bridge will just wait for the train to pass, or pursue another route. The diminishing returns of safety will always leave us chasing the lowest common denominator user who for whatever reason doesn’t want to follow conventions or rules.
Yeah, folks are making this way more complicated than it is
Safe behavior around rail crossings is critical, but I think there’s some general blame related to the design of the segment of the Orange Line between OMSI and Powell. The combination of frequent long freight trains with a light rail train every 7.5 minutes makes people do risky things, even if they shouldn’t. It’s inherent to the choice of routing, and the fact that the project spent many hundreds of millions on grade separation elsewhere makes this choice especially frustrating in hindsight (just look at the structures that carry the line over and around the Tacoma/99E junction and the one carrying the line over the P&W branch to Lake O on the north side of Milwaukie). That’s more to do with the planning and design of what we got, but that is all downstream of the failed 1990s proposals (which all failed because of voters in Clark County)
I think the “original design” of what is now the Orange Line is probably more accurately described as the PRL&P interurban line to Oregon City (which is now made up by the Springwater Corridor and Trolley Trails), since public planning for this line began as early as the late 1970s, while that line was still intact. After that, routing along McLoughlin were strongly considered, though I can’t find the specific source on that right now (I think it’s in the 2010 LPA, but not sure). Neither of those would have had a crossing of any kind at 8th (instead following McLoughlin to the Hawthorne Bridge or a new bridge slightly further north of where the Tilikum was built).
And the 1998 South/North line passed by two-thirds in Oregon before losing by 2/3rds in Clark Co. I’m less familiar with the specifics of the alignment than I’d like to be, but there are so many missed opportunities with transit funding in the US that it’s hard to know where to begin. But either way, I wouldn’t boil 1990s Clark Co anti-light rail sentiment to be purely “saving money”, nor would I boil current anti-light rail sentiment in Clark Co to that now.
I passed by on FX2 later in the afternoon when the MAX was still in place and a plethora of emergency vehicles on the scene. FX2 must detour whenever a UP train occupies the crossing, and in this case too with the TriMet unit still blocking Eighth.
If the cyclist did not see the MAX (on its way to Milwaukie, not Gresham) it may be that TriMet’s new dark blue color scheme contributed to that. It is noticeably harder to see dark trains and busses than light ones. They can alarm riders when pulling into a stop and when pedestrians and motorists must cross in front of them.
Were ergonomic conditions affecting safety even considered when that color scheme was chosen?
I’m still really disappointed in the planning behind that area.
Being on an FX (Frequent eXpress) and having it turn 20 times to get over to the OMSI stop is painful enough (yes, I know it’s not actually 20, but it sure feels like it). The fact that a 58 year old cyclist can easily ride from OMSI to 5th and Main faster than either the Orange line or FX is even worse.
Are MAX trains not required to run with lights at all times? Now I’m going to have to look to see if they ever don’t.
Heck, I think every motor vehicle should be required to run with lights 24/7, but that’s me.
Seriously, they probably didn’t adequately plan for people that would ignore every single other safety measure, including the redundancies, and the mistake was that all the trains aren’t wrapped in dayglo orange, green and pink.
And when people get hit by hi-viz trains?
Every road fatality is – quite literally – a human sacrifice to sustain our dysfunctional transportation system.
You can listen to radio communications about the incident here:
http://www.rosecitytransit.org/radio/?1767+5418+2025-6-18
Fire response https://openmhz.com/system/pdx2?filter-type=talkgroup&filter-code=293
Reddit discussion https://old.reddit.com/r/Portland/comments/1let42f/bicyclist_struck_killed_by_max_train_in_se/
So sad to hear about Michael Callahan’s end. RIP