[Officer Darke Hull.] Officer Darke Hull of the Portland Police Bureau Traffic Division is one of six Portland officers to have been recently certified as a Pedestrian and Bicycle Crash Investigation expert. The certification came after a rigourous, 5-day course offered by the Institute of Police Technology and Management (IPTM). I met with Officer Hull … Read more
[Photo: Ed Abrahamson] The three-foot rule that recently passed as a city ordinance in Grants Pass has generated some good discussion. A few minutes ago I got an email from Ed Abrahamson. Ed is the Principal Planner for the Multnomah County Land Use and Transportation Program. He shared this photo he took last summer while … Read more
I don’t usually cover news from other cities, but since road safety issues are a very hot topic in Portland right now, I thought I’d pass on some news from Grants Pass. Grants Pass is a town of about 25,000 just north of the California border. According to Mark Lansing, a bicyclist and lawyer from … Read more
Last week, there was a lot of discussion about a stop sign enforcment mission by the Traffic Division of the Portland Police Bureau (PPB). In response to a citizen complaint, they sent several officers out to SE 23rd and Salmon Streets to nab law-breaking cyclists. Until now, the one group we hadn’t heard from was … Read more
[Shared lane marking, a.k.a. “sharrow”.](Photo by Todd Boulanger) These roadway markings in Northwest Portland are known as shared lane markings, or sharrows. They were installed back in September as an experimental project, and they’re still awaiting official sanction. Because the markings are still new to many road users, the City of Portland has developed a … Read more
[From a BTA press release] Sam has been known to ride in Portland’s controversial Critical Mass ride, but this Friday, he will be taking part in a different sort of group bike ride. 5th graders at Sunnyside Environmental School and community volunteers will ‘helmet’ up to take a 2-hour ride through SE Portland. All week, … Read more
The Portland Development Commission needs to hear from you about what traffic safety projects you care about on the Vancouver/Williams corridor. The meeting is tonight from 6-8PM. I know this is way late notice, but this is an important opportunity to weigh in on traffic safety issues. If I could make it, I would tell … Read more
Yesterday morning the Portland Police Bureau Traffic Division set up a sting at SE 23rd and Salmon streets. Several cyclists were given $242 dollar fines (the same amount for motor vehicles) for rolling through the four-way stop. This enforcement “mission” was motivated by a phone call to 823-SAFE (the City’s traffic safety hotline) several weeks … Read more
[Try not to let it bug you.] The warm Spring air has beckoned hordes of Portlanders onto their bikes. I’ve heard reports of bike congestion on the bridges and I think its safe to say we’ll see more people than ever on bikes this year. With more bikes on the road, I thought it would … Read more
[Slow down or lose access.] The tranquil roads inside the Riverview Cemetery (Google map) are a popular daily route for hundreds of Portland cyclists. Commuters prefer the cemetery because alternate routes like Barbur Blvd. and Terwilliger Blvd. are full of high-speed motorists. Recreational cyclists like the scenery and access to the Waterfront Trail and many … Read more
Six Portland Police officers from the Traffic Division recently underwent a comprehensive, 40-hour pedestrian and bicycle crash investigation course offered by the Institute of Police and Technology Management (IPTM) in Jacksonville Florida. According to IPTM literature, the course addressed the special dynamics involved in pedestrian and bicycle traffic crashes. From reaction times to victim injury … Read more
[Karla Keller makes her case, under the watchful eyes of Evan Manvel and Mark Ginsberg.] Karla Keller, ODOT’s Maintenance Manager for Portland, brought along all sorts of stuff for the presentation of her proposal to ban bicycles on metro area highways. She passed out 18 pages of impressive, full-color aerial photos, maps, and internal memos. … Read more