22 new speed bumps* have been installed on Northeast Ainsworth between NE Grand/6th and 15th. Almost as soon as they went in, I heard from various sources that they weren’t doing anything to slow people down. Since I ride this route and it’s an important neighborhood street with a history of speeding and tensions between drivers and bike riders, I wanted to get a closer look at these bumps.
So I headed over with my cameras to document how they’re being used.
According to the Portland Bureau of Transportation, they installed speed cushions in both directions of NE Ainsworth between NE Grand and 15th last week. There are 11 speed cushions in each direction.
(*A quick note on verbiage: I’ve always called these speed “bumps” because that’s the general term most folks understand. But I realize there’s an important difference between speed bumps and speed “cushions” (a.k.a. “humps” or “tables”). Speed cushions, according to the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) have cutouts for wheels and elongated humps that are much less intrusive to auto users. From here on out, I will differentiate and use “cushions” to match PBOT’s language.)
Like I shared back in June, this section of NE Ainsworth has a 20 mph speed limit that is regularly exceeded by drivers. This is a problem because it’s two very narrow streets (so narrow that people who park on it often roll up onto the curb and sidewalk strip) separated by a wide grassy median in a dense residential neighborhood that is often shared by bicycle riders and drivers. It should be a pleasant, safe place to be; but with so many speeders it can be intimidating.
As for bicycling on it? I know there are many people who think bikes don’t belong, but I personally favor Ainsworth over the nearby neighborhood greenway on Holman because it’s much smoother and more direct. I only use it if I feel like going fast, which is easier these days with my e-bike that can maintain 20 mph with ease. The thought of speed bumps was exciting because it could mean that I (and others) would be able to use Ainsworth at or near the speed limit without being harassed by drivers who insist on tailgating (or worse) and going too fast.
What I found from personal observation is that they will likely have some impact, but the cushions are easy to avoid — especially for larger, wider vehicles that make up an increasingly larger portion of the fleet — and many people simply go over them without slowing down at all.
PBOT says Ainsworth is a secondary emergency route (NE Dekum a few blocks north is the main one), so their only option to address speeding was to install cushions. This installation is part of a larger effort to reduce and tame cut-through traffic on residential streets. PBOT understands that Ainsworth further west is a vital link in the bike network that carries a lot of bike traffic even without much dedicated bike infrastructure (they also recently installed bike boxes at N Interstate as part of a future neighborhood greenway as per the North Portland in Motion plan).
So do these new speed cushions work? My first impression is yes and no.
You can see a lot of evidence in my video and photos that many people speed right over them, using the channels meant for emergency vehicles. Some folks in larger vehicles might not even know the cushions exist. That being said, you’ll also notice some people do feel the cushions and slow down and/or attempt to navigate around them. Those behaviors mean they’re having some impact that will lead to lower speeds overall. I also think the symbolism of infrastructure is important. And these cushions send a signal to people that the city expects them to drive more slowly and use caution on this street.
What about the harassment and road ragers who tailgate bike riders on this street? Don’t miss the end of my video where I test this by riding 20 mph and filming drivers behind me. You’ll see some folks give plenty of breathing room, but others are clearly peeved they can’t drive faster. One guy in a truck was so mad he dangerously tailgated the driver immediately behind me and then yelled an obscenity at me as he turned off.
Six months from now PBOT says they’ll have speed data to report and I’m eager to see what they find.
Regardless of the impact this has on safety or cut-through traffic, one guy who I met while I was out there summed up what I think is a very important point: “It’s such a waste we had to spend money on these things just because people won’t drive the speed limit.”
Bingo!
