From plastic to metal: How one Portlander got PBOT to defend a diverter
823-SAFE
We can’t fix what we don’t know: Why access to information is key to Vision Zero
*Watch how many people drive in front of this man while he waits for a chance to cross.
This post was written by our Adventures in Activism column co-editor Catie Gould.
On the evening of April 7th, Alex Hubert was crossing to the MAX platform to catch a northbound Yellow Line train back home when he was struck by a car. There was no police alert on Twitter. There were no news reports. But I was there.
This post is about my attempt to learn more about the safety issues at the intersection and find out why they haven’t been fixed.
City of Portland’s 823-SAFE hotline now offered online
The new web form.
(PortlandOregon.gov)
(PortlandOregon.gov)
There’s now a keyboard-ready alternative to the Portland Bureau of Transportation’s excellent 823-SAFE hotline.
The city’s hotline has a great reputation among those in the know, who use it for things as diverse as a poorly timed traffic signal or a low-hanging branch. Even on issues that can’t be fixed immediately, a history of reports about a given location can alert city staffers to a bigger project worth tackling.
The phone hotline has been around for over a decade (at least), and many people also use the safe@portlandoregon.gov email version. Now the City of Portland offers a web-based version.
One less bump: Citizen activism in action
After hearing about the issue from a citizen, PBOT smoothed out the harsh bumps that used to exist on the median at NE Tillamook and 16th.
(Photo: Josh Berezin)
(Photo: Josh Berezin)
Hotline helps maintain better bikeways
This sign placed in the bike lane
forced bikes into motor vehicle traffic.
(Photos © J. Maus)
forced bikes into motor vehicle traffic.
(Photos © J. Maus)
Back in June, I was biking my normal route to the office (southbound on N. Interstate near the Rose Quarter), when I came across something appalling.
It was right out of a horror movie.