94% of bike riders wait at red lights, study finds
A new study suggests that speeding in a car on local streets is at least six times more common than running a red light on a bike.
Safety
Despite tragedy and focus, right-hooks still plague Portland
It happens.(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland) One of the biggest urban bicycling planning conundrums facing Portland (and other cities?) right now is how to decrease the prevalence of right-hook collisions. The majority of our bikeways here in Portland are to the immediate right of right-turning motor vehicle traffic at intersections. That scenario brings with it some … Read more
Metro report: Road carnage costs region more than congestion
Arterials kill. Using ODOT traffic crash data and their own data on transportation infrastructure Metro’s State of Safety report has found that roadway collisions cost our region $958 million a year — that’s significantly more than congestion. The report also lays bare one of the nagging issues for local transportation planners and a central theme … Read more
Tragic irony: PBOT postpones crosswalk enforcement action due to fatal collision
A memorial on SE Foster near site of fatal collision back in November 2009.(Photos © J. Maus) The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) has been doing “crosswalk enforcement actions” for several years. The events, which place a human decoy in a crosswalk with a phalanx of cops waiting to pull people over nearby, have helped … Read more
‘Be Seen, Be Safe’ at Pioneer Square tonight
Jim Parsons from Beaverton won the “Best Lit” winner at last year’s “Be Safe Be Seen” event.(Photos © J. Maus) TriMet is all set for their second annual Be Seen, Be Safe event tonight at Pioneer Courthouse Square. The event will feature a mix of reflective and hi-vis fashion shows, a contest to see who … Read more
Final weeks to comment on ODOT’s Traffic Safety Action Plan
Cover of Oregon’s Traffic Safety Action Plan. Did you know that traffic crashes are the leading cause of death in Oregon for people under 35 years of age? Or that every year, traffic crashes in Oregon result in an estimated $2.58 billion in total economic loss — that’s about $657 dollars per Oregon resident*. The … Read more
Guest Editorial: Are we ready for ‘Vision Zero’?
[Publisher’s note: This article was written by transportation activist Alexis Grant and it was originally published on the Active Right of Way blog.] (Photos © J. Maus) At the annual Transportation Safety Summit on Tuesday, February 6, 2011, at Marshall High School, Mayor Adams started off the summit by asking “Why is safety our highest … Read more
Recap: Summit lays out City’s priorities on transportation safety
Citizen activist Rebecca Hamilton pitches Mayor Adams with her big ideas.– Full Gallery –(Photos © J. Maus) The City of Portland Bureau of Transportation and Mayor Sam Adams hosted the Transportation Safety Summit Tuesday night. The event brought together advocacy groups, city staffers, citizen activists, and leaders from PBOT, the Oregon Department of Transportation and … Read more
Not just safer for bikes: Fatal car crashes lowest since 1925 – UPDATED
PBOT chart shows traffic fatalities in Portland by mode between 1996 and 2010.– Download larger image (with additional data) as a PDF –
Portland had zero bike fatalities in 2010 (again)
A family enjoys a sunny winter ride on SE 52nd Ave.(Photo © J. Maus) Lost in the end-of-year festivities and perhaps overshadowed by a startling number of people killed while walking on Oregon roads in 2010 (60), lies a positive statistic that deserves our attention. In 2010, there were zero fatal bicycle crashes in Portland. … Read more
Mayor releases details on Transportation Safety Summit
Mayor Sam Adams has released details of the fifth annual Transportation Safety Summit which is scheduled for February 8th from 6:00 to 9:00 pm at Marshall High School (3905 SE 91st Ave). Here is the updated list of keynote speakers: Mayor Sam Adams Susan Keil, Director, Portland Bureau of Transportation Tom Miller, Incoming Director, Portland … Read more
Washington’s proposed safe passing law; and how it differs from ours
This year, Washington State lawmakers will consider a new safe passing law. The bill, House Bill 1018 (PDF), is just one part of what’s been dubbed as the “Mutual Responsibility Bill.” It appears to have support from both sides of the aisle (in total, eight democrats and three republicans support it) and seems to stand … Read more
Comment of the Week: Legs of steel and the e-bike