Five Walktober ambles worth checking out
Portland’s three-week festival of fun on foot has its first big burst of action this Saturday.
walking
State’s $1.9 million gift says it: flashing beacons are the safety tool of the moment
Two state legislators’ announcement this week that $1.9 million from the state’s general fund would pay for 18 new flashing beacons at East Portland crosswalks communicated two things about Portland streets.
Novick wants $1 million from general fund for beacons at 15 crosswalks
The City of Portland’s general fund has a few million dollars to spare, and Commissioner Steve Novick is mounting an unusual campaign to spend some of it on safer street crossings.
Time to hit the streets for ‘Walktober’
Have you heard about Walktober? It’s “Three weeks of fun on foot” and it’s in full swing right now. The event is organized by Oregon Walks and it was inspired by Shift’s bike-centric Pedalpalooza that happens each summer. Similar to Pedalpalooza, the event consists of several individual events created and led by community groups and … Read more
Wear Oregon’s crosswalk law on your chest
A shirt that’s also a traffic sign.(Photo: Brian Davis) Ever been frustrated when other road users don’t respect Oregon’s crosswalk laws? Now you can wear a helpful reminder on your chest thanks to a new t-shirt that will turn you into a walking traffic sign. Our friends and neighbors at Lancaster Engineering (who are nice … Read more
Steph Routh announces resignation from Oregon Walks
Steph Routh in November 2012.(Photos © J. Maus/BikePortland) Oregon Walks, a non-profit advocacy group that works to improve walking conditions around the state, has announced that Executive Director Steph Routh will resign in October. Routh became the organization’s first full-time staffer when she was named to the position in May 2009. In the ensuing years, … Read more
View from a Williams Avenue resident: “A weary pedestrian”
(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland) From a livable streets perspective, Williams Avenue has a lot of problems. Its outdated bicycle lane is so inadequate that the City of Portland prioritized it for an upgrade a few years ago. That upgrade won’t happen until next year, and thankfully, that’s not the only thing that will be be … Read more
Careless driving to blame for death of woman in SE Division crosswalk
The bus operator was in this lane prior to collision. The Portland Police Bureau have given the driver of a school bus two citations for her role in a collision that killed a 43-year-old woman who was walking across a southeast Portland street. Renee Bates was walking on SE Division with her husband Shawn Bates … Read more
As crosswalk enforcement decoy, Mayor Hales walks talk on traffic safety
Portland Mayor Charlie Hales crossing E Burnside at 16th as a decoy in a police enforcement action this morning.(Photos © J. Maus/BikePortland)
No longer “pedestrian”: Advocacy group to unveil new name, logo, mission
Out with the old. The Willamette Pedestrian Coalition will not exist — at least in name — after Saturday night. The non-profit that pushes for infrastructure and policies to encourage more walking has been operating in Portland for over two decades, and now it’s ready for a major change. Major changes at our region’s walking … Read more
Mayors Adams still committed to sidewalk funding
Adams says sidewalk spending commitment is rock-solid.(Photo © J. Maus) A story in The Oregonian published Friday (and an irresponsible Tweet by BikePortland) might have you thinking that Mayor Sam Adams — grappling with a tight budget at the Bureau of Transportation — has broken a promise to invest in sidewalks in East and Southwest … Read more
Walking advocates try (again) to revise Oregon’s crossing law
Stephanie Routh, WPC.(Photos © J. Maus) Advocates who want to make it safer to walk are leading a charge to revise Oregon’s crossing law. This will be the third consecutive legislative session that advocates have attempted to change ORS 811.208 (“Failure to stop and remain stopped for pedestrian”); but with the non-profit Willamette Pedestrian Coalition … Read more