Last week, another pedestrian was hit and killed by a car in Portland. This June, two children were struck while walking to school, both in crosswalks. Five people were killed walking or biking in Portland last year, with 30 seriously injured.
We keep calling these “accidents.” They are the predictable result of streets designed to move cars quickly through neighborhoods where people walk, bike and cross every day.
Speed is the issue. Pedestrians and cyclists hit at 20 mph have a 90% survival rate, compared to 10% at 40 mph. When Wales adopted a default 20 mph speed limit, deaths fell 25% within 18 months — without road reconstruction or enforcement.
This week, the city repaved and restriped Congress Street, from Stevens Avenue to Douglass Street, preserving two car lanes and adding zero bike lanes — a missed opportunity on a primary corridor connecting downtown to the west, with no alternative bike route and heavy pedestrian and cyclist use.
Redesigning streets takes years, but lowering speed limits and painting new lines do not. I’m asking the Portland City Council to:
- Set a default 20 mph speed limit citywide, immediately.
- Commit to bike lanes on all major roads, starting with upcoming repaving projects.
These changes cost little and save lives. Please act before more people are hurt.
Liz Trice
Portland