Vision Zero & Safety

This is an update to our earlier coverage of changes to speed setting authority and methodology in Oregon – read our previous post here.

Portland has a reputation as being one of the best cities for biking in the country. But while investments over the past several decades have been focused on downtown and affluent close-in neighborhoods, low-income communities and communities of color in the greater Portland region have been historically marginalized and underinvested in. Our new case study examines how the region's Regional Transportation Plan prioritized equity and safety.

The 2019 Oregon Legislature adjourned just hours before their constitutional deadline on June 30. This was a highly contentious session that received national news coverage for the partisan gridlock and multiple walkouts that occurred. Like so many others, we were waiting for news on priority bills right up until Sine Die. We had some significant wins this year, including the passage of a bill that phases out dirty diesel, and the death of a bill that would have removed local regulation of TNCs.

Following a tragic pedestrian fatality earlier this year, the Central Lane MPO has committed funds to begin making safety improvements along the Beaver-Hunsaker Corridor in North Eugene. While resources were already programmed for 2021 to begin designing significant long-term improvements for the corridor, policy makers heard loud and clear that the community couldn’t wait any longer to get serious about safety.

In 2017, the city of Portland received local speed setting authority from the Oregon Legislature to reduce residential speeds from 25 to 20 mph. A rigorous “20 is Plenty” campaign and 2,100 new speed signs later, Portland has made significant strides towards slowing down cars. Meanwhile, other Oregon communities are interested in getting their own speed setting authority, including Eugene which recently adopted a 5-year Vision Zero Action Plan.

In November 2015, the Eugene City Council passed a Vision Zero Resolution that directed the City Manager to form a Vision Zero task force that includes community stakeholders. The task force and a technical advisory committee were charged with developing a Vision Zero Action Plan to be adopted by the City. Since 2015, these groups and an equity focus group have been working together to develop a five-year Action Plan, which was adopted last month by the City Manager.

After two years of study and collaboration with community partners, the Portland Bureau of Transportation is ready to showcase PedPDX, Portland’s citywide pedestrian plan. It prioritizes sidewalk and crossing improvements and other investments to make walking safer and more comfortable across the city. The plan identifies the key strategies and tools we will use to make Portland a great walking city for everyone. 

The Oregon Autonomous Vehicle (AV) Task Force reconvened this week, kicking off phase two of its work. For the last 6 months, the Task Force has been focused on developing recommendations for an AV testing policy framework. These recommendations can be found in the 2018 Final Report, and we can expect this report to inform legislation in 2019. A draft bill was shared with AV Task Force members at this week’s meeting, but has not yet been shared with the public.