I’ve been an advocate for safe and efficient active and public transportation in the Portland metro region since I moved here from Alaska in 1985. I’ve also tried to walk my talk. My “receipts” can be found in my bio and among the thousands of photos I’ve taken in the metro region at street level. I’ve also worked as a teamster, as did my father for 50 years, and owned automobiles since I could legally drive.
Putting my bona fides aside, after I read a few recent articles on BikePortland, I was curious about the current state of PBOT’s Outer Division Safety Project. That led me to take two bus rides to SE Division and then do a long photowalk to see firsthand what others were saying online. Following is a copy of a post I made on BikePortland. I’ve included my verbiage for convenience and the link to the thread for context.
9/13/2023 BikePortland post
Although this discussion seems to be over, and it’s possible you won’t see my comments, I can offer an anecdotal perspective. Yesterday (9/12), I did a photowalk from SE 181st West to 75th Ave. I walked on both sides of SE Division and crossed the street many times. I crossed at intersections with traffic signals and intersections that had call beacons. Based on a similar photowalk I did many years ago, prior to the latest infrastructure improvements, I can say without hesitation that I felt much safer yesterday.
I assume BPOT took counts of pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorists before their treatment. Assuming they take counts after they’re done with the project, I'd be interested in knowing whether and when the mode share shifts. Meanwhile, during my three-hour walk, I only counted seven (7) bicyclists using SE Division. By comparison, although I didn’t count, I estimate I saw hundreds of motorists. That included many motorists doing U-turns at the meridians. Some were successful in their first attempt, while others had to make two or more attempts.
I think many Portlanders are willing to sacrifice some speed and ease of using cars for improved walkability and bikeability in Portland. I hope we don’t get too extreme on “cars are the only way” pushback. I think the main issue here is that the businesses did not feel heard and were not involved in the process.
The Netherlands pivoted from being car centric with great success. There it was a grass roots movement led by and supported by the people to make roads safe and improve livability. Worth the read.
Sep 23, 2023·edited Sep 23, 2023Liked by Richard Cheverton, Pamela Fitzsimmons
Two other important aspects of “Zero Vision” are economic and environmental. I brushed off my math education and performed a “Fermi calculation”, a kind of math designed to get one near to an answer that is useful but not precise. The question? What is the annual economic cost of the program? Assuming the average distance traveled is 1/3 of the length of the city, I was able to calculate that each five mile per hour decrease in travel speed might cost the city a BILLION dollars in productivity a year, because travel times on average would increase 20%. Further, each vehicle is operating for 20% longer. resulting in a 20% increase in vehicle emissions. Moreso, there are public health consequences for some people with higher emissions. Lastly, the best speed for economy for most vehicles is about 32 miles per hour. Above that, parasitic air drag begins to manifest. But most of the speed limits are below that.
I for one am sick of PBOT experimenting on me and my car. SE Division, once an important thoroughfare, is now a place to be avoided. The city could have just installed more lights and limited some left and right turns. PBOT is more properly called the Department of Traffic Jams.
I’ve been an advocate for safe and efficient active and public transportation in the Portland metro region since I moved here from Alaska in 1985. I’ve also tried to walk my talk. My “receipts” can be found in my bio and among the thousands of photos I’ve taken in the metro region at street level. I’ve also worked as a teamster, as did my father for 50 years, and owned automobiles since I could legally drive.
Putting my bona fides aside, after I read a few recent articles on BikePortland, I was curious about the current state of PBOT’s Outer Division Safety Project. That led me to take two bus rides to SE Division and then do a long photowalk to see firsthand what others were saying online. Following is a copy of a post I made on BikePortland. I’ve included my verbiage for convenience and the link to the thread for context.
9/13/2023 BikePortland post
Although this discussion seems to be over, and it’s possible you won’t see my comments, I can offer an anecdotal perspective. Yesterday (9/12), I did a photowalk from SE 181st West to 75th Ave. I walked on both sides of SE Division and crossed the street many times. I crossed at intersections with traffic signals and intersections that had call beacons. Based on a similar photowalk I did many years ago, prior to the latest infrastructure improvements, I can say without hesitation that I felt much safer yesterday.
I assume BPOT took counts of pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorists before their treatment. Assuming they take counts after they’re done with the project, I'd be interested in knowing whether and when the mode share shifts. Meanwhile, during my three-hour walk, I only counted seven (7) bicyclists using SE Division. By comparison, although I didn’t count, I estimate I saw hundreds of motorists. That included many motorists doing U-turns at the meridians. Some were successful in their first attempt, while others had to make two or more attempts.
Ref: https://bikeportland.org/2023/09/01/protest-planned-in-opposition-to-medians-on-se-division-379049#comment-7505528
I think many Portlanders are willing to sacrifice some speed and ease of using cars for improved walkability and bikeability in Portland. I hope we don’t get too extreme on “cars are the only way” pushback. I think the main issue here is that the businesses did not feel heard and were not involved in the process.
The Netherlands pivoted from being car centric with great success. There it was a grass roots movement led by and supported by the people to make roads safe and improve livability. Worth the read.
https://www.distilled.earth/p/how-the-netherlands-built-a-biking
Jeff,
Did you know Millicent Williams is a convicted felon? No joke.
https://www.oregonlive.com/commuting/2016/12/portland_transportation_bureau.html
Two other important aspects of “Zero Vision” are economic and environmental. I brushed off my math education and performed a “Fermi calculation”, a kind of math designed to get one near to an answer that is useful but not precise. The question? What is the annual economic cost of the program? Assuming the average distance traveled is 1/3 of the length of the city, I was able to calculate that each five mile per hour decrease in travel speed might cost the city a BILLION dollars in productivity a year, because travel times on average would increase 20%. Further, each vehicle is operating for 20% longer. resulting in a 20% increase in vehicle emissions. Moreso, there are public health consequences for some people with higher emissions. Lastly, the best speed for economy for most vehicles is about 32 miles per hour. Above that, parasitic air drag begins to manifest. But most of the speed limits are below that.
I for one am sick of PBOT experimenting on me and my car. SE Division, once an important thoroughfare, is now a place to be avoided. The city could have just installed more lights and limited some left and right turns. PBOT is more properly called the Department of Traffic Jams.