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On May 7, the Oregon Department of Transportation announced a $10 million investment in pedestrian safety, including $3 million in upgrades to Northeast and Southeast 82nd Avenue. The announcement came hours before a virtual rally intended to highlight the lack of investment in East Portland, and a month after two men were killed by cars while trying to cross 82nd Avenue. ODOT’s new safety improvements for 82nd include a speed reduction from 35 to 30 mph, a long-awaited change that the city of Portland requested a year ago (“Unsafe at This Speed,” WW, May 5). Here’s what our readers had to say:
@mama2mctwins, via Twitter: “Three million is just a drop in the bucket for what 82nd really needs. It needs [to be] repaved. The sidewalks are crumbling and need to be redone. Increased lighting/safety in places…Upgrade traffic controls, intersections and crosswalks.”
Mike Teal, via Facebook: “I desperately hope that they spend some of that money fixing the potholes on Northeast 82nd first!!! I’ve driven only 2 miles on 82nd from Northeast Fremont to Northeast Alderwood every weekday for years and have had to swerve like a drunk driver for the entire time to avoid the endless craters on that stupid street.”
@trappercreek, via Twitter: “Lowering the speed limit without enforcement accomplishes nothing except for having new signs that most drivers will ignore with continued impunity. The issue is [the Portland Police Bureau’s] refusal to perform even the most basic of routine traffic enforcement—no cops, no mobile/fixed photo radar.”
Phoenix Bleu, via Facebook: “Lotsa people already suggested it, but better street crossing options like pedestrian bridges and crosswalk flashers would be more effective. People drive as fast as they feel safe, not the speed limit.”
NoMoreGods, via wweek.com: “Also, how can one call for less interactions with armed policing, which I’m all for, and then create the possibility of enforcing lower speed limits with more armed policing? It’s got to be passive speed reductions via physical speed deterrents, which are going to be a huge pain in the a$$ to negotiate, but I just don’t see any other option at this point.”
Lorinda Pratt, via Facebook: “Lowering the speed limit will do nothing until the city of Portland/Multnomah County starts enforcing the speed limit laws. If there are no consequences for speeding (which right now there are none) people will not change their behavior.”
@allisons, via Twitter: “Enforcement is always going to be a leaky sieve. However, big infrastructure changes (traffic islands, narrowed lanes, hawk signals) are proven to reduce speeds and traffic deaths.”
Joshua Tappert, via Facebook: “Whatever we do, don’t constrict traffic. What they did to Powell is totally stupid and shortsighted. One lane from 52nd…now everyone goes around and cuts through the side streets. So now the side streets have way more traffic. Is that what we really want for our neighborhoods?”
LaQuaundre Spencer, via Facebook: “Just fix all them damn potholes and 82nd will be fine.”
LEtters to the editor must include the author’s street address and phone number for verification. Letters must be 250 or fewer words. Submit to: 2220 NW Quimby St., Portland, OR 97210. Email: mzusman@wweek.com