Making an Impact

July 2022 - Volume 9 - Issue 10

GHSA Commends New National Attention to

Speeding-Related Traffic Deaths

Statement by Barbara Rooney,

Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) Chair

and Director of the California Office of Traffic Safety

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) unveiled a new national public outreach campaign to address one of the nation’s most pervasive and deadly traffic safety problems – speeding. We were pleased and honored to stand with NHTSA and other safety partners in announcing this important new campaign.

The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) has long advocated for a national focus on speeding and was the first traffic safety organization to sound the alarm about a sharp rise in speeding at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. We are thrilled to see NHTSA elevate this critical roadway safety issue and shine a much-needed spotlight on how speeding wrecks lives. Federal leadership complementing state and local efforts is essential for achieving our shared goal of ending the speeding epidemic.

Speeding is one of the leading causes of death on our roadways, killing nearly 12,000 people in 2021. Let that sink in for a second – that’s more than 32 people killed every single day. Even more alarming, speeding – which was already far too commonplace – increased during the pandemic as motorists took advantage of open roads to put the pedal to the metal. There were more speeding-related deaths in 2021 than before the pandemic began. The pandemic has already harmed so many in the U.S. – we can’t afford to let higher speeds and more traffic deaths be another awful byproduct of COVID-19.

Speeding puts everyone on the road at risk, but it’s especially dangerous for pedestrians, bicyclists, wheelchair users and scooter riders. GHSA’s annual pedestrian safety report revealed a troubling trend in recent years: More children are dying because of drivers speeding. The percentage of speeding-related pedestrian deaths of children younger than 15 more than doubled from 5.8% in 2018 to 11.9% in 2020.

Despite the death and destruction that come with speeding, nearly all of us do it. Far too many drivers consider the speed limit a suggestion or, even worse, a minimum. We must change that mindset. Speeding is short-sighted, selfish and dangerous to everyone on the road. It’s time to change the social norm so that speeding is just as unacceptable as driving drunk or not wearing a seat belt.

We know that it will take a comprehensive approach to combat speeding. Recent research confirms that public awareness and equitable enforcement have a positive and measurable impact on roadway safety by reducing speeding and other dangerous driving behaviors. That holistic approach was recently tested on a rural road in Maryland, where a combination of public outreach, enforcement and engineering was successful in slowing down drivers. During this demonstration project, which was supported by GHSA, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the National Road Safety Foundation, the odds that a vehicle was speeding dropped by more than three-quarters.

GHSA, State Highway Safety Offices and our partners look forward to continuing our work with NHTSA to eliminate the crashes, injuries and deaths caused by speeding. We will work tirelessly to make this happen. We won’t be satisfied until the annual number of traffic deaths caused by speeding and other dangerous behaviors is zero.

Bilingual rapid flashing beacon on TV Highway improves safety for all Cornelius 

ODOT turned on this new bilingual rapid flashing beacon in Cornelius Friday

July 15,2022

Contact: Don Hamilton, 503-704-7452

Go here to see video of the Friday event.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/9qlztasaaisf15t/AACQ2U2LU2X21nt0jcKdX4gza?dl=0

CORNELIUS -- ODOT and Cornelius leaders took a major step toward making a safer community for everyone Friday by inaugurating a new rectangular rapid flashing beacon that will speak both Spanish and English to pedestrians on Tualatin Valley Highway.

At a news conference Friday, ODOT Director Kris Strickler Friday, Metro Councilor Juan Carlos Gonzalez and Cornelius City Councilor John Colgan joined other local leaders in launching the new bilingual beacon at North 12^th Avenue and Adair Street along Tualatin Valley Highway (OR 8), adjacent to the Centro Cultural Community Center and Virginia Garcia Clinic.

The new beacon, the region’s newest bilingual beacon, will serve the growing multi-cultural Cornelius community and improve safety for everybody along the busy highway.

“What we do is always about the people who do the work and the people who will benefit from the work,” Strickler said. “The improvements we make enhance livability, safety, access and the environment. This investment in pedestrian safety on TV Highway is one of many examples of improvements we are making. We are committed to working with all of you to improve safety and meaningfully partner and serve historically underserved communities along TV Highway.”

The rectangular rapid flashing beacons have become an increasingly familiar sight on state and local roads. They improve safety by allowing pedestrians to activate flashing amber lights that alert oncoming motorists to people preparing to cross the road. ODOT has nearly 50 of them in the Portland area and plans more in the future, including 10 on the Outer Powell Project on U.S. 26.

Go to this web site for more information about how ODOT uses the beacons and for videos in English and Spanish.

ODOT started using pedestrian activated beacons on Portland area roads a decade ago and has found them an effective tool for improving safety on busy corridors, especially in areas with long distances between traffic signals. They add an important layer of visibility for people walking, biking or rolling.

“ODOT and the City of Cornelius listened to our concerns about safety and worked with us to make this improvement possible. We are very grateful - not just for this new beacon, but for the way in which ODOT partnered with the City and community based organizations to integrate us in the design of a beacon that is both audible and bilingual,” said Metro Councilor Juan Carlos Gonzalez.

The new Cornelius beacon is part of a continuing effort by ODOT, the City of Cornelius, Centro Cultural and Virginia Garcia Clinic to improve safety and integrate equity into design and construction of projects. Cornelius is welcoming new residents, new businesses and new voices and encouraging them to advocate for infrastructure that will improve safety. The City of Cornelius and community based organizations are continuing to advocate for all members of the community.  

For the last 24 years Lyn Jacobs has worked for the Virginia Garcia Wellness Center overlooking the intersection. On Friday she described seeing people with walkers, strollers and children attempting to cross the street and cars failing to stop.

“It gives us great joy to provide this service for our community,” she said. “We are so excited to have this. It is a huge benefit to everybody in the community who needs to access to our dental and medical services. We appreciate you and we appreciate you listening.”

The beacons are a critical part of our efforts at ODOT to maintain a modern and safe transportation system, a priority in our Strategic Action Plan.

Transportation Wallet programs helps thousands of Portlanders choose active transportation options

Popular Transportation Wallet stays at $99, increases benefits and perks to encourage Portlanders to walk, bike, roll, and take transit.

In its fifth year, the Transportation Wallet has decreased demand for street parking by encourage Portlanders to choose active transportation options to driving a personal vehicle.

(July 7, 2022) The Portland Bureau of Transportation’s (PBOT) Transportation Wallet has been helping Portlanders choose more sustainable travel options since 2017, by lessening demand for car usage and vehicle storage while encouraging users to bike, walk, roll, or take transit. At a time with high inflation and gas prices, this program is more important and valuable than ever. In particular, the Transportation Wallet: Access for All, which developed from the Transportation Wallet for Residents of Affordable Housing pilot serving people living on low-incomes, will expand starting in early 2023, giving Portlanders who need it most a chance to take advantage of the program’s savings.   

Transportation Wallet programs are designed to encourage people to drive less, try new travel modes, manage on-street parking demand, and lessen cost of transportation especially for people and households living on low-incomes.  

Currently, the universe of Transportation Wallets is made up of three sub-programs: 

• Transportation Wallet in Parking Districts 
• Transportation Wallet: Access for All (Formerly known as Transportation Wallet for Affordable Housing pilot)
• Transportation Wallet for New Movers 

Transportation Wallet: Access for All: All the benefits at no-cost for income-qualified Portlanders 

In 2019, PBOT launched its own Universal Basic Mobility program, known as the Transportation Wallet for Affordable Housing. The two-phase pilot program offered a limited number of free Transportation Wallets for people living in partner affordable housing sites. Due to the success of the pilot and funding coming from the new the Parking Climate and Equitable Mobility Transaction Fee, this program is expanding to Transportation Wallet: Access for All launching in early 2023 to offer more (but still a limited number of) free Transportation Wallets for people and households living on low-incomes to reduce the burdens of transportation cost and increase the ability for people to get where they need to go.  

Beyond helping people try new ways to get around, like BIKETOWN bike share and shared e-scooters, the participants from the Transportation Wallet for Affordable Housing pilot reported that they save money on their transportation costs and that managing their monthly budget was less stressful because of the Transportation Wallet – “It [Transportation Wallet] gave me confidence when travelling that I’d always be able to get there and back.”  

The Transportation Wallet in the Northwest and Central Eastside Parking Districts offers an array of benefits and perks to users to help them make more active transportation choices.

Transportation Wallet in Parking Districts: Making it easier to choose sustainable transportation options 

The Transportation Wallet in Parking Districts has proven to be an effective incentive to get people out of their single-occupancy vehicles and instead use transit and shared mobility options including e-bikes, e-scooters, and car-share services. Since fall of 2017, the program has distributed nearly 7,000 Transportation Wallets, of which 48% of those represent people trading in parking permits, one of many strategies PBOT uses to manage parking demand and reduce congestion. While gas prices and inflation have increased, the Transportation Wallet in Parking Districts has expanded its benefits but remains at the same great price; $99 for qualified people in the Northwest and Central Eastside Parking Districts to purchase or free to people living on low incomes or those who trade in a parking permit. 

A fall 2021 survey found Transportation Wallet holders were three times more likely to commute by public transit and bike than by driving. PBOT’s 2021 Transportation Wallet in Parking Districts report highlights how this program encourages people to choose lower-carbon transportation options, such as TriMet, Portland Streetcar, and BIKETOWN. For just $99 people can purchase a 2022 Transportation Wallet valued at $775 (Northwest Parking District) and $800 (Central Eastside Parking District) in transportation credits and vouchers. These offers are provided at no cost to people who qualify based on income or who trade in parking permits.  

Survey results also show these commuters are 30 percent less likely to drive their car and are approximately 40 percent less likely to call a cab or ride-hailing service. 

Are you moving soon? The Transportation Wallet: New Movers could be for you! 

When someone moves into a new apartment, it’s likely they’re about to experience a new commute to work or school. PBOT’s New Mover Program aims to help people make sustainable transportation choices as they move into certain multi-unit buildings constructed in Portland. Funding for the New Movers program comes from a Multimodal Incentive Fee, paid for by housing developers to help new residents choose alternatives to car-dependent travel patterns. 

Small price change, widespread benefits 

On July 1, 2022, PBOT’s Parking Climate and Equitable Mobility Transaction Fee went into effect. Drivers using Portland’s metered street parking spots may have noticed the addition of a 20-cent transaction fee, which will help support sustainable transportation options for all Portlanders. This small fee is collected through parking meters and PBOT’s Parking Kitty mobile app and sends an initial price signal about the costs of parking. 

PBOT anticipates this transaction fee will collect $2 million in revenue annually, some of which will directly support the Transportation Wallet: Access for All program as well as programs and projects that reduce carbon emissions and prioritize equitable outcomes while reducing traffic demand. Read more about the Parking Climate and Equitable Mobility Transaction Fee: https://www.portland.gov/transportation/equitable-mobility-taskforce/transaction-fee-overview 

Even more is on the way! Web-based and mobile App aims to make Transportation Wallet easier to use 

To more seamlessly allow people with a Transportation Wallet to use their credits, in 2023 PBOT will team with RideShark to launch a Transportation Wallet mobile and web-based app. This technology will allow users to more precisely track their credits and more easily redeem them. The additional user data will provide program planners with useful information to better tailor the program to customers’ needs and deliver more targeted outreach to drive program engagement. Sign up for updates about the Transportation Wallet. Subscribe to the following newsletters for updates on our Northwest Parking District program and our Central Eastside Parking District Program. 

The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) is the steward of the city’s transportation system and a community partner in shaping a livable city. We plan, build, manage, and maintain an effective and safe transportation system that provides access and mobility. Learn more at portland.gov/transportation.

Contact:

Hannah Schafer

971-235-8472

Hannah.Schafer@portlandoregon.gov

@PBOTinfo