City Council Considers Vision Zero to Improve Transportation Safety

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Nicole Smith, GoLocalPDX Contributer

Photo credit: Ross William Hamilton via The Oregonian

Mayor Hales and Commissioner Steve Novick announced their support for the global campaign Vision Zero on Wednesday, June 16th. Vision Zero works to improve traffic safety and will be run by a committee with diverse areas of expertise, including law enforcement, education, public health and emergency response.

“I am very pleased that the City Council will consider several important steps that will lead our actions on Vision Zero and reinforce recent investments that will make our multimodal transportation system safer for everyone,” Transportation Director Leah Treat said. “This will further enhance the safety work we have under way across the City, including the actions I laid out in Portland Progress, PBOT’s two-year action plan.”

City Council colleagues and city employees are encouraged to join in support of the campaign to improve health and safety in Portland. The Council is considering accepting a $150,000 grant from the Oregon Department of Transportation to develop the Vision Zero Transportation Safety Action Plan by 2025.

For more information on Vision Zero visit VisionZeroPortland.com or The Portland Bureau of Transportation website.

Other recent and upcoming actions to improve transportation safety and implement Vision Zero include:

PBOT plans to install 24 rapid flash beacons in 2015 in East Portland
PBOT officials will seek permission from the Oregon Speed Zone Board to expedite the process for setting speeds on city streets, taking into account how and when pedestrians and cyclists use the road. While that request is pending, the City recently successfully reduced speeds on SE Division and Burnside, which are both classified as High Crash Corridors.
PBOT has been supporting House Bill 2621, which would allow Portland to install fixed photo radar safety cameras to reduce speeding on the City’s High Crash Corridors. The 10 designated High Crash Corridors make up just 3 percent of the City’s road network, but they account for more than 50 percent of pedestrian fatalities in Portland. The bill is scheduled for a hearing on Wednesday at 1 p.m. in Room H-174 of the State Capitol Building in Salem.
The City Council recently approved the City’s biggest investment in the High Crash Corridor Program. The 2015-16 Budget approved on May 27 includes $8 million for maintenance and safety improvements on 122ndAvenue in East Portland and $2.8 million for safety improvements on East and West Burnside. The budget also includes $300,000 to begin to expand Portland’s Safe Routes to School programs to middle and high schools. Council adoption of the 2015-16 Budget is scheduled for Thursday.

Related Slideshow: 10 Ways to Fight Bike Theft

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Register Your Bike

It is the simplest and most effective way to make sure you get your bike back after it's stolen. It lists your bike’s serial number with your name officially with the police.

If filling out paper work is too much trouble, at least make sure you have a picture of the bike and know the serial number. This information will help police find your bike and return it.

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Know Your Insurance Policy

Some homeowners and renters insurance policies will cover bike theft. Hoffman said her renters insurance covered a large portion of her stolen bike, allowing her to buy a new one.

However, if you end up finding the stolen bike, you will have to buy it back from the insurance company.

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Lock Smart

When locking your bike, stay away from the cheap options. Allard said 70 to 90 percent of bike thefts are from cable locks, which can be cut through with any $20 dollar cable cutter.

A U-lock is much harder for a thief to dismantle, unless they use power tools. Locking the U-Lock through the frame and tire also helps, making it hard for the thief to make off with your wheel or ride away.

Photo Credit: Walnut Studiolo via Compfight cc

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Park Smart

Be conscious of where you lock your bike. Try in front of ATM or other busy places with security cameras. Also, avoid areas near electrical sockets so thieves can’t use power tools to cut bike racks or U-locks.

Although finding a safe spot to lock up may add a few minutes walk to your travel, it is well worth the price of your bike.

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Try the Police

If your bike is stolen, make sure to report it to the police. Many victims assume it is not worth time or some even try to track down the bike on their own. Although many bike crimes go unsolved or prosecuted, some do have happy endings. Why not use all your resources?

And if your bike is registered, you have a better chance getting it back.

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Make Friends With Your Local Bike Shop

Bicycle shops are a great resource, whether your bike is stolen or not. They have a touch on the pulse of the local bike world. If your bike is stolen, check in to see if they have seen it brought in for repairs, or ask if you can post a missing flyer.

They also can provide helpful tools and tips for keeping your bike safe from thieves, so it doesn't get stolen in the first place.

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Download An App

Technology is helping fight bike crime, one app download at a time. Portland’s Project 528 has one app that makes it easy to register your bike, and another that uses a network of bikers to send out an alert system if your bike is stolen.

The Cricket sends an alarm to your Smartphone every time somebody touches your bike.

BikeSheppard also has an app to help register and report a stolen bike.

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Crowdsource, Crowdsource, Crowdsource

BikeIndex.org. StolenBikeRegistry.com. NationalBikeRegistry.com. There are a number of websites that list serial numbers from stolen bikes. They also allow people who see suspicious bike advertisements to check to see if it is stolen property.

Social media is also helpful for spreading the word to friends and members of the biking community about your missing property.

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Google Alerts

A great number of stolen bikes are fenced via Craigslist and E-bay. So set up Google alerts that match the description of your bike. That way if anyone does try to sell your bike, you’ll know about it.

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Expand Your Search

Just because your bike was stolen in Portland doesn’t mean it stays in Portland. A majority of bike thefts are part of large criminal operations. Allard said many times police will come across a number of stolen bikes while breaking up other crimes. Yet it could be hundreds of miles away from where your bike was stolen. So try police departments around the state.