When the Oregon Division of Transportation strong-armed the Metropolis of Portland to take away the bike lanes and bike containers on Southeast twenty sixth Avenue and Powell Boulevard in 2018, we knew it could make the crossing much less protected. However ODOT continued. In a twisted plan to encourage folks to not bike on twenty sixth (lest they get hit and make ODOT look unhealthy) the company eliminated infrastructure that was meant to guard them.
Trying again, that plan was each twisted and tragic.
That’s as a result of on October 4th of final yr, Sarah Pliner was using her bike to work and by some means got here into contact with a big trailer pulled by the driving force of a semi-truck who was making a proper flip from twenty sixth onto Powell. The collision killed Pliner and her physique got here to relaxation simply yards from the place ODOT eliminated the bike field.
Now the Portland Bureau of Transportation has re-installed the bike containers. Certainly one of them is within the actual spot the place, simply 4 months in the past Oregon Walks chief (now Metro Councilor) Ashton Simpson stood within the southeast nook of the intersection with an indication that learn, “Human Bike Field.” He was half of a big protest that helped power the hand of PBOT and ODOT to step up and do the best factor.
It’s good to see this infrastructure come again. However I gained’t have a good time, as a result of it value us the lifetime of Sarah Pliner.
Once I visited the intersection yesterday to take a more in-depth look, I had that sick feeling in my abdomen. That blend of anger and frustration I’ve had so many instances through the years as we sit again and await the town and state to get severe about reining within the inherent hazard of streets crammed with folks driving automobiles and vans in a method that endangers us each single day.
It’s the identical feeling I had in July 2008 once I rolled as much as West Burnside and 14th — the intersection I’ll all the time know because the place the place Tracey Sparling was run over and killed by the driving force of a big truck who — identical to in Sarah’s case — was making a proper flip. At the moment, bike containers have been new, however the specter of right-hooks wasn’t.
Once I heard concerning the set up of a motorbike field the place Tracey died, I known as her aunt. “It makes me bodily unwell to contemplate that such a easy repair would have undoubtedly prevented the best hook that killed my niece,” she advised me. Once I received residence and labored on my story, all I may consider was why Tracey needed to die earlier than we took that straightforward step. It was a bittersweet bike field. I even made a video about it (under).
The re-born bike containers at twenty sixth and Powell occupy the same place in my head. When ODOT, PBOT, and The Road Belief agreed to take away them, we knew folks would nonetheless journey by means of that intersection. We knew it could extra harmful. However they have been eliminated anyway.
I’m glad they’re again. They appear to work very effectively. Mixed with the head-start on the stroll sign (a.okay.a. main pedestrian interval, which I used to be glad to see a motorbike rider use, although Oregon legislation hasn’t caught as much as this habits but), the brand new curbs within the southeast nook the place Sarah was killed, the decrease velocity limits and college zone signage, it appears like drivers have calmed down a bit.
We haven’t completed almost sufficient to tame visitors on Powell Blvd, however including again inexperienced bike lanes and bike containers in each instructions is an effective step ahead — or ought to I say a step sideways since we’ve merely added again what we had earlier than.
Would they’ve saved Sarah’s life? We’ll by no means know. What we’ll all the time know, is that that it took her dying to get them again.
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