Portland's SE Division Street has seen major safety upgrades with the Outer Division Safety Project, which has garnered strong community support, according to the City of Portland. The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) conducted evaluations among community members post-implementation and the consensus is clear: there's a general thumbs-up for the added safety measures.
In the data collected, a comfortable majority of the surveyed individuals have reported that their commutes and daily activities along SE Division Street have improved. "Sixty percent of participants stated that the project had a positive or very positive impact on their ability to commute, work, play, or pray along the corridor," Portland's official report noted. The report also revealed a whopping 92% of respondents felt that safety treatments made travel feel "safer" or "about the same."
Another highlight from the surveys is the strong public endorsement of automated enforcement. Portlanders showed significant backing for traffic law enforcement through technology, with 82% in support of intersection safety cameras. "A near-universal 93% agree that speeding increases crash risks and the severity of injuries and fatalities," as stated by the City of Portland.
Meanwhile, Engineers are adjusting traffic signal timing on 82nd Avenue, which includes the interesting approach of "rest in red" during low traffic volumes and extending pedestrian crossing times when it's busy. If signal timing can’t reel you in, the tech might just turn red on your green streak on down the road. The American Rescue Plan Act is supplying a hefty $4 million to support these initiatives, reinforcing Portland's commitment to safer streets.
