IMPROVING BICYCLE SAFETY IN PORTLAND REPORT
Non-Binding City Policy
NCP-TRN-6.06
PURPOSE
Whereas, Portland prides itself on providing its citizens with a transportation system with multiple, safe and realistic transportation choices to its users, and;
Whereas, Portland leads the nation in terms of the percentage of its population that relies on the bicycle as their primary means of transportation and the transportation mode used to commute to and from work, and;
Whereas, transportation safety is a paramount concern of life and safety, and;
Whereas, there has been a recent series of shocking and tragic bicycle-automobile collisions that has resulted in at least two bicycle deaths and at least one extended hospital stay, and;
Whereas, the Portland Office of Transportation knows how to reduce the number and frequency of such tragic automobile-bicycle collisions using the engineering, enforcement, education, and equipment improvements, and;
Whereas, Portland City Council has allocated $200,000 in one-time surplus general funds to address bicycle safety deficiencies in our transportation system, and;
Whereas, Portland City Commissioner Sam Adams has convened a Bicycle Safety Advisory Committee comprised of stakeholders from the Bicycle Transportation Alliance, Bicycle Advisory Committee, City Attorney's Office, Portland Office of Transportation, Portland Police Bureau, private bicycle attorneys, pedestrian advocates, and other concerned citizens, and;
Whereas, this committee has held multiple meetings, including a public forum open to all concerned members of the community to receive testimony, and met worked to identify specific problems and specific solutions for those problems, the result of which has been a list of suggestions and actionable items to be further investigated and implemented as feasible, and;
Whereas, discussions continue with the Portland Police Bureau to further refine and improve their internal processes for the most effective handling possible of automobile-bicycle crashes, and Commissioner Adams shall return to Council with a follow-up resolution and report outlining the results of said talks.
POLICY
Now, therefore, be it resolved that the City of Portland City Council hereby accepts the following report to council as Non-binding City Policy. (Refer to exhibits A, B, and C)
HISTORY
Resolution No. 36565, adopted by City Council January 3, 2008.