UPDATED News Advisory: Crosswalk enforcement action slated for SE Powell Boulevard at SE 24th Avenue on May 27

May 28, 2015 UPDATE:Yesterday’s pedestrian crosswalk enforcement action by PBOT and the Portland Police Bureau generated 60 citations and 2 warnings.  For details as well as the outcomes of previous crosswalk enforcement actions, please visit: https://www.portlandoregon.gov/transportation/article/134382

Original news release: (May 21, 2015) – The Portland Bureau of Transportation and Portland Police Bureau advise the traveling public that a crosswalk enforcement action is scheduled for Wednesday, May 27 at the marked crosswalk of SE Powell Boulevard and SE 24^th Avenue from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to raise awareness of pedestrian safety and Oregon traffic laws.

Under Oregon law, EVERY intersection is a legal crosswalk whether it is marked or unmarked.  Drivers must stop and stay stopped for pedestrians when the pedestrian is in the motor lane or the adjacent lane.  A bicycle lane and a parking lane are an extension of the adjacent motor lane.

Drivers must stop for pedestrians in the safety buffer zone indicated in yellow.

What you need to know about OREGON CROSSWALK LAWS ODOT brochure #737-3424 REV (3-2015)

The SE Powell Boulevard and SE 24^th Avenue crossing is a “T” intersection with pavement markings, a pedestrian median island and signage to alert drivers to the possible presence of pedestrians in the crossing.  This location is adjacent to Powell City Park and within two blocks of Cleveland High School and the crossing on 26^th Avenue where a truck collided with a bicyclist earlier this month, severing the cyclist’s leg.

Southeast Powell Boulevard is one of ten High Crash Corridors that PBOT has identified and prioritized for stepped up education, enforcement and safety improvements.

This is the sixth crosswalk enforcement action that PBOT and the Portland Police Bureau have conducted on Powell Boulevard since 2006. 

Each crosswalk enforcement action involves a designated pedestrian crossing at a marked or unmarked crosswalk while police monitor how people driving, bicycling and walking adhere to traffic safety laws. Drivers who fail to stop for pedestrians in the crosswalk and pedestrians who fail to follow Oregon traffic laws may be issued a warning or citation.

Portland Bureau of Transportation’s Sharon White will serve as the designated pedestrian crossing the street from 10 a.m. to noon and 1 to 2 p.m. and a Portland police officer will serve that role from noon to 1 p.m.

Crosswalk enforcement actions are an effective way to communicate pedestrian right of way laws to both drivers and pedestrians. The transportation and police bureaus do enforcement actions about once each month in response to requests by community members, city traffic safety engineers, and Portland Police to educate the public on the rules at marked and unmarked crossings.              

Learn more about pedestrian rights and responsibilities. View the results of previous actions.. Find out more about PBOT’s safety work and Vision Zero, PBOT’s goal of making our transportation system the safest possible and moving towards zero traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries by 2025. www.visionzeroportland.com.

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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. www.portlandoregon.gov/transportation                   

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