(Aug. 19, 2025) A Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) safety initiative is expanding along neighborhood greenways, in pedestrian districts, and near schools to improve visibility and reduce crashes. Vision clearance, or "daylighting," is a safety measure that sets back parking 20 feet near intersections and crossings. As part of this effort, over 200 intersections and crossings will be updated thanks to funding from Fixing Our Streets, Portland's voter-approved 10-cent gas tax for fixing city streets and making them safer for all, and the city’s General Fund.
“I am pleased to see PBOT continuing to follow a Safe System approach to traffic safety, guided by our Vision Zero principles,” said Deputy City Administrator of Public Works, Priya Dhanapal. “This is a small, but meaningful, investment in making our streets safer, particularly for children and their families.”
“PBOT is pleased to have the resources necessary to implement these important safety measures on our streets,” said Transportation Director Millicent Williams. “I am thankful to Portlanders for advocating for safer streets as well as for the funding we need to reach our safety goals.”
A regular and repeated community safety request, fulfilled
As many Portlanders know, sometimes it is difficult to see each other at crossings. Vision clearance helps this by moving parking spots back and away from corners. This helps people in vehicles, people on bikes, and pedestrians see each other as they move through intersections
"We all know how unsafe it feels to slowly peek our heads around a parked car to see if a vehicle is about to zoom by. This is especially difficult--and sometimes impossible--for folks using mobility devices. This effort is about safety, about comfort, and about accessibility, and we are thrilled to see daylighting at dangerous intersections across the city," said Zachary Lauritzen, Executive Director for Oregon Walks
Neighborhood greenways and pedestrian districts
"No parking" signs will be installed at select intersections along neighborhood greenways and in pedestrian districts.
Schools
For locations adjacent to schools, PBOT will paint curbs yellow to increase awareness and create visibility around the intersection. In areas where there are no curbs, PBOT will install no parking signs. Bilingual educational lawn signs will accompany the yellow curbs to help inform school and local community members about the change. The current funding allows PBOT to complete this work at a small number of schools across the city.
PBOT’s goal is to eventually apply these changes to all pedestrian districts and schools citywide, but is only able to support these locations at this time due to limited funding.
Work begins soon, continues through end of year
PBOT anticipates beginning curb painting work within the next three months and installing parking signs within the next six months. Notifications to nearby residents, businesses, and schools are ongoing. Community members are already voicing their support and appreciation of the initiative.
“The Pedestrian Advisory Committee (PAC) has advocated for better visibility at intersections; no matter how you get around, you've probably experienced a close call from not seeing someone at a corner. While there are many bigger changes we want to see toward a future without road deaths, daylighting is a lower cost tool the city can move forward with today,” shared Tabitha Boschetti and Mark Raggett, Co-Chairs of the City of Portland’s Pedestrian Advisory Committee.
Vision clearance supports a safe transportation system
This initiative is funded with $50,000 from Fixing Our Streets, Portland's voter-approved 10-cent gas tax and heavy vehicle use tax for fixing our streets and making them safer for all, and $200,000 from a special 2024 Vision Zero allocation from the City’s General Fund, made up of revenue from property taxes, utility license fees, and business income taxes. Vision clearance supports the PBOT’s mission to plan, build, manage, and maintain an effective and safe transportation system.
All intersections are legal crosswalks in Oregon, regardless of whether the crosswalk is marked.
PBOT urges people to drive with extra caution and attention on neighborhood greenways, in pedestrian districts, and near schools. Extra care is needed where pedestrians may need to cross a variety of busy streets. Traffic congestion and frustrated drivers often contribute to safety issues.
To help keep everyone safe, PBOT reminds people driving to:
- Travel at or below the speed limit.
- Drive sober and never impaired.
- Slow down and exercise caution when people are walking, biking, or rolling.
- Never pass another vehicle that’s stopped at a crosswalk.
The parking enforcement division at PBOT also continues to enforce Title 16.20.130, which forbids vehicles over 6-feet tall from parking within 50 feet of an intersection.
Vision clearance supports Portland’s Safe System approach to Vision Zero—the goal to eliminate deaths and serious injuries on city streets. People make mistakes. Transforming the High Crash Network—the 30 streets and intersections with the most serious crashes—and making neighborhood streets safer to cross helps prevent mistakes from becoming deadly. PBOT has already implemented vision clearance on Portland’s High Crash Network on approaches with intersecting streets.