In this email
- Crash data shows early signs of improved safety on SE Hawthorne Boulevard
- Learning from Seattle Vision Zero projects and strategies
- Speed limit changes
- Ask a PBOT expert
- Stay cool. Drive slow.
- Free upcoming PBOT bike events
- Survey: Pedestrian stress from car traffic
- High Crash Network projects
- Access the latest deadly crash data
- Remember to say crash, not accident!
- Free Vision Zero materials and yard signs
- Personal safety community resources
- What we're reading
Crash data shows early signs of improved safety on SE Hawthorne Boulevard
After completing its initial safety evaluation of the SE Hawthorne Boulevard multimodal improvements and pave and paint projects in 2023, the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) has now updated the report to include new crash data.
The initial evaluation report found that the changes reduced speeding—especially top-end speeding (driving more than 10 mph over the speed limit)—improved bus travel times and reliability, and created better conditions for people walking, biking, and taking transit, with minimal impact on travel time for people who drive.
The updated report adds the first year of post-project crash data, which wasn't previously available. The report found fewer crashes overall and no bike crashes in the project area the year after project completion.
While these early signs are hopeful, one year of crash data is not enough to confirm long-term trends. PBOT will continue monitoring and plans to update the report again in 2026 and 2028 as more data becomes available.
Read the SE Hawthorne Boulevard Evaluation Report
Learning from Seattle Vision Zero projects and strategies
Portland Bureau of Transportation's (PBOT) Vision Zero and Safe Routes to School programs recently travelled to Seattle to learn from their program counterparts at Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT). Over two days, staff learned from one another, exchanged information, and shared traffic safety innovations, strategies, and supportive policies.
The team visited Seattle's latest traffic safety projects, including their first protected intersection, Healthy Streets, a Vision Zero safety corridor, a complex intersection redesign, and a community-led plaza—as well as the site of an upcoming project to install raised crosswalks where sidewalks cross highway ramps adjacent to a new light-rail station.
Staff were inspired by Seattle's recent, innovative work to end traffic deaths and serious injuries on their streets, as well as their commitment to community needs.
"Seattle encounters many of the same structural challenges in advancing Vision Zero goals that we face in Portland, such as a history of car-dominated urban development. Some of their recent success in project implementation, policy change, and community engagement—such as creating a public engagement team to ensure community voices are reflected in all project stages—offer insights and creative strategies to advancing this work.”
"What struck me was SDOT's willingness to effectively use low-cost tools—such as low concrete curbs, flexible vertical posts, and centerline hardening—to calm traffic on arterials."
“In Seattle, the urban forestry program is a close partner in delivering safety projects in the right-of-way, supporting consistent integration of trees, vegetations, and stormwater management into projects. We know that street trees help to slow drivers down and are increasingly important in Portland’s safe streets strategy.”
"I was inspired by SDOT's partnership with Washington State Department of Transportation to build raised crosswalks across the I-90 off- and on-ramps from a high crash corridor. These are vulnerable crossings for pedestrians in auto-centric spaces, and this is a simple practice PBOT and Oregon Department of Transportation could partner on to advance our joint safety commitments."
This exchange offered collaboration and fresh ideas for partnerships and projects that will continue advance street safety in Portland.
Learn more about Seattle's Vision Zero program
Speed limit changes
The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) is updating speed limits citywide to set safe travel speeds. Why? Because speed is a top contributing factor to traffic deaths. Safe speeds lower the risk of crashes, and when crashes occur, safe speeds make it less likely that people are killed or seriously injured. We track speed limit changes online.
Recent changes
Locations where PBOT reduced the speed limit in the past three months:
45 to 40 mph
- N Portland Road from the Columbia Slough bridge to Suttle Road
35 to 30 mph
- SE 162nd Avenue from Stark Street to Powell Boulevard
30 to 25 mph
- N Argyle Street/Way from Interstate Avenue to Columbia Boulevard
- NE Fremont Avenue from 102nd to 122nd avenues
- SW Vermont Street from 30th to 52nd avenues
- SE 92nd Avenue from Stark Street to 91st Place
- SW 62nd Avenue from Taylors Ferry Road to Pomona Street
- NW Miller Road from Cornell to Thompson roads
30 to 20 mph
- N Mississippi Avenue from Fremont to Cook streets
Upcoming changes
Locations where PBOT recently received approval from the Oregon Department of Transportation to reduce the speed limit in the past three months. PBOT will post new speed limit signs in the upcoming months:
45 to 35 mph
- NW Miller Road from Stark Street to Cornell Road
40 to 35 mph
- SW Miller Road from Barnes Road to Stark Street
35 to 30 mph
- N Schmeer Road from Vancouver to Denver avenues
30 to 25 mph
- N Weidler Street from Ross to NE Grand avenues
- NE Weidler Street from 16th to 24th avenues
- N Broadway Street from Larabee to NE Grand avenues
- NE Broadway Street from 24th to 33rd avenues
- N Mississippi Avenue from Cook to Russell streets
30 to 20 mph
- NE Weidler Street from Grand to16th avenues
- NE Broadway Street from Grand to 24th avenues
Establish 25 mph speed limit
- NE 80th Avenue from Columbia Boulevard to Holman Street
- NE Holman Street from 80th Avenue to 82nd Avenue Frontage Road
- NE 82nd Avenue Frontage Road from Holman Street to 82nd Avenue
Learn more about speed limit changes in Portland
Ask a PBOT expert
Our Vision Zero inbox is filled with thoughtful questions from community members about traffic safety—and our team strives to provide equally thoughtful answers. These exchanges often spark meaningful conversations, and we believe they deserve a bigger audience! That’s why we’re sharing some of these questions and answers in our newsletter, edited for clarity and brevity, to highlight insights and ideas that benefit us all.
Question: Does Vision Zero work with TriMet in any way? I know getting cars off the street is a major goal of Vision Zero.
Answer: Yes, we work with TriMet to make transit safer, faster, and easier to use. A key part of Vision Zero is making streets safer for everyone, and that includes people taking transit.
- We coordinate with TriMet on street projects that affect bus stops, timing, and/or access. For example, on SE Hawthorne Boulevard and Madison Street, we worked together to improve both safety and transit reliability.
- You'll also see bus lanes in some areas, like E Burnside Street, where we converted a regular lane into a Business Access and Transit lane to help buses move faster.
- On busy corridors like outer SE Division Street, we installed transit signal priority so buses get more green lights and fewer delays.
Even when projects don't directly affect transit timing, we still support access by adding more marked crosswalks near transit stops, guided by Portland's citywide pedestrian plan, PedPDX.
Learn more about traffic safety projects
Stay cool. Drive slow.
Warm days demand cool heads—and slower driving. Heatwaves, combined with urban heat island effects, are known to increase traffic crashes and deaths. In Portland, traffic deaths involving people in vehicles consistently are highest in June and July. That means summer is the season to take it slow.
Speed is one of the top contributors to traffic deaths and higher speeds make crashes far more deadly. In 2024, nearly half of Portland's traffic deaths involved speeding. That’s why we're lowering speed limits, redesigning streets, and encouraging safer driving habits.
So slow down and stay alert for people outside your vehicle. People walking, biking, and rolling are more vulnerable in crashes because the human body can only withstand so much physical impact. Consider this: You double a pedestrian’s chance of survival by driving 20 mph instead of 30 mph.
When you drive slower, you give yourself more time to react—and increase your chances of a safe, easy, breezy summer.
Learn more about how you can help make our streets safer
Free upcoming PBOT bike events
Reducing driving is core to our Vision Zero work
We can eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries in Portland by significantly changing the design of our most deadly streets to slow drivers—as well as making it easier for people to get around without a car. Less driving makes our streets safer. Below are several free events the Portland Bureau of Transportation created to help make biking more desirable and easier to incorporate into your daily routines!
Basic Bike Maintenance Workshop
Tuesday, June 24
The Basic Bike Maintenance Workshop at Central Library (801 SW 10th Ave.) is your opportunity to learn about bike maintenance and get some hands-on experience doing basic repairs on Tuesday, June 24 from 2 to 4 p.m. After going over the major systems on a bike, you'll learn how to do some simple adjustments and practice flat repair. Bring your bike—but it's not required. Come with questions about issues you might have!
Learn more about the Basic Bike Maintenance Workshop
Northeast Cully Sunday Parkways
Sunday, June 29
Come celebrate car-free streets at Northeast Cully Sunday Parkways, presented by Kaiser Permanente, on Sunday, June 29 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. As a beloved Portland tradition since 2008, enjoy a welcoming environment for active living, community connection, and civic pride on Portland’s largest public space—its streets!
Learn more about Northeast Cully Sunday Parkways
City Bike Bus
Wednesday, July 9
Commute to downtown with the City Bike Bus on Wednesday, July 9! Community members are invited to join one of nine unique bike bus routes on your ride to downtown before meeting at Salmon Street Springs (SW Naito Parkway and Salmon Street) at 8:15 a.m. for a group photo, coffee, and treats. A bike bus is a group of students—but in this case, adults—biking to school—but in this case, downtown—together.
Learn more about the City Bike Bus
East Portland Neighborhood Bike Fair
Saturday, July 12
The East Portland Neighborhood Bike Fair at Menlo Park Elementary School (12900 NE Glisan St.) is a family-friendly event on Saturday, July 12 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Activities include biking lessons to learn bike safety skills, learn-to-ride coaching, quick-fix bike repair, and helmet fitting. Participants are welcome to bring their own bikes, but there will also be bikes of various sizes available for children and adults to borrow.
Learn more about the East Portland Neighborhood Bike Fair
Survey: Pedestrian stress from car traffic
How much stress do you feel from car traffic when walking along or crossing different types of streets? Your answers can help improve a tool transportation agencies use to rate streets and select pedestrian safety projects. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the Center for Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety want to hear from people across the United States. Take the 10-minute survey by Wednesday, June 25.
Take the pedestrian traffic stress survey now
High Crash Network projects
Portland Bureau of Transportation prioritizes safety investments on our highest crash streets and intersections in areas with higher proportions of people of color and people living with lower incomes. In recent years, 67% of traffic deaths occurred on the High Crash Network. We track recently completed and currently under construction High Crash Network projects online.
Learn more about High Crash Network projects
Access the latest deadly crash data
Our Vision Zero dashboard provides an overview of traffic safety improvements from the past five to 10 years—as well as data relating to our performance measures. Staff update the dashboard regularly. Preliminary deadly crash data is updated monthly, while other data is updated quarterly or annually, based on availability.
We recently updated the Vision Zero dashboard with all 2023 crash data. The Oregon Department of Transportation releases complete, official crash records 12 to 18 months after the end of the reporting year.
Learn more about the Vision Zero dashboard
Remember to say crash, not accident!
We want to change the way we talk about crashes and remind each other that they are predictable and preventable. A Vision Zero approach refuses to accept the idea that crashes are inevitable. That's why we're saying crash, not accident! Will you join us?
Learn more about why we say crash, not accident
Free Vision Zero materials and yard signs
Help educate the people in your community about Vision Zero, Portland's commitment to eliminate serious and fatal traffic injuries. Order and receive reflective stickers and pins, brochures, and fliers in the mail or pick-up a yard sign at the Portland Building (1120 SW Fifth Ave.). Materials are available in English, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Lao, Romanian, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese.
Learn more about how to get free Vision Zero materials
Personal safety community resources
We want to help create a transportation system that allows all people to feel safe getting where they need to go. We put together free, accessible personal safety resources for community members, including how to report a non-urgent traffic safety concern, report bias and hate, participate in a self-defense workshop, and more.
Learn more about personal safety community resources
What we're reading
- Laws target reckless drivers with speed limiting technology (USA Today)
- The technology to end traffic deaths exists. Why aren’t we using it? (Fast Company)
- Front-facing brake lights could significantly prevent road crashes (Cosmos)
- Complete streets and walkability boost older pedestrian safety (AARP)
- Finding our way in a society built for cars (A Human-Scaled Journey)
- Centering youth in your safety story (Toole Design)
- The 100 Deadliest Days: Teen driver deaths jump in summer months (AAA)
- Association of nighttime heat with road traffic mortality: A time-stratified case-crossover study (Sustainable Cities and Society)
- Rochester gave up on a highway and filled it in. Should Baltimore? (The Baltimore Banner)