Now that kids are back in school, streets all over Portland have gotten busier. With thousands of students walking, biking, rolling and riding transit to school, the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) urges everyone to travel with extra care. “One of the best parts of my job is seeing the joy on the faces of Portland students as they walk and roll to school,” said Transportation Director Millicent Williams. “PBOT is committed to making investments that support student safety and mobility. We appreciate Portlanders support of Fixing Our Streets, which has already funded 350 completed projects near schools.”
PBOT encourages people driving to exercise caution, regardless of whether they’re near a school or not. There are more than 120 elementary, middle and high schools in Portland and on average, people pass a school or a route commonly used by schoolchildren every half mile. Additionally, traffic crashes are most common 3-7 pm, a time when students are being let out from school and after-school programs for the day.
Speeding continues to be a top contributing factor in deadly crashes in Portland, with at least 48 percent of traffic deaths last year involving speeding. In addition to slowing down, PBOT reminds drivers to watch for people outside their vehicle, especially at intersections (every intersection is a legal crosswalk in Oregon); stop for school buses and crossing guards; never pass vehicles stopped at crosswalks; and always drive sober.
For families and caregivers, talk with kids about how to cross streets safely; follow traffic signage near schools; and consider joining or organizing a walking school bus or bike bus. Visit bikebuspdx.org to find out if your school already has a bike bus.
“Back-to-school season is a reminder that safe, welcoming streets depend on all of us,” said Priya Dhanapal, Deputy City Administrator for Public Works.
Students and families at Abernethy Elementary School ride to school together on a bike bus, a variation of the walking school bus where families bike a route together and “pick up” passengers on their way to school. Photo by PBOT.
