Portland Metropolis Councilor Jamie Dunphy is “livid.” In a video simply uploaded to his official metropolis council social media accounts, Dunphy addresses the tragic and mindless site visitors violence that killed three folks within the Hazelwood Neighborhood final night time.
Dunphy is asking on the mayor, metropolis administrator, the Portland Police Bureau, and the Portland Bureau of Transportation to “put collectively an instantaneous response for this stretch of East Portland.” “We have to shield pedestrians and bicyclists,” Dunphy says within the video.
Dunphy’s assertion can be notable for a way he instantly calls out drivers for the, “harmful and negligent habits,” he sees day-after-day. It’s a uncommon and highly effective little bit of blaming-and-shaming directed squarely at automobile customers. At one level he addresses drivers instantly and implores them to “do higher.”
Right here’s extra from Dunphy’s video:
“Three households are grieving immediately as a result of their relations have been stolen from them by drivers of automobiles. This didn’t need to occur. Every single day I see harmful and negligent habits by drivers who’re texting whereas driving, rushing, working crimson lights, ignoring crosswalks and bike lanes, clipping corners and failing to sign. I hope that wasn’t the case in these three deaths, however I’m livid about this.
To the households whose relations have been stolen from them final night time: I’m so sorry. I pledged my help to Imaginative and prescient Zero, recognizing that one pedestrian demise is just too many. Three in a single night time is an excessive amount of to bear. It’s unacceptable, and it can not occur once more.
I’m calling on the mayor, town administrator, the Portland Police Bureau and the Bureau of Transportation put collectively an instantaneous response for this stretch of East Portland. We have to shield pedestrians and bicyclists, and we have to maintain drivers accountable for his or her legal habits.
And also you, in case you’re watching this, repair your driving, decelerate, you’re not particular. You’re not so proficient of a driver you could textual content whereas driving and ignore these guidelines, and also you’re not doing sufficient. Do higher maintain your neighbors alive.”
That’s probably the most direct and heartfelt responses to a deadly site visitors crash I can recall ever seeing from Metropolis Corridor. Then once more, I can also’t bear in mind ever having three deaths in separate collisions like this in such a small geographic space (all of them occurred lower than one mile from one another).
As for what PBOT is more likely to do; the excellent news is that they’ve already studied and analyzed NE Glisan and 122nd. And their information is related, provided that they’ve both lately accomplished security tasks or are nonetheless within the strategy of doing so. The unhealthy information is that the kind of adjustments they’re making in East Portland aren’t practically strong sufficient to guard bicycle riders, walkers, and wheelchair customers.
PBOT is now not responsible of ignoring East Portland, however they haven’t had the braveness and/or political help (these two issues are instantly associated) to construct the kind of tasks that will truly reside as much as their “Protected Programs” beliefs. Even after hundreds of thousands are spent on these corridors, it stays far too straightforward to drive quick and kill.
