Facing concerns from residents about pedestrian safety on NE Fremont Street in Beaumont Village — and with no commitment from the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) to do anything about it — the Beaumont-Wilshire Neighborhood Association is taking charge. At the January BWNA board meeting, board members Angela Frome and Patti Koehler proposed that the association purchase and install flags for pedestrian use at several busy intersections along Fremont. The duo had researched other cities, including Kirkland, Wash., where flags had been used successfully to assist people in safely crossing the street.
With a “go” from the BWNA for $350 in funding for a pilot project to test the staying power of the flags and a $150 donation from the Beaumont Business Association (BBA), the project, dubbed “Flags on Fremont,” will be implemented sometime in March.
Pedestrians will find receptacles with brightly colored flags at various places along Fremont. The idea is to take a flag when you’re about to cross and wave it to capture the attention of drivers. Once safely across the street, there’s another receptacle in which to place the flag for the next person to come along. Instructions for how to use the flags will be posted at each of the receptacles.
Mary Myers, BBA president and center director at Sylvan Learning at 43rd and Fremont, experiences first-hand the challenges of getting across the busy street.
“Even during the day, I show my intent to cross at a marked crosswalk, but often drivers refuse to stop,” Myers said. “The BBA is happy to help the neighborhood association on this project,” she added. “We want visitors to Fremont Street — and those who work here — to be safe, and hopefully the flags will help.”
The BWNA extends its thanks to Paperjam Press for the donation of design and printing of the weather-resistant instructional signs, and to Beaumont Hardware for providing the receptacle materials for the project at cost.
And parents? Anything you can do to help kids understand that the flags aren’t there for swordsmanship or other entertainment pursuits is appreciated, as tempting as we know it will likely be. Flags on Fremont will expand to more crossings, even outside the Fremont corridor potentially, if the flags don’t “walk off” at an unsustainable rate.
True or False? Parking Within 20 Feet from a Crosswalk is Prohibited
It’s true! In Oregon, parking is prohibited within 20 feet of a crosswalk at an intersection. That’s according to ORS 811.550(17). There are exceptions that include temporary, short-term parking for loading or unloading and pulling over for passing traffic. But for those nosing their cars or trucks right up to the crosswalk to park while visiting a friend, setting out on a shopping spree, or for a restaurant outing — it’s a flat-out “no-no.”
The why of this is that blind intersections have a proven track record of being dangerous for drivers and pedestrians.
According to a February 4 post from Bike Portland, the City of Portland has committed to “daylighting” 200 intersections over the next two years. This typically involves signage to restrict parking at certain locations near an intersection, in what PBOT calls “vision clearance.” The article states that 4,000 problem intersections have been identified. So, how to get our neighborhood prioritized?
The article reports that PBOT will respond to specific locations based on complaints. Anyone can call PBOT Parking Enforcement at (503) 823-5195 (and wait for option 3) to report a dangerous corner for consideration. So, if you’re concerned about safety at a crosswalk in our neighborhood where prohibited parking is taking place, dial away!
Find the full Bike Portland article at tinyurl.com/5he786sa.