Some speed limits in Portland lowered to 20 mph
PORTLAND, Ore. – Speed limits on 70 miles of neighborhood streets in Portland were lowered to 20 miles per hour on Friday.
The streets are all “neighborhood greenways,” which are residential streets that prioritize pedestrians, bicyclists and families. Previously the greenway streets had 25 mph speed limits.
“With more Portlanders than ever bicycling, walking and using transit, addressing neighborhood speed limits is more important than ever,” Mayor Sam Adams said. “A pedestrian stuck at 20 miles per hour has a 95 percent chance of survival. A pedestrian struck at 30 miles per hour has a 60 percent chance. A small difference in speed can be the difference between life and death.”
The city was allowed to change the speed limits under a law passed in the 2011 legislative session.
"I am pleased to celebrate the implementation of House Bill 3150 from the 2011 Legislative Session," said Senator Ginny Burdick, democrat of Portland. "House Bill 3150 will encourage Oregonians to ride their bikes on residential streets and will reduce bike traffic on arterial streets. As a bicyclist myself, I look forward to utilizing these new greenways."
The Portland Bureau of Transportation says that six percent of the city’s commuters ride bikes to and from work. That’s around 17,000 people.
I believe we need a initiative petition or two. One initiative petitions should say all money collected from motor vehicle ticketing should go into the kicker fund so it is returned to the people. Being government always say ticketing isn't for the money what's left to argue against this idea? We could allow them to keep the money they raise by ticketing bicycles and pedestrians though.
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Next I would like to see initiative petition that removes all things bicycle related from the public right away and reverts the designation of bicycle back to pedestrian.
There is no middle ground with bicycles there either off the road or there in your way or preferably under your car. Let's redefine bicycles by requiring bicyclists to wear yellow and then on call them speedbump.
I remember a time when common sense was something most everyone had. Then a mysterious mental disease invaded Portland, some call it liberalism. It appears this disease has rendered many parts of the brain defective. Suddenly people started believing we should put bicycles out in the street so we called them vehicles. Back when common sense was popular we knew that a 2K to 80K pound vehicle would leave no chance for survival against the bicycle so we recognize that they were actually pedestrians and needed to follow the pedestrian rules and stay on the sidewalk. But then the disease came.
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I believe it was about the same time that people living in Portland lost their memory. People didn't remember that prior to those infected with liberalism common sense ruled in the legislature and bicycles were considered pedestrians. Now there's all kinds of crazy things going on as a result of this hideous brain infection known as liberalism.
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 This infection has totally destroyed the thinking of our elected officials in Portland so now we have the most expensive water bills in the nation, the most expensive public transportation, the most expensive existing and planned bicycle improvements while our roads and highways are neglected, property rights and values are stripped away through ordinances with no compensation to the private owners, behaviors known throughout history as degenerate and antisocial are now being promoted, bridges occasionally become picnic grounds,
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AND now our fast paced society is told to slow down to a leisurely bicycle speed so that the city can write more expensive tickets and further encourage the motoring public to leave Portland if not the state.
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 @ORthinker Move somewhere you're in the majority?
So then I assume you would be in support of initiative petition that would indicate whether I am in the majority are not.
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If it turns out more people would vote to put bicycles back on the sidewalk would you be willing to leave the state?
 @JGalt  So now that you've straw-manned it, can we get back to the point of it just being spewed out?  Just because we may argue over if it's a disease or not, it still doesn't change the fact about the negative rhetoric and name-calling; My major point still stands; if you can't change it, and you don't like it, moving is probably a great idea.  Fecal matter happens, and things change -- and I bet there's more of those liberal types moving here, than conservative types; I do not see this trend reversing anytime soon here.
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If you want to consider being around others similar to you a 'disease', then pray tell, what is called when someone *wants* to be around those unlike them?
@brendan There's nothing wrong with calling it a disease. After all, it fits with the typical Portland idea of being a victim of everything. This disease recently led to one of the infected being struck by another infected's car on the Hawthorne Bridge. This town breeds stupidity, going as far as to promote it and to support it. I know, I know, all of the "open-minded", "freedom of speech" hyper-libs will just tell me to shut up or leave. That's how stupid this city has become, even the college-know-it-all, freedom-of-speech types can't recognize the hypocrasy in their own condemnations. You know, when I was a kid, I was told to keep out of the street if I didn't want to get hit by a car. I listened and it worked pretty well for me and everybody else that I knew. When you figure out why Portlanders(even the adults) can't put to use that simple logic, you let us know. Until then, go find a tissue and a latte.
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"So then I assume you would be in support of initiative petition that would indicate whether I am in the majority are not."
No, I wouldn't. Â In fact, I'd sign the petition to get it on the ballot - everything, with some exceptions, deserves to be voted on.
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"If it turns out more people would vote to put bicycles back on the sidewalk would you be willing to leave the state?"
No, I wouldn't. Â What I would not do, is bitch about being in the minority - I'd either live with it, or move. Â No area will have *exactly* the laws/regulations/policies I want; nor will any area for any person I'd wager.
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Accepting that you are going to have to put up with *some* things not to your liking, to live in an area where a good bit of it is, is a great life-skill to learn.  If you're finding that the things you like are out-numbered by the things you do not, it's probably time to move - people change, generations change and cultures change -- one of the worst things anyone can do is "wish for the old days" as they never return.  I've done that once or twice - no sense making myself miserable any more.
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What I wouldn't do is call it a disease and add negative rhetoric to it. Â How many times has someone telling you you're a diseased $political_party changed your mind? Â You didn't write any of that with the intent to change someone's mind. Â It was spewed forth.
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FTR, I'm a moderate with *slight* liberal leanings.  My ballot so far has a mix of D, R, L(ibertarian) and I(dependent) selected.  I have one vote not decided and I will tell you straight out it's NOT for Obama.  Romney's not exactly my favorite, but so far, it looks like he'd do the least damage to the country.
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I know I live in an area (in fact, probably the only area I've ever lived in) where I've been called 'conservative' by the majority of the population. If I have to live with an extreme, I'll take this nonsense any day over Neo-con ideals.
"Mayor Sam Adams said. âA pedestrian stuck at 20 miles per hour has a 95 percent chance of survival." Getting "stuck" at any speed by Sammy-boy is scary! Lets see, maybe my 12 year old grand daughter can get a job proof reading for KATU's editors!
Thank you for your calming words. I am a little cooler now. I did not respond right away as I am new at using this forum and was looking at the other link (under-20 miles) without the comments thinking these were deleted. I keep telling myself that it will all soon be over with the mayor, thank you very much, but what are we going to get next? I truly care about safety in my neighborhood as the change in stop signs that I have wanted for so long has really helped slow down the gangs using the street as a shortcut zooming down the street to meet for thier drug exchanges. However people who have lived in these neighborhoods are now being bombarded with the thumping sounds of cars flying over the bumps. Peace and quiet is now a thing of the past for all living near these abcesses in the street. Maybe they should put one or two in front of the mayors house and see how he likes it. I would gladly welcome them and put up with them around a park to save childrens lives (concentrated activity and people getting in and out of cars etc.) but they are just plain stupid anywhere else on a city street., especially if the the dirty truth is that they are just put there for the special interest bike folks. We used to safely be able to use the sidewalks to get to the park but now must avoid avoid the bikes going up on the sidewalks (especially the CHILDREN) who are going around the speed bumps. I can only hope no one will be forced to endure the trauma of backing over a bicycle person in thier driveway. Sigh...!
Ohh goodie goodie, the bikers are going to cause even more accidents when they won't allow cars to back out of their driveways becuase, "they have the right of way." I bet the only speeding tickets are going to be given to auto owners. I know for a fact that I can ride my bike faster then 20mph and I bet the police wouldn't bat an eye at me as I zoomed past them. Why because the police tend to have blind toward bikers. You can get more money out of a lincesed, insured, registered auto. Auto owners must show proof of having all of these during an accident or when being pulled over by the police. What dose a biclclelist have to show? Nothing. They just claim tree huger status and they think can get away with anything.
This will stop the drivers from speeding way to go in solving the problems, thanks pdx
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The are back at putting in more ugently needed speed bumps at time and a half on another Saturday.Â
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Mind you, I live in an older neighborhood. My sidewald was poured in 1914, and if you look around one can still find horse rings set in the curbs.
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Why the rush to screw up the roads for all?  (I don't like to ride my bike over speed bumpes ether,and 20 mph isn't that fast on the flats...)
I am sick and tired of catering to bikers. They offer nothing in the way of providing the roadways, paths, etc. they use.  It's time we got back to listening to the tax-payers. We have had it...
No doubt a police state revenue scheme... one more reason (of the dozens) to avoid portland.
 @baldrodinston i can think of a million reasons to avoid portland
it should be mandatory that bikes have speedometers on them and that cyclists obey the law just like everyone else. it's only a money maker for the city anyway as i live off a 50 mph hwy and a some people drive 65 on it.Â
Sounds like a "fundraising event" to me!! (as in speeding tickets!) Will the bikes get tickets for going over 20 mph?? Doubtful.Â
 @bacana Was waiting for some anti bike whining from someone....thanks bacana!
 @B Smizzle So in your opinion, when somebody makes a suggestion that all people be treated equally when it comes to an illegal activity, you consider that 'whining'?
I already drive under 25mph on residential streets.Especially where there are kids playing,riding their bikes ect.I love it when impatient people get behind me and lean on their horn and flip me off. When that happens,I slow down to 10 mph just to make them rage out even more.
@noneofyourbizzness ...you are part of the problem. You are the reason bikers have the rep they have...and anger might come back to haunt you so think before you wind up under a car. You can be dead right - what does that get you?
@KHEB I'm not the one being angry.How exactly am I going to end up under a car when I'm actually in one myself?
 @noneofyourbizzness People like you who play road cops should be pulled over and fined for obstructing traffic. Sickening.
@randomdude @noneofyourbizzness Don't tailgate me and lean on your horn and flip me off for being extra cautious on a residential street where kids are playing and pets are likely to cross the road and we won't have a problem.
@brendan @JGalt On a small residential street or busy NW 23rd ave? Good luck with that.I think you need to suck it up and drive the posted speed limit.
 @noneofyourbizzness    @JGalt I won't be; I'll be the person passing you.
@brendan @noneofyourbizzness @JGalt Don't effin tailgate me when I'm driving the speed limit and we won't have a problem.
 @noneofyourbizzness  @JGalt Good, the whole point was to get you to speed up, so you speeding up if I try to pass is PERFECT! Problem solved. I love people like you who think the answer to making someone else drive safely down the street, is to drive even more unsafely down the street.
@JGalt I'll speed up if you try to go around me.Your middle finger doesn't scare me.BTW I have a fast car and a faster motorcycle that your fast car would never keep up with.
@noneofyourbizzness More than likely, it is somebody like you that's jutting out into the road to get in front of me - to go 10 mph under the limit - just to take their time to turn on to the next street. Don't you worry, though, my car's quick enough to get right around you and resume the speed limit and maybe a few extra mph. Oh, and I'll still flip you off as I pass. People like you are why I no longer give anybody an open space. If you can't keep up with the pace of traffic, perhaps it is time you stopped driving. FYI, my parents had enough brains to tell me to stay out of traffic as a child, it's a shame that many up here don't share that trait.
Sammie and Obama are two peas in a pod. They both know what's best for us and they're going to shove it down our throats. If we disagree it's because we're neolithic trolls who are clinging to our bibles and guns.
 @hankhandsome Just guns, tyvm :)