Portland, OR Uses Innovations to Keep Bike Riders Safer Thru Intersections
Channel: Streetfilms®
Date: 2023-05-24

Say what you will about the great bicycle cities all over the world, but in the United States every time I visit Portland, OR I see during my visit interesting attempts at trying to optimize safety at intersections for bicyclists (and pedestrians).

My latest visit I got taken on a short tour by Jonathan Maus from Bike Portland to see just a few things implemented since the last time I was there. The intersections PBOT attempts to remedy often have unusual geometric challenges. Here you will see only a few since you can only fit so much in one Streetfilms.

Two projects which finished since my last visit are Portland's new crossings such as the hilariously named Ned Flanders Crossing and the Earl Blumenauer Bike & Pedestrian Bridge. 

Both bridges are not only great additions to the cycle network, but you will see the approaches from both directions have been well thought out and implemented. In particular the Flanders Crossing downtown where the blocks leading up to it on both sides have been made extremely car-light with traffic calming and limited car-access.

As you watch this if you live in North America think about ways in which your city could use some of these traffic strategies. For me, NYC has a lot of great bike lanes now, but often our intersections or links between them are not the greatest. We could use some of these in their tool kits (and some new crossings!!)