Portland adopted a Vision Zero plan in 2016. At first, it seemed to be working; at least, traffic fatalities declined from 42 in 2016 to 35 in 2018. The only problem is that few of the steps of the plan had been implemented by 2018, so that decline was merely a coincidence.
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The plan called for reduction of speed limits, stricter enforcement of speed laws, reconfiguration of dangerous intersections, and improved street lighting. Not everything was completed, but some of it was and the city saw a dramatic change in fatality rates — upwards. By 2022, the city had 62 fatalities; so far in 2024 it has had 69, so by the end of the year it is likely to be more than double 2018. Continue reading
