Increasing the peace: Bicycling and pedestrian safety education is making a difference on Portland’s streets
The Portland Bureau of Transportation recently released new numbers that show a decrease in traffic-related fatalities in Portland. There were zero bike-related fatalities in 2008, a record low number since recording began in 1925.
“It takes political commitment and broad community support to achieve this level of success. This report is a strong indicator that safety education, increased ridership, and smart infrastructure works,” notes our Executive Director, Susan Remmers.
We are proud of this trend and want to acknowledge our role in helping over 1,400 people last year to become safe bicyclists. In our after-school Bike Clubs, kids learned safe bicycling, route planning, and the joys of exploring neighborhoods on two wheels. In our Create a Commuter program, low-income adults earned refurbished bicycles while learning safe riding and repair skills. We also make free safety education resources available online, in our shop, and at outreach events to help spread the word about how to get around safely by bike.
Research shows that there are fewer collisions with bicycles when there are more people bicycling. The more people ride, the safer it will be. So we will continue to add to the number of safe bicyclists, helping make Portland an even safer bicycling city.