Do you understand Oregon’s crosswalk law? Check out the Every Corner is a Crosswalk animated short from the City of Portland and the Animated Traffic Law Center to find out more.
For more details on Oregon traffic law as it relates to pedestrians check out one of the Willamette Pedestrian Coalition’s Pedestrian Legal Clinics, or read Ray Thomas’ book, Oregon Pedestrian Rights: A Legal Guide for Persons on Foot.
Ahh, summer! Suddenly the number of cyclists and pedestrians out on our cities’ streets and paths seems to have doubled overnight. Warm weather means more people dusting off their bicycles or walking shoes to get outside, get healthy, breath some fresh air, enjoy the community, and use active transportation to get to where they’re going.
Photo of June 21 Sunday Parkways by Greg Raisman
Let’s start summer off on the right foot, and remember to do everything we can do to keep our streets and pathways safe for everyone.
This Thursday, June 25, we’ll be kicking off summer Eye to Eye outreach with a press conference in Portland. The message: slow down, take a deep breath, and give those around you some room to breathe. More people using bikes and walking as transportation means taking more care to look out for folks, increasing passing distance, signaling turns and lane changes, and for cyclists, giving pedestrians and other cyclists an audible signal before passing.
With a little extra care, we can all see each other Eye to Eye on our shared paths and roadways, and have a safe, healthy summer.
This year’s Safety Fest at Alton Baker Park, organized by the Fire & EMS Department’s Water Rescue Team, was again a rousing success as thousands of area residents took advantage of the opportunity to see safety demonstrations and exhibits and participate in the event’s many activities. Approximately 600 life jackets and 1,200 bike helmets were given to young people. State Rep. Nancy Nathanson made a ceremonial presentation as part of the life jacket giveaway. The hours and scope of the event were reduced this year as the Fire & EMS Department was not in a position to absorb overtime costs that had been associated with past safety festivals (Saturday’s was the ninth annual), but corporate and government cosponsors made it possible to continue the tradition. In particular, the department would like to thank KVAL-TV, the Weyerhaeuser Corporation Foundation, Sanipac, Bi-Mart, Les Schwab, and Hamilton Construction Company for their contributions. Other participants included the Citizen Emergency Response Team, Lane County Sherriff’s Posse, Lane County Fire Co-Op, and Northwest Youth Corps. Despite the long lines, appearances indicated that a good time was had by all. Attendance was estimated at 3,000 to 5,000. For more information, please contact Cinimint Harper at Fire & EMS, 682-7120.
GEARS, the City of Eugene, BTA, and Commuter Solutions held a press conference today to announce the start of the Eye-to-Eye campaign. The speakers represented a wide range of representatives and organizations:
Kitty Piercy - Mayor of Eugene
Christine Lundberg - Springfield City Council President
Paul Adkins - GEARs President
Karl Rhode - Government Relations and Public Affairs Director for BTA
Barbara Nichols - Regional Manager for AAA Oregon/Idaho
Senator Floyd Prozanski
Lt. Rex Barrong - Eugene Police Department
Chief Randy Groves - Eugene Fire Department
Tom Jefferson - Jane Higdon Foundation
It was a great start to some of the events that we are working on that will “foster a culture of awareness and respect on our shared paths and roadways and to make the streets of our communities safer for everyone.”
