The Portland Bureau of Transportation needs to be held responsible for three major failures: increasing traffic, badly maintained roadways, and inadequate pedestrian safety. PBOTs have been enforcing road diets rather than reducing congestion. This strategy adds underutilized bike or bus lanes while removing lanes on busy streets, causing traffic jams and irate drivers. Have you noticed that road rage seems to be on the rise these days?
Our roads are getting worse. Everyone is at risk from potholes and deteriorating pavement. When money is wasted on expensive lane cutbacks that also hurt local businesses, PBOT’s constant claims of inadequate funding seem flimsy. For instance, center medians and fewer lanes have resulted in difficult detours on Southeast Division, making it more difficult for delivery and consumers to get to stores and eateries.
The fact that more pedestrians are dying suggests that PBOT’s efforts aren’t making things safer (a 75-year-old pedestrian was killed in a crash in Southeast Portland on Dec. 6).
These misaligned priorities ignore our most pressing transportation issues while wasting government funds. To better understand the everyday challenges Portlanders confront, perhaps PBOT employees should work more in-person and less remotely.
We demand an open, community-driven strategy that tackles pedestrian safety, road maintenance, and traffic congestion before further funding is allocated. Portlanders must oppose policies that cause more harm than good and demand true accountability.
Battalia, Niko, Portland
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