#pbot — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #pbot, aggregated by home.social.
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The insurance company told the HOA that it wanted corner concrete work done. ADA ramps are required here. Now, a couple of years ago, when the city resurfaced the street, crews installed one, but not at this particular corner. Anyway, the HOA paid to have it installed.
I have no idea why I wrote that paragraph. Here's today's missive from PBOT:
(May 26, 2026) Crews with the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) will improve ADA ramps on NW 23rd Avenue at NW Marshall and at NW Lovejoy streets starting on Wednesday, May 27 through the end of August.
The work will require closures of travel lanes and sidewalks in the area, for several days to several weeks at a time. Work will support NW 23rd Avenue's main street pedestrian activity, including businesses and emergency room access at Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center.
From May 27 through late August, PBOT sidewalk crews will generally update one corner at a time, to limit the impact on traveling public in this business district that has high population density and pedestrian traffic. For each phase of construction, there will be different closures of travel lanes, sidewalks or parking lanes, so check the Travel Impact Biweekly Updates on the project website for specific details through the summer and plan to observe barricades, traffic signage and instructions from crews at the scene.
Lane and sidewalk closures will be in place all hours, all days, during periods when crews have to dig below the sidewalk and street surface. Some adjustments to stormwater infrastructure will require digging trenches several feet deep. Crews are expected to be present generally 6:30 a.m. through 3:30 p.m. Monday to Thursday and 6 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. every other Friday.
PBOT paving crews are expecting to return this fall to repave the impacted areas on these two blocks on NW 23rd, after the ramp upgrades have been completed.
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The insurance company told the HOA that it wanted corner concrete work done. ADA ramps are required here. Now, a couple of years ago, when the city resurfaced the street, crews installed one, but not at this particular corner. Anyway, the HOA paid to have it installed.
I have no idea why I wrote that paragraph. Here's today's missive from PBOT:
(May 26, 2026) Crews with the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) will improve ADA ramps on NW 23rd Avenue at NW Marshall and at NW Lovejoy streets starting on Wednesday, May 27 through the end of August.
The work will require closures of travel lanes and sidewalks in the area, for several days to several weeks at a time. Work will support NW 23rd Avenue's main street pedestrian activity, including businesses and emergency room access at Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center.
From May 27 through late August, PBOT sidewalk crews will generally update one corner at a time, to limit the impact on traveling public in this business district that has high population density and pedestrian traffic. For each phase of construction, there will be different closures of travel lanes, sidewalks or parking lanes, so check the Travel Impact Biweekly Updates on the project website for specific details through the summer and plan to observe barricades, traffic signage and instructions from crews at the scene.
Lane and sidewalk closures will be in place all hours, all days, during periods when crews have to dig below the sidewalk and street surface. Some adjustments to stormwater infrastructure will require digging trenches several feet deep. Crews are expected to be present generally 6:30 a.m. through 3:30 p.m. Monday to Thursday and 6 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. every other Friday.
PBOT paving crews are expecting to return this fall to repave the impacted areas on these two blocks on NW 23rd, after the ramp upgrades have been completed.
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The insurance company told the HOA that it wanted corner concrete work done. ADA ramps are required here. Now, a couple of years ago, when the city resurfaced the street, crews installed one, but not at this particular corner. Anyway, the HOA paid to have it installed.
I have no idea why I wrote that paragraph. Here's today's missive from PBOT:
(May 26, 2026) Crews with the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) will improve ADA ramps on NW 23rd Avenue at NW Marshall and at NW Lovejoy streets starting on Wednesday, May 27 through the end of August.
The work will require closures of travel lanes and sidewalks in the area, for several days to several weeks at a time. Work will support NW 23rd Avenue's main street pedestrian activity, including businesses and emergency room access at Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center.
From May 27 through late August, PBOT sidewalk crews will generally update one corner at a time, to limit the impact on traveling public in this business district that has high population density and pedestrian traffic. For each phase of construction, there will be different closures of travel lanes, sidewalks or parking lanes, so check the Travel Impact Biweekly Updates on the project website for specific details through the summer and plan to observe barricades, traffic signage and instructions from crews at the scene.
Lane and sidewalk closures will be in place all hours, all days, during periods when crews have to dig below the sidewalk and street surface. Some adjustments to stormwater infrastructure will require digging trenches several feet deep. Crews are expected to be present generally 6:30 a.m. through 3:30 p.m. Monday to Thursday and 6 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. every other Friday.
PBOT paving crews are expecting to return this fall to repave the impacted areas on these two blocks on NW 23rd, after the ramp upgrades have been completed.
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The insurance company told the HOA that it wanted corner concrete work done. ADA ramps are required here. Now, a couple of years ago, when the city resurfaced the street, crews installed one, but not at this particular corner. Anyway, the HOA paid to have it installed.
I have no idea why I wrote that paragraph. Here's today's missive from PBOT:
(May 26, 2026) Crews with the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) will improve ADA ramps on NW 23rd Avenue at NW Marshall and at NW Lovejoy streets starting on Wednesday, May 27 through the end of August.
The work will require closures of travel lanes and sidewalks in the area, for several days to several weeks at a time. Work will support NW 23rd Avenue's main street pedestrian activity, including businesses and emergency room access at Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center.
From May 27 through late August, PBOT sidewalk crews will generally update one corner at a time, to limit the impact on traveling public in this business district that has high population density and pedestrian traffic. For each phase of construction, there will be different closures of travel lanes, sidewalks or parking lanes, so check the Travel Impact Biweekly Updates on the project website for specific details through the summer and plan to observe barricades, traffic signage and instructions from crews at the scene.
Lane and sidewalk closures will be in place all hours, all days, during periods when crews have to dig below the sidewalk and street surface. Some adjustments to stormwater infrastructure will require digging trenches several feet deep. Crews are expected to be present generally 6:30 a.m. through 3:30 p.m. Monday to Thursday and 6 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. every other Friday.
PBOT paving crews are expecting to return this fall to repave the impacted areas on these two blocks on NW 23rd, after the ramp upgrades have been completed.
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Portland has an aerial tram. Its "haul rope," always sleepy, likes to stretch. Riders, for reasons no one understands, like to reach their destination, and to not be left dangling.
PBOT sent an email to tell us they will be doing maintenance beginning at 7 PM on Thursday, May 21st, ending on Tuesday, May 26th. They gave a list of ways to get to where it goes, although it ordinarily has less usage on this weekend, and is closed on Monday for Memorial Day. Check their website for more.
What it might look like (from the email):
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Portland has an aerial tram. Its "haul rope," always sleepy, likes to stretch. Riders, for reasons no one understands, like to reach their destination, and to not be left dangling.
PBOT sent an email to tell us they will be doing maintenance beginning at 7 PM on Thursday, May 21st, ending on Tuesday, May 26th. They gave a list of ways to get to where it goes, although it ordinarily has less usage on this weekend, and is closed on Monday for Memorial Day. Check their website for more.
What it might look like (from the email):
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Portland has an aerial tram. Its "haul rope," always sleepy, likes to stretch. Riders, for reasons no one understands, like to reach their destination, and to not be left dangling.
PBOT sent an email to tell us they will be doing maintenance beginning at 7 PM on Thursday, May 21st, ending on Tuesday, May 26th. They gave a list of ways to get to where it goes, although it ordinarily has less usage on this weekend, and is closed on Monday for Memorial Day. Check their website for more.
What it might look like (from the email):
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Portland has an aerial tram. Its "haul rope," always sleepy, likes to stretch. Riders, for reasons no one understands, like to reach their destination, and to not be left dangling.
PBOT sent an email to tell us they will be doing maintenance beginning at 7 PM on Thursday, May 21st, ending on Tuesday, May 26th. They gave a list of ways to get to where it goes, although it ordinarily has less usage on this weekend, and is closed on Monday for Memorial Day. Check their website for more.
What it might look like (from the email):
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Part of a long email from PBOT:
(May 7, 2026) The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) advises the traveling public to expect short duration lane closures along NE Halsey Street, between NE 47th and NE 59th avenues the week of May 11 and again the week of May 25, for repairs and repaving.
A PBOT contractor will be repairing and repaving NE Halsey around the intersections at NE 57th and NE 60th avenues, requiring one-way travel and detours for two separate one-week periods. During lane closures, local access only will be provided in that direction of travel to the area between NE 47th and 57th avenues.
Crews will remove and replace the asphalt and base layer below the road surface, major maintenance work that requires significant time in each section. The fresh pavement and recently installed sidewalks and traffic signals are all part of the bureau’s $9.7 million NE 60th Avenue and Halsey Street Area Improvement Project. The project is improving safety on NE Halsey, a high crash corridor, and improving pedestrian access to bus and MAX light rail stops in the area. Modern traffic signals will be adjustable to ease traffic through the area as well.
The work this month involves two one-week lane closures, alternating direction through the corridor.
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More roadwork by PBOT for 82nd Avenue in Portland. From an email:
(May 5, 2026) - The Portland Bureau of Transportation's (PBOT) safety and maintenance upgrade of 82nd Avenue continues, with months of work to provide new, smooth pavement and replace failing sections of roadway starting on Monday, May 18, and continuing on weekdays through the end of July.
This is the second summer of paving significant stretches of the corridor, after crews repaved and repaired roughly 1.4 centerline miles of 82nd Avenue in 2025.
The first section of paving will take place on SE 82nd Avenue between SE Clinton and Brooklyn streets. Contractors will then pave additional segments of the corridor between SE Brooklyn and Bush streets; NE Thomson to Hancock; and lastly SE Schiller Street and SE Foster Road.
The existing pavement on NE/SE 82nd Avenue is severely deteriorated in these sections, with cracking and water infiltration that extends below the surface of the roadway.
Full details, updates available from PBOT
Paving this summer will begin in SE Portland and move to different sections, roughly a month at a time. From week to week, work schedules are weather dependent, but hours are expected to generally stay between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.
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A hole hath appeareth.
From PBOT:
(May 1, 2026) Following the emergence of a sinkhole earlier this afternoon, Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) crews from the Environmental Systems Division are conducting emergency repairs on SW Alder Street between 2nd and 3rd avenues.
To safely repair the street, it must be closed to all motor vehicles overnight, with the expectation that it will be open by early Saturday morning.
Crews arrived on site at about 4:45 p.m. and early assessments showed a sinkhole sized at approximately 6x6x4 feet. A camera investigation followed and found two holes leaking from a 12” main line of clay pipe from 1898 running between two maintenance holes. These leaks had slowly been forming a cavity under the road surface. As can be the case with sinkholes, particularly in warmer months, this cavity was exposed when temperatures warmed this week and the asphalt softened.
Crews will now excavate the road and replace the pipe before covering the road with a steel plate. PBOT paving crews will return early next week to resurface the road and give it a new, smooth surface.
The traveling public is advised to expect delays, travel cautiously, observe all closures and directions by flaggers, and use alternate routes if possible. Local access to residences and businesses will remain available. Public transit riders should check TriMet.org for service impacts.
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A hole hath appeareth.
From PBOT:
(May 1, 2026) Following the emergence of a sinkhole earlier this afternoon, Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) crews from the Environmental Systems Division are conducting emergency repairs on SW Alder Street between 2nd and 3rd avenues.
To safely repair the street, it must be closed to all motor vehicles overnight, with the expectation that it will be open by early Saturday morning.
Crews arrived on site at about 4:45 p.m. and early assessments showed a sinkhole sized at approximately 6x6x4 feet. A camera investigation followed and found two holes leaking from a 12” main line of clay pipe from 1898 running between two maintenance holes. These leaks had slowly been forming a cavity under the road surface. As can be the case with sinkholes, particularly in warmer months, this cavity was exposed when temperatures warmed this week and the asphalt softened.
Crews will now excavate the road and replace the pipe before covering the road with a steel plate. PBOT paving crews will return early next week to resurface the road and give it a new, smooth surface.
The traveling public is advised to expect delays, travel cautiously, observe all closures and directions by flaggers, and use alternate routes if possible. Local access to residences and businesses will remain available. Public transit riders should check TriMet.org for service impacts.
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A hole hath appeareth.
From PBOT:
(May 1, 2026) Following the emergence of a sinkhole earlier this afternoon, Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) crews from the Environmental Systems Division are conducting emergency repairs on SW Alder Street between 2nd and 3rd avenues.
To safely repair the street, it must be closed to all motor vehicles overnight, with the expectation that it will be open by early Saturday morning.
Crews arrived on site at about 4:45 p.m. and early assessments showed a sinkhole sized at approximately 6x6x4 feet. A camera investigation followed and found two holes leaking from a 12” main line of clay pipe from 1898 running between two maintenance holes. These leaks had slowly been forming a cavity under the road surface. As can be the case with sinkholes, particularly in warmer months, this cavity was exposed when temperatures warmed this week and the asphalt softened.
Crews will now excavate the road and replace the pipe before covering the road with a steel plate. PBOT paving crews will return early next week to resurface the road and give it a new, smooth surface.
The traveling public is advised to expect delays, travel cautiously, observe all closures and directions by flaggers, and use alternate routes if possible. Local access to residences and businesses will remain available. Public transit riders should check TriMet.org for service impacts.
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A hole hath appeareth.
From PBOT:
(May 1, 2026) Following the emergence of a sinkhole earlier this afternoon, Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) crews from the Environmental Systems Division are conducting emergency repairs on SW Alder Street between 2nd and 3rd avenues.
To safely repair the street, it must be closed to all motor vehicles overnight, with the expectation that it will be open by early Saturday morning.
Crews arrived on site at about 4:45 p.m. and early assessments showed a sinkhole sized at approximately 6x6x4 feet. A camera investigation followed and found two holes leaking from a 12” main line of clay pipe from 1898 running between two maintenance holes. These leaks had slowly been forming a cavity under the road surface. As can be the case with sinkholes, particularly in warmer months, this cavity was exposed when temperatures warmed this week and the asphalt softened.
Crews will now excavate the road and replace the pipe before covering the road with a steel plate. PBOT paving crews will return early next week to resurface the road and give it a new, smooth surface.
The traveling public is advised to expect delays, travel cautiously, observe all closures and directions by flaggers, and use alternate routes if possible. Local access to residences and businesses will remain available. Public transit riders should check TriMet.org for service impacts.
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PBOT seems to be telling us that they'd like more money to do something beyond a "short-term fix" for a failing roadway.
(April 30, 2026) The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) will pave seven critical blocks of NW 23rd Avenue from NW Northrup to Vaughn streets starting on Monday, May 4 with work starting at 6 a.m. and continuing through 4:30 p.m. Monday to Thursday.
During the week of May 4 through 7, resurfacing of NW 23rd Avenue will occur between NW Vaughn and Quimby streets. From May 11 through 14, resurfacing will occur between NW Quimby to Northrup streets.
In 2010, PBOT paved NW 23rd Avenue from West Burnside to Lovejoy Street as part of a Capital Improvement Project. At that time the bureau rebuilt corner ramps and removed historic streetcar rails which were the cause of significant pavement deficiencies.
This current paving project is a short-term fix to address critical pavement failures on NW 23rd Avenue. The street’s base (the support structure under the driving surface) has failed, causing extensive surface cracking, potholes, and water infiltration that extends below the surface of the roadway. The conditions are leading to unsafe conditions for people traveling along and across the corridor.
The resurfacing will support NW 23rd Avenue's main street activity, including businesses and emergency room access at Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center. It will improve conditions on the Neighborhood Main Street until the Montgomery Park Streetcar Extension can address the street's structural issues and broader streetscape needs.
Throughout construction, all businesses and sidewalks will remain open, as will pedestrian access throughout the corridor. Both lanes and parking will reopen at the end of each workday at approximately 4:30 p.m., and both lanes and parking will be open on Friday and over the weekend.
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PBOT does great work with a limited budget. It distresses me that our government will happily gut our agencies, and simultaneously cut needed programs. In PBOT's case, they have *never* been sufficiently funded to deal with Portland's ageing infrastructure, especially its bridges. I cheer whenever they are funded to get some work done.
From a PBOT email today:
(April 28, 2026) The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) will close SE Foster Road between SE Barbara Welch Road to 162nd Avenue on Wednesday, April 29 for from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. to remove existing road striping and install rumble strips. Following the single-day closure, from Thursday, April 30 through Friday, May 1, SE Foster Road will be reopened to motor vehicle traffic with flaggers conducting periodic lane closures as crews install new high visibility striping from SE Barbara Welch Road to Jenne Road.
During the full closure of SE Foster Road on Wednesday, April 29, traffic will be detoured via SE Barbara Welch Road to SE Clatsop Street to SE 162nd Avenue.
The traveling public is advised to expect delays, travel cautiously, observe all closures and directions by flaggers, and use alternate routes if possible. Local access to residences and businesses will remain available. Public transit riders should check TriMet.org for service impacts.
This work is weather-dependent, and the schedule may change.
This section of SE Foster Road experiences a higher rate of road departure crashes than other streets in Portland.
Rumble strips are patterns of grooves on a roadway surface that create a physical vibration and audible sound when a vehicle's tires pass over them. This sensory feedback serves as a safety measure to alert drivers, particularly those who are drowsy or distracted, that they are drifting out of their lane of travel. Rumble strips help drivers self-correct their steering, which can prevent crashes, and they are particularly effective at reducing roadway departure crashes and head-on collisions.
This project is funded with approximately $170,000 from the Oregon Department of Transportation’s All Roads Transportation Safety Program.
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Yay, PBOT! Their email:
(April 27, 2026) The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) advises the traveling public that lane closures will be required for a city contractor to build safety improvements starting today at NE 122nd Avenue and NE Halsey Street.
The intersection was ranked the fourth most dangerous in Portland, with 79 crashes, including one traffic death and 61 injuries in four years ending 2023. Targeting safety investments on the most dangerous streets in Portland is a key part of Vision Zero, the citywide goal of reducing and eventually eliminating traffic deaths and serious injuries.
Fixing Our Streets (FOS) logoStarting today, the contractor's crews will reconstruct ADA curb ramps to improve access for pedestrians and people who depend on mobility devices, complete stormwater upgrades to prevent street flooding, and make traffic signal adjustments to improve safety.
Work could take up to three months and will occur during daytime hours. Travelers should expect delays, lane closures, and noise.
Crews expect to work from about 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday.
The traveling public is advised to expect delays, travel cautiously, observe all closures and directions by flaggers, and use alternate routes if possible. Local access to residences and businesses will remain available. For months, PBOT staff have been notifying area businesses and residents of this and other work coming soon.
This work is weather-dependent, and the schedule may change.
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Yeah. It needs it. An email from PBOT:
(April 9, 2026) The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) will officially start the paving season on Monday, April 13 with repaving 1.14 lane miles on NE Siskiyou Street from NE 7th to 17th avenues. The work is funded by Fixing Our Streets, Portland's voter-approved 10-cent gas tax and heavy vehicle use tax for fixing our streets and making them safer for all.
This neighborhood greenway is popular for people on bikes and other non-motor vehicles. During construction, all travelers will be asked to detour to NE Klickitat Street. Sidewalks will remain open at all times for pedestrians.
Maintenance crews will work from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. on business days and possibly weekends. Crews will complete one travel lane before starting on the next. The work is expected to be completed by April 22, 2026.
The traveling public is advised to expect delays, travel cautiously, observe all closures and directions by flaggers, and use alternate routes if possible. Local access to residences and businesses will remain available.
This work is weather-dependent, and the schedule may change.
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PBOT brings some good news:
(Tuesday, March 31, 2026) The Portland Bureau of Transportation has reopened a section of NW Cornell Road earlier than expected, after clearing debris from a landslide between the two tunnels that led to a closure of the key NW Portland route on Friday.
The reopening provides direct access to the Bird Alliance facility at 5151 NW Cornell Road.
An earlier closure to the west, between NW Thompson Road and SW Skyline Boulevard, remains in place. So travelers from the west should expect to access the area via NW Skyline and NW Thompson Road. Go slow. Expect travel delays.
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In an email from PBOT:
(March 27, 2026) The Portland Bureau of Transportation advises the traveling public that a landslide that was reported at about 8 a.m. today has led to the closure of NW Cornell Road, east of the Bird Alliance of Oregon.
NW Cornell Road is closed to all travelers, all directions in between the two tunnels where the landslide occurred. No vehicle or biking or walking access is allowed through the corridor.
Downed trees and power lines make the area hazardous and could cause a prolonged closure.
As of Friday morning, there is no estimated time for reopening this section of NW Cornell. Travelers are advised to expect no through traffic to be allowed on NW Cornell Road, between NW Thompson and NW Westover. Local access to area homes and businesses is allowed.
Access to the Bird Alliance facility at 5151 NW Cornell Road, is only allowed from the west. Expect to access the area via NW Skyline and NW Thompson Road. Go slow. Expect travel delays.
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St. Drunkard's Day is fast approaching, so PBOT has sent an email with information about how to acquire, in person or by download, digital coupons for a discount ride.
Taxis are offering a coupon good for up to $20 off one ride. This must be acquired in person at a couple of St. Patrick's Day festival locations. No digital drunks allowed.
Lyft and Uber are offering $10 discounts, and they're cool with digital coupons.
Visit http://www.portland.gov/transportation to learn more (under the News tab).
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After sending us their long email of many accomplishments, PBOT next sent an email with an image of a sad street of many patches in need of resurfacing, along with an invitation to join open houses on transportation funding!
Well played, PBOT.
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Wow. PBOT released a long email detailing some of what PBOT does. Long. Some highlights:
"1,769 calls from public agencies to tow vehicles that were blocking traffic or causing other public safety issues in all of Multnomah County, including Portland. PBOT's rules mean car owners are charged no more than a set rate -- $277 for a typical sedan -- when their vehicle is towed by Portland Police or PBOT parking enforcement."
"Towing companies are required to inform vehicle owners and Portland Police whenever a vehicle is towed. They are required to have a 24-hour dispatch call center to be able to let consumers know that they have the vehicle and a process for retrieval during established business hours (additional fees may apply for after hours pick ups). The parking lot has to have adequate signage warning about towing and providing contact information. All these requirements are listed in a PBOT Administrative Rule. The rates they charge for towing and storage are also regulated per bureau's approved Private Property Impound Rates."
"In 2025, PBOT revoked the private property impound permit for Retriever Towing, which had been behind on paying for permits and had been found to have 52 unpermitted tows in less than four weeks. PBOT required the company to refund consumers for all unpermitted towing charges. Even after the bureau offered payment plans, the company remained behind on paying routine service and dispatch fees"
"All drivers and vehicles that provide Private for-Hire Transportation services on Portland streets are required to go through an annual review. This makes sure that Portland’s PFHT drivers are professional, safe, and exceptional; the vehicles that provide PFHT services are well maintained and meet high performance standards. Failure to do so will result in a fine and even revocation of the company’s permit to operate."
"More than 10,000 trips per year are provided in a wheelchair accessible van. PBOT provides a $15 per ride subsidy to the taxi, Uber or Lyft company that provides the ride, because accessible service requires vehicles that are more expensive to operate than a standard sedan. All companies are required to provide accessible service when requested. PDX WAV is a program that creates a single point of contact for wheelchair users to call when they are looking for a ride. You can order an accessible Uber or Lyft on their app by selecting the option when requesting a ride, or call PDX WAV at 503 865-4WAV (865-4928) to be directed to a taxi company dispatcher who will help match you with a Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle (WAV) or call a taxi company directly."
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Sigh. So much for the storm being nice to us. From PBOT (Portland Bureau of Transportation):
The National Weather Service (NWS) has advised PBOT that rainstorms could bring 4.65 inches of precipitation through Wednesday morning, with a low chance of higher totals of more than 7.5 inches.
Over the weekend through Monday, PBOT crews cleared large storm drains that have a history of flooding and restocked two sandbag locations available to the public.
PBOT will have extra crews working overnight and before dawn Tuesday, available to clear clogged storm drains, and to place road-closed barricades as needed. Crews cleared more than 30 storm drains Monday morning that were reported by the public and cleared others that PBOT staff had identified. High water signs were placed at a few locations that have flooded in the past.
Heaviest rain Tuesday morningThe period of heaviest rain is forecast to bring 0.25 inches or more per hour across the Portland-Vancouver metro area between 1 and 9 a.m. on Tuesday, with probabilities even higher at the coast, coastal mountains, and in the Cascades. This will impact the Tuesday morning commute as the risk of car crashes increases due to hydroplaning or driving through flooded roads.
A flood watch has been issued through Wednesday.
Wind gusts up to 35 mph are expected, daily through Wednesday. Coming after a period of heavy rain, winds in that range could produce downed trees and power lines.
Johnson Creek in SE Portland is forecast to reach minor flood stage by 10 a.m. on Tuesday, according to a NWS gauge.
Expect creeks to overflow their banks, an increase of debris on roads, and some flooded roadways, especially where leaves and debris clog storm drains. If hourly rain rates reach 0.25-0.5 inches/hour or more for 3-4 consecutive hours or more, urban flooding significant enough to result in stranded vehicles in low-lying areas with poor drainage will become likely. Homes and buildings with a history of flooding may see flooding with this event.
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To prevent a flood from impacting Marine Drive, Marine Drive will be impacted by crews training for how to prevent a flood from impacting Marine Drive. PBOT is there!
Today's missive:
Traffic Advisory:
Flood protection wall assembly exercise to close lanes on N Marine Drive, Wednesday morning, Nov. 12
(Nov. 7, 2025) The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) advises the traveling public that a flood protection wall assembly exercise will require lane closures on North Marine Drive just east of North Portland Road on Wednesday, Nov. 12 from 8 to 10:30 a.m.
Marine Drive, an important route for freight in North Portland, will be reduced to one lane in each direction during the exercise. It may also require some brief, periodic closures of all lanes to allow crews to move cranes or other large equipment across the roadway.
The public is advised to expect delays, travel cautiously, observe all lane closures and directions by flaggers, and use alternate routes if possible.
Local access to residences and businesses will be provided.
This work is weather-dependent, and the schedule may change.
PBOT is the City of Portland's lead on response to a variety of emergencies, including floods. The floodwall exercise, conducted annually, allows crews to refresh their skills and test equipment that would be needed to protect public safety and property in the event a Columbia River flood.
Learn how you can be prepared for heavy rain, snow, ice or other severe weather that affect transportation at the PBOT website for weather emergency response.
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PBOT sent a huge email. tl;dr =>
It's dark now. Did you know there are almost 2X as many traffic fatalities involving pedestrians at this time of year, compared with summer months? Slow the f down.
Did you know people are far more likely to survive getting hit by a car moving 20 mph vs a car moving 40 mph? Slow the f down.
Did you know your car's pillar posts obscure your vision, that rain on the windshield obscures your vision, and that some areas are very dark at night? Slow the f down.
Are you making a left turn? It takes longer. You might not see pedestrians. Slow the f down.
We all are responsible for street safety. PBOT is building things. The rest of us get to slow the f down.
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Curses! Foiled again!
From the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT):
Updated Traffic Advisory:
Road closure and lane reductions on SE Foster Road between SE Barbara Welch Road and SE Jenne Road for rumble strip installation POSTPONED(Oct. 31, 2025) This project's construction has been postponed due to weather and will be rescheduled for a later date.
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Socialist PBOT is getting more work done:
(Oct. 13, 2025) The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) advises the traveling public that pavement striping to implement safety improvements on SE Washington Street in the Montavilla Neighborhood will require intermittent lane closures later this week.
A contractor for PBOT will restripe SE Washington Street, between SE 82nd and 92nd avenues on Wednesday through Friday. A full road closure is not required, but closures of one lane at a time for a few hours at a time, moving through the corridor, could cause periods of congestion.
The striping will immediately result in a safer corridor that is more comfortable for people walking, biking or taking public transit in the area. Washington Street is a one-way street in this area, and safer bike and pedestrian crossings will make it safer for people to reach businesses and other destinations in the bustling Montavilla Business District.
Watch for new traffic patterns and use caution as you travel through the project area.
Recent and upcoming improvements include:
• SE Washington Street from SE 82nd to SE 92nd Avenues — Some travel lanes will be redesigned to add a bus lane and protected bike lane.
• SE Washington Street from SE 76th to SE 82nd Avenues — Travel lanes have been reduced from two lanes to one with a new protected bike lane and some parking relocated.
• SE Thorburn from SE Gilham Avenue to SE Stark Street — Travel lanes have been reduced from two lanes to one in each direction with a protected bike lane.
Wayfinding signage, red paint for parts of the bus lane and green markings for parts of the bike lane will be added in the coming weeks. Concrete traffic separators will be installed on all sections of the protected bike lanes.
Parking will be added and removed in various places, with no net loss of parking spaces in the corridor.
Washington Street will be widest, with as many as two or three lanes, with turn lanes at major intersections, such as at 82nd and 92nd avenues.
Traffic signal improvements are expected to come in early 2026.
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Looks like #pbot is only on bluesky (https://bsky.app/profile/pbotinfo.bsky.social/post/3lzyp5t3f5c27), but if you're in Portland, OR #pdx, you should take their transportation cousin survey by tomorrow: https://www.portland.gov/transportation/2045tsp-committee/2045tsp/2045-tsp-vison-and-goals-survey
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This is a big deal. PBOT, in a socialist manner, to the rescue:
(Sept. 19, 2025) The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) will close NW Cornell Road from NW Westover Street to NW 53rd Avenue to all travelers to make emergency repairs on a compromised retaining wall and sunken roadway. Work is scheduled to begin on Oct. 4th and will last approximately two weeks.
The work comes after city staff observed significant sinking of the roadway and discovered that an underground pipe was broken in at least two locations, causing surface instability and pushing out the at least 80-year-old basalt rock retaining wall. The scope of the project includes wall stabilization and the removal and replacement of the damaged pipe with a new stormwater pipe. After the pipe replacement and wall stabilization, the sunken area will be repaved.
During construction, NW Cornell Road will be closed to all travelers – pedestrians, people biking, and people driving. Travelers are advised to use alternate routes, including NW Skyline Boulevard, NW Thompson Road, and West Burnside Street. Local access will be maintained where possible, but delays should be expected, so please plan accordingly.
The traveling public is advised to expect delays, travel cautiously, observe all closures and directions by flaggers, and use alternate routes if possible. Local access to residences and businesses will remain available.
As always, please keep our crews safe by following all traffic control signs and flaggers while travelling through or near work zones. Go slow when traveling on alternate routes.
Public transit riders should check TriMet.org for service impacts.
This work is weather-dependent, and the schedule may change.
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I've skipped a few of these. PBOT has been busy getting work done before the rainy season is upon us. This is also a reminder that our bridges, dozens of them, are old, rickety, and not maintained by the state. Upgrading them is hundreds of times more costly than the tiny PBOT budget allows for, so be sure to attach a parachute to the top of your vehicle, to ensure a safer landing when one of them inevitably fails someday, as you cross it! 👍 😀 🪂 Catch a peek at one of our scenic vistas as you plummet!
(Sept. 3, 2025) The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) continues their work repairing and repaving NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard this week from NE Holladay to East Burnside Street. The work is funded by Fixing Our Streets, Portland's voter-approved 10-cent gas tax and heavy vehicle use tax for fixing our streets and making them safer for all.
Maintenance crews will work from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. on business days and possibly weekends. Crews will complete one travel lane before starting on the next. The work is expected to be complete on Sept. 25.
The traveling public is advised to expect delays, travel cautiously, observe all closures and directions by flaggers, and use alternate routes if possible. Local access to residences and businesses will remain available. Sidewalks will remain open at all times for pedestrians. Public transit riders should check TriMet.org for service impacts.
This work is weather-dependent, and the schedule may change.
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TriMet announced they will run some trains all night long to keep the overhead wires from freezing.
PBOT has treated all of the major roadways, and will continue doing so.
PGE has their trucks on standby and has contracted with other workers, if needed.
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TriMet announced they will run some trains all night long to keep the overhead wires from freezing.
PBOT has treated all of the major roadways, and will continue doing so.
PGE has their trucks on standby and has contracted with other workers, if needed.
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PBOT sent 3 emails. One reminds drivers that kids head back to school this week. Another reports on paving work that began Friday, so I presume that's old news. Then there is this:
(Aug. 22, 2025) Beginning on Monday, Aug. 25, the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) will be repairing and repaving NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard from NE Weidler Street to NE Holladay Street. The work is expected to last approximately seven business days and is funded by Fixing Our Streets, Portland's voter-approved 10-cent gas tax and heavy vehicle use tax for fixing our streets and making them safer for all.
Maintenance crews will work from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. on business days and possibly weekends. Crews will complete one travel lane before starting on the next.
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In addition to better markings, PBOT is moving back some curbside parking a bit, so that corners, where people may be attempting to cross the street, are visible to motorists. A great idea being implemented.
Aug. 19, 2025) A Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) safety initiative is expanding along neighborhood greenways, in pedestrian districts, and near schools to improve visibility and reduce crashes. Vision clearance, or "daylighting," is a safety measure that sets back parking 20 feet near intersections and crossings. As part of this effort, over 200 intersections and crossings will be updated thanks to funding from Fixing Our Streets, Portland's voter-approved 10-cent gas tax for fixing city streets and making them safer for all, and the city’s General Fund.
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PBOT is doing maintenance work on another bridge. After the following, they again remind us that they have about 1000 times too little money to bring Portland's bridges up to code. That is neither a joke nor much of exaggeration.
(Aug. 8, 2025) The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) will conduct expansion joint repairs and replacements on the Vista Bridge from Monday, Aug. 11 through Friday, Aug. 15, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.
During construction, the bridge will be closed to all motor vehicles. Steel plates will be installed at the end of each workday to allow access for people driving motor vehicles outside of work hours.
Southbound traffic will be detoured at SW Park Place, to SW Salmon, to SW 13th Avenue to Montgomery Drive. Northbound motorists will be detoured to SW Montgomery Drive to SW 13th Avenue.
Sidewalks will remain open for pedestrians and bicyclists during work hours. Flaggers will allow access for TriMet vehicles and first responders through the work zone.
The bridge carries an estimated 11,000 vehicle trips per day.
The traveling public is advised to expect delays, travel cautiously, observe all closures and directions by flaggers, and use alternate routes if possible. Local access to residences and businesses will remain available.
As always, please keep our crews safe by following all traffic control signs and flaggers while travelling through or near work zones. Go slow when traveling on alternate routes.
The 99-year-old structure, formally known as the Vista Avenue Viaduct, was built in 1926 to link SW Portland neighborhoods to Washington Park and Downtown Portland. Its architecture is typical of the popular arched bridges that were built in the 1920s and 1930s. It carried the Council Crest streetcar line, which was later disbanded. A 50th anniversary party was held for the structure in 1976, and it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. More background is available on the National Register Nomination Form, available online.
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PBOT will race into your wallet if you race down streets or screw up at intersections. New email:
(Aug. 4, 2025) The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) and the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) announced today its contract with NovoaGlobal to supply and operate Portland’s Speed and Intersection Safety Camera program.
The safety camera program is a critical component of Portland’s Vision Zero program, which aims to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries. Oregon state law allows cities to use speed and intersection safety cameras to improve traffic safety. The program is funded by the revenue from camera citations and traffic safety diversion class registration fees.
NovoaGlobal will be the City of Portland’s sole supplier and operator for the Speed and Intersection Safety Camera program, as well as PPB Traffic Division’s two mobile speed enforcement vans. The 32 cameras are composed of 15 speed safety cameras, which enforce only speeding; and 17 intersection safety cameras, which enforce both speeding and traffic signal compliance.
NovoaGlobal currently operates in the United States and South America, including Washington, D.C., Tacoma, and Beaverton. Their comprehensive traffic safety solutions—including red light, speed, and school zone speed enforcement—offer turnkey programs to help combat the ongoing crisis of traffic-related injuries and fatalities.
Work is underway to install its industry-leading technology at Portland’s 32 existing camera locations and two mobile vans. The new camera installation work is projected to be complete by November 1.
As part of this transition, the city will add three additional locations to its safety camera network:
SE Powell Boulevard at 34th Avenue (westbound)
NE 82nd Avenue at Fremont Street (southbound)
NE 82nd Avenue at Klickitat Street (northbound)The city initiates a 30-day warning period before new cameras begin issuing citations.
In addition, the city will install two speed safety cameras on SE Powell Boulevard at or near 60th Avenue by January 2026. Two cameras to be installed on SW Barbur Boulevard in the 5900 to 6100 blocks are also in the design phase.
This fall, PBOT and PPB will undertake a camera expansion planning process to expand beyond the 40 existing and planned locations. New locations are selected based on traffic crash data and site suitability. All of Portland’s safety cameras are on Portland's High Crash Network which represents just 8% of Portland’s streets but accounted for 70% of deadly crashes in 2022.
Speeding is deadlySpeeding is a top contributing factor to deadly crashes across the Portland region. Even small increases in speed can significantly increase both the risk of crashing and the severity of injuries when a collision occurs. A pedestrian hit at 20 mph has a 20% chance of severe injury or death, while a pedestrian hit at 40 mph has an 80% chance of severe injury or death.
Speed and intersection safety cameras in Portland are an effective and popular way to reduce dangerous speeding. Since the first speed safety cameras were installed in 2016, speeding at all camera locations dropped 59% and top-end speeding (more than 10 mph over the speed limit) dropped 88%.
In addition to local success, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration completed an international survey of automated enforcement and found that speed safety camera enforcement reduces injury crashes by 20 to 25%. A more recent study from the public health network Cochrane found that speed safety cameras reduced total crashes by up to 49% and deadly and serious injury crashes by up to 44%.
In PBOT’s Nov. 2024 survey of nearly 2,000 Portlanders, 82% of surveyors expressed support for Portland’s intersection safety cameras, 76% supported Portland’s speed safety cameras, and 72% supported Portland Police’s mobile vans.
The cameras are part of PBOT's multipronged safety strategy with roadway redesign, speed limit reduction, and education. This integrated strategy has dramatically decreased both speeding (a primary cause of Portland traffic fatalities) at camera locations. The 85th percentile speed (also known as the prevailing speed) at Portland’s speed safety camera locations dropped by 10 mph or 22% between 2015 and 2024.
By leveraging the most advanced automated technology available, the city will continue its efforts to make Portland’s streets safer for all.
#Portland #PDX #PBOT #PPB #NovoaGlobal #SpeedCameras #TrafficCameras
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PBOT is closing the 28th street bridge over the I-84 freeway to all but bikes and pedestrians, in order to do some expansion joint work in August. TWO IMPORTANT PARAGRAPHS:
"While some of Portland’s most iconic bridges, such as those over the Willamette River, are owned and operated by other agencies (Multnomah County, ODOT, Trimet, or railroads), PBOT owns and maintains 159 bridges citywide. Almost half of these bridges are over 50 years old, aging without enough funding to replace them. PBOT currently has $700,000 of capital funding available per year for bridge maintenance, while the average cost of bridge replacement is $15 million. The approximate cost to bring all of our bridges into State of Good Repair (best practice for asset maintenance) is $587 million.
As bridges age, they are more prone to damage and to becoming weight restricted. Weight restrictions mean that large trucks and sometimes emergency vehicles cannot use them. This adversely affects the movement of goods, emergency response times, and community resilience. The vast majority of our bridges are also not seismically resilient and would be subject to failure during an earthquake. Moving forward, as we replace bridges, we are constructing them to be seismically resilient."
[Edit: They will put steel plates over their work and allow vehicle traffic in off-hours.]
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Listen up! If you use the 42nd street bridge over Lombard St. in Portland, Oregon, PBOT announced it will be closed for 2 years (an estimate) beginning on August 4th, and warned in an email that the detours are nowhere nearby. This will challenge the best navigation systems.
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The troublemakers at PBOT will be disrupting our perfect traffic again. They will be making improvements. How horrible.
(June 12, 2025) Beginning on Monday, June 16, the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) will be repairing and repaving NE Prescott Street from NE 105th to 115th avenues. The work is expected to last approximately seven business days and conclude on June 25.
Maintenance crews will work from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on business days and possibly weekends. Crews will complete one travel lane before beginning work on the opposing lane. Only TriMet buses will be allowed to move through travel lanes under construction.
This work is funded by Fixing Our Streets, the 10-cent per gallon gas tax overwhelmingly renewed by voters in May 2024. Fixing Our Streets paving dollars are focused on preventive maintenance like grind-and-inlay and sealing treatments that preserve and extend the life of our roads.
Following the paving work, the bureau plans to install speed cushions on NE Prescott Street between NE 105th and 121st avenues, also with funding from Fixing Our Streets. The speed cushion installation will be completed in the next year.
The traveling public is advised to expect delays, travel cautiously, observe all closures and directions by flaggers, and use alternate routes if possible. Local access to residences and businesses will remain available. Sidewalks will remain open at all times for pedestrians. Public transit riders should check TriMet.org for service impacts.
This work is weather-dependent, and the schedule may change.
Learn more about the Portland Bureau of Transportation’s road maintenance work and see the schedule of planned projects at www.portland.gov/transportation/maintenance/schedule.
Learn more about Fixing Our Streets at www.fixingourstreets.com
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The evil PBOT monster will not stop! Again it is ripping up our streets! Oh, the horrors we have seen!
(June 11, 2025) The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) will begin the next phase of paving on SW Fourth Avenue this Friday, June 13, as part of the SW Fourth Avenue Improvement project. This phase covers SW Fourth Avenue between Market and Clay streets, with work beginning on Friday evening at 7 p.m.
A full closure of SW Fourth Avenue will begin two hours later -- at 9 p.m. -- between Harrison and Clay. The street will be reopened by 5 a.m. on Sunday, June 15.
During this phase of paving work, contractors working on behalf of PBOT will grind off the top layer of existing pavement and then pave it back with new asphalt. Crews will work overnight Friday through Sunday morning to minimize impacts to the traveling public. Local residents and businesses can anticipate some nighttime construction noise on the evenings of June 13 and June 14.
Over the next three weeks, active construction will also be underway at the intersections of SW Fourth Avenue and West Burnside Street. This work will be focused on upgrading corner ramps to meet modern accessibility standards and installing foundations and conduit for updated traffic signals. Required sawcutting and demolition will be noisy at times. This work is setting the stage for later phases of paving work.
Work on SW Fourth Avenue continues to progress northward to West Burnside Street, with a focus on replacing outdated corner ramps with new ADA-compliant ones. PBOT expects the full paving project to be completed by the end of 2025.
Starting at 9 p.m. on Friday, June 13, people traveling northbound on SW Fourth Avenue, approaching SW Harrison Street, will be detoured to SW Naito Parkway via SW Harrison Street. Those wishing to return to SW Fourth Avenue can do so by turning left from SW Naito Parkway onto SW Clay Street, and then right back onto SW Fourth Avenue. People travelling eastbound on SW Market Street approaching SW Fourth Avenue will be detoured to Harrison via SW Fifth Avenue. Those wishing to return to SW Market Street can do so by turning right on SW Fifth Avenue, left on SW Harrison Street, left onto SW Naito Parkway and right back onto SW Market Street.
Sidewalks will remain open. Public transit riders should check TriMet.org for service impacts.
Fourth Avenue paving detour routeMap showing detour route for when paving requires closure of SW Fourth Avenue between Harrison and Clay streets. Map by PBOT.
The traveling public is advised to expect delays, travel cautiously, observe all closures and directions by flaggers, and use alternate routes if possible. Local access to residences and businesses will remain available. Parking near the work zone will be restricted during construction.
This work is weather-dependent, and the schedule may change.
PBOT will provide periodic updates throughout construction on the project website. Sign up here to receive construction updates by email.
Thank you for your cooperation and patience while we complete this work.
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The roads, they are a-changing. From PBOT:
(May 30, 2025) Beginning on Monday, June 2, the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) will be repairing and repaving N Kilpatrick Street from N Denver to Delaware avenues. The work is expected to be complete on June 9.
Maintenance crews will work from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on business days and possibly weekends. Crews will complete one travel lane before beginning work on the opposing lane. Only TriMet buses will be allowed to move through travel lanes under construction.
The traveling public is advised to expect delays, travel cautiously, observe all closures and directions by flaggers, and use alternate routes if possible. Local access to residences and businesses will remain available. Sidewalks will remain open at all times for pedestrians. Public transit riders should check TriMet.org for service impacts.
This work is weather-dependent, and the schedule may change.
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https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/ORPORTLAND/bulletins/3c983be
#PBOT’s discounts off #taxis, #Lyft and #Uber rides—free #TriMet, #Streetcar and #CTRAN service—are available to #Portlanders this #NewYearsEve
…get a paper coupon for up to $20 off a #taxi trip…ask staff for a coupon, and present that coupon to a BroadwayCab, FlatCab, PDXYellowCab or RadioCabies
…get $10 off a Lyft or Uber ride in #PDX. Download…Dec. 31.
…TriMet, MAX starting at 8 p.m. for free service till 3 a.m. Streetcar will lift fares from 8 pm through midnight…
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PBOT sent an email to announce that 5 of 56 snowplows now have names, courtesy of a contest. Thankfully, none of them are named for a Nazi frog.
The Big Leplowski, submitted by Bryson Helble
Beverly Clear-y, submitted by Elizabeth Mara
Brrrrnside, submitted by Sherri P.
Salt and Thaw, submitted by Arpita K.
Plowy McPlowface, submitted by anonymous
They are going to use these on the local news. Count on it.
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PBOT sent an email letting area residents know that police may now, without notice, impound vehicles not displaying a VIN and which have no license plates.
That the chosen conjunction is "and" tells the reader so much about abandoned vehicle removal in the Rose City:
1) If you have no plates and cover the VIN so it cannot be seen through your windshield, it's going to get towed, and
2) there are a LOT of abandoned vehicles with no VIN and no plates around here for this to get added to the city code in the Year of our Lord 2024.
Note: Some of these are wherein
members of our homeless community reside. Again, if it has no plates, do not cover the VIN!!Note 2: If we'd get the rabid right-wing politics out of humanity's obvious problems, they'd sure be a lot easier to solve.
It would also be nice if the city and county agreed on approaches to solving the problem of capitalism ramping up its generation of homelessness, which this code change probably isn't going to help.
Yes, I could get more cynical. Please don't tempt the tooter.
The relevant city code:
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PBOT will race into your wallet if you race down streets or screw up at intersections. New email:
(Aug. 4, 2025) The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) and the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) announced today its contract with NovoaGlobal to supply and operate Portland’s Speed and Intersection Safety Camera program.
The safety camera program is a critical component of Portland’s Vision Zero program, which aims to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries. Oregon state law allows cities to use speed and intersection safety cameras to improve traffic safety. The program is funded by the revenue from camera citations and traffic safety diversion class registration fees.
NovoaGlobal will be the City of Portland’s sole supplier and operator for the Speed and Intersection Safety Camera program, as well as PPB Traffic Division’s two mobile speed enforcement vans. The 32 cameras are composed of 15 speed safety cameras, which enforce only speeding; and 17 intersection safety cameras, which enforce both speeding and traffic signal compliance.
NovoaGlobal currently operates in the United States and South America, including Washington, D.C., Tacoma, and Beaverton. Their comprehensive traffic safety solutions—including red light, speed, and school zone speed enforcement—offer turnkey programs to help combat the ongoing crisis of traffic-related injuries and fatalities.
Work is underway to install its industry-leading technology at Portland’s 32 existing camera locations and two mobile vans. The new camera installation work is projected to be complete by November 1.
As part of this transition, the city will add three additional locations to its safety camera network:
SE Powell Boulevard at 34th Avenue (westbound)
NE 82nd Avenue at Fremont Street (southbound)
NE 82nd Avenue at Klickitat Street (northbound)The city initiates a 30-day warning period before new cameras begin issuing citations.
In addition, the city will install two speed safety cameras on SE Powell Boulevard at or near 60th Avenue by January 2026. Two cameras to be installed on SW Barbur Boulevard in the 5900 to 6100 blocks are also in the design phase.
This fall, PBOT and PPB will undertake a camera expansion planning process to expand beyond the 40 existing and planned locations. New locations are selected based on traffic crash data and site suitability. All of Portland’s safety cameras are on Portland's High Crash Network which represents just 8% of Portland’s streets but accounted for 70% of deadly crashes in 2022.
Speeding is deadlySpeeding is a top contributing factor to deadly crashes across the Portland region. Even small increases in speed can significantly increase both the risk of crashing and the severity of injuries when a collision occurs. A pedestrian hit at 20 mph has a 20% chance of severe injury or death, while a pedestrian hit at 40 mph has an 80% chance of severe injury or death.
Speed and intersection safety cameras in Portland are an effective and popular way to reduce dangerous speeding. Since the first speed safety cameras were installed in 2016, speeding at all camera locations dropped 59% and top-end speeding (more than 10 mph over the speed limit) dropped 88%.
In addition to local success, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration completed an international survey of automated enforcement and found that speed safety camera enforcement reduces injury crashes by 20 to 25%. A more recent study from the public health network Cochrane found that speed safety cameras reduced total crashes by up to 49% and deadly and serious injury crashes by up to 44%.
In PBOT’s Nov. 2024 survey of nearly 2,000 Portlanders, 82% of surveyors expressed support for Portland’s intersection safety cameras, 76% supported Portland’s speed safety cameras, and 72% supported Portland Police’s mobile vans.
The cameras are part of PBOT's multipronged safety strategy with roadway redesign, speed limit reduction, and education. This integrated strategy has dramatically decreased both speeding (a primary cause of Portland traffic fatalities) at camera locations. The 85th percentile speed (also known as the prevailing speed) at Portland’s speed safety camera locations dropped by 10 mph or 22% between 2015 and 2024.
By leveraging the most advanced automated technology available, the city will continue its efforts to make Portland’s streets safer for all.
#Portland #PDX #PBOT #PPB #NovoaGlobal #SpeedCameras #TrafficCameras
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PBOT will race into your wallet if you race down streets or screw up at intersections. New email:
(Aug. 4, 2025) The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) and the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) announced today its contract with NovoaGlobal to supply and operate Portland’s Speed and Intersection Safety Camera program.
The safety camera program is a critical component of Portland’s Vision Zero program, which aims to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries. Oregon state law allows cities to use speed and intersection safety cameras to improve traffic safety. The program is funded by the revenue from camera citations and traffic safety diversion class registration fees.
NovoaGlobal will be the City of Portland’s sole supplier and operator for the Speed and Intersection Safety Camera program, as well as PPB Traffic Division’s two mobile speed enforcement vans. The 32 cameras are composed of 15 speed safety cameras, which enforce only speeding; and 17 intersection safety cameras, which enforce both speeding and traffic signal compliance.
NovoaGlobal currently operates in the United States and South America, including Washington, D.C., Tacoma, and Beaverton. Their comprehensive traffic safety solutions—including red light, speed, and school zone speed enforcement—offer turnkey programs to help combat the ongoing crisis of traffic-related injuries and fatalities.
Work is underway to install its industry-leading technology at Portland’s 32 existing camera locations and two mobile vans. The new camera installation work is projected to be complete by November 1.
As part of this transition, the city will add three additional locations to its safety camera network:
SE Powell Boulevard at 34th Avenue (westbound)
NE 82nd Avenue at Fremont Street (southbound)
NE 82nd Avenue at Klickitat Street (northbound)The city initiates a 30-day warning period before new cameras begin issuing citations.
In addition, the city will install two speed safety cameras on SE Powell Boulevard at or near 60th Avenue by January 2026. Two cameras to be installed on SW Barbur Boulevard in the 5900 to 6100 blocks are also in the design phase.
This fall, PBOT and PPB will undertake a camera expansion planning process to expand beyond the 40 existing and planned locations. New locations are selected based on traffic crash data and site suitability. All of Portland’s safety cameras are on Portland's High Crash Network which represents just 8% of Portland’s streets but accounted for 70% of deadly crashes in 2022.
Speeding is deadlySpeeding is a top contributing factor to deadly crashes across the Portland region. Even small increases in speed can significantly increase both the risk of crashing and the severity of injuries when a collision occurs. A pedestrian hit at 20 mph has a 20% chance of severe injury or death, while a pedestrian hit at 40 mph has an 80% chance of severe injury or death.
Speed and intersection safety cameras in Portland are an effective and popular way to reduce dangerous speeding. Since the first speed safety cameras were installed in 2016, speeding at all camera locations dropped 59% and top-end speeding (more than 10 mph over the speed limit) dropped 88%.
In addition to local success, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration completed an international survey of automated enforcement and found that speed safety camera enforcement reduces injury crashes by 20 to 25%. A more recent study from the public health network Cochrane found that speed safety cameras reduced total crashes by up to 49% and deadly and serious injury crashes by up to 44%.
In PBOT’s Nov. 2024 survey of nearly 2,000 Portlanders, 82% of surveyors expressed support for Portland’s intersection safety cameras, 76% supported Portland’s speed safety cameras, and 72% supported Portland Police’s mobile vans.
The cameras are part of PBOT's multipronged safety strategy with roadway redesign, speed limit reduction, and education. This integrated strategy has dramatically decreased both speeding (a primary cause of Portland traffic fatalities) at camera locations. The 85th percentile speed (also known as the prevailing speed) at Portland’s speed safety camera locations dropped by 10 mph or 22% between 2015 and 2024.
By leveraging the most advanced automated technology available, the city will continue its efforts to make Portland’s streets safer for all.
#Portland #PDX #PBOT #PPB #NovoaGlobal #SpeedCameras #TrafficCameras
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PBOT will race into your wallet if you race down streets or screw up at intersections. New email:
(Aug. 4, 2025) The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) and the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) announced today its contract with NovoaGlobal to supply and operate Portland’s Speed and Intersection Safety Camera program.
The safety camera program is a critical component of Portland’s Vision Zero program, which aims to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries. Oregon state law allows cities to use speed and intersection safety cameras to improve traffic safety. The program is funded by the revenue from camera citations and traffic safety diversion class registration fees.
NovoaGlobal will be the City of Portland’s sole supplier and operator for the Speed and Intersection Safety Camera program, as well as PPB Traffic Division’s two mobile speed enforcement vans. The 32 cameras are composed of 15 speed safety cameras, which enforce only speeding; and 17 intersection safety cameras, which enforce both speeding and traffic signal compliance.
NovoaGlobal currently operates in the United States and South America, including Washington, D.C., Tacoma, and Beaverton. Their comprehensive traffic safety solutions—including red light, speed, and school zone speed enforcement—offer turnkey programs to help combat the ongoing crisis of traffic-related injuries and fatalities.
Work is underway to install its industry-leading technology at Portland’s 32 existing camera locations and two mobile vans. The new camera installation work is projected to be complete by November 1.
As part of this transition, the city will add three additional locations to its safety camera network:
SE Powell Boulevard at 34th Avenue (westbound)
NE 82nd Avenue at Fremont Street (southbound)
NE 82nd Avenue at Klickitat Street (northbound)The city initiates a 30-day warning period before new cameras begin issuing citations.
In addition, the city will install two speed safety cameras on SE Powell Boulevard at or near 60th Avenue by January 2026. Two cameras to be installed on SW Barbur Boulevard in the 5900 to 6100 blocks are also in the design phase.
This fall, PBOT and PPB will undertake a camera expansion planning process to expand beyond the 40 existing and planned locations. New locations are selected based on traffic crash data and site suitability. All of Portland’s safety cameras are on Portland's High Crash Network which represents just 8% of Portland’s streets but accounted for 70% of deadly crashes in 2022.
Speeding is deadlySpeeding is a top contributing factor to deadly crashes across the Portland region. Even small increases in speed can significantly increase both the risk of crashing and the severity of injuries when a collision occurs. A pedestrian hit at 20 mph has a 20% chance of severe injury or death, while a pedestrian hit at 40 mph has an 80% chance of severe injury or death.
Speed and intersection safety cameras in Portland are an effective and popular way to reduce dangerous speeding. Since the first speed safety cameras were installed in 2016, speeding at all camera locations dropped 59% and top-end speeding (more than 10 mph over the speed limit) dropped 88%.
In addition to local success, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration completed an international survey of automated enforcement and found that speed safety camera enforcement reduces injury crashes by 20 to 25%. A more recent study from the public health network Cochrane found that speed safety cameras reduced total crashes by up to 49% and deadly and serious injury crashes by up to 44%.
In PBOT’s Nov. 2024 survey of nearly 2,000 Portlanders, 82% of surveyors expressed support for Portland’s intersection safety cameras, 76% supported Portland’s speed safety cameras, and 72% supported Portland Police’s mobile vans.
The cameras are part of PBOT's multipronged safety strategy with roadway redesign, speed limit reduction, and education. This integrated strategy has dramatically decreased both speeding (a primary cause of Portland traffic fatalities) at camera locations. The 85th percentile speed (also known as the prevailing speed) at Portland’s speed safety camera locations dropped by 10 mph or 22% between 2015 and 2024.
By leveraging the most advanced automated technology available, the city will continue its efforts to make Portland’s streets safer for all.
#Portland #PDX #PBOT #PPB #NovoaGlobal #SpeedCameras #TrafficCameras
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An update from PBOT slapped my inbox silly.
"A smoother street, with improved lighting, pedestrian crossings and curb ramps, requires overnight closure of E Burnside Street from 94th to 99th avenues over I-205, Jan. 13-25"
They're also replacing some ancient railroad ties at the site in parallel work.
Sure, it may take 150 years, but eventually perennially cash-strapped Oregon gets it repaired! If... if the weather cooperates. Which, as they point out at the end of the email, applies here.
A more realistic announcement: "Sometime, in nice weather, maybe beginning on the 13th, we'll close the overpass to begin weather-dependent work there. Sometime, in nice weather, hopefully before summer arrives, we'll finish up!"
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PBOT has handy suggestions for how best not to flatten Trick or Treating kids with your cars and trucks this Halloween!
Always a hit.
Also, if you're groggy from the coming time change, that thumping sound you hear when you're driving down the road is probably not speed bumps.
Slow for ghosts and goblins!
https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/ORPORTLAND/bulletins/3bf37c7