LTE paving on Congress
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Liz Trice
Jun 16, 2026, 8:31:29 AM (8 days ago) Jun 16
to Portland Bicycle-Pedestrian Advisory Committee
Here’s a draft letter to editor / city council, please give feedback
Dear City Council Members,
This week, I watched the city repave and restripe a section of Congress Street from Stevens Avenue to Douglass Street. The new pavement is excellent, but the decision to maintain two car lanes while adding zero bike lanes represents a missed opportunity to advance Portland’s Vision Zero commitment.
Congress Street is the primary route connecting downtown to the west. There is no alternative bicycle route. Yet during routine repaving and restriping, the city chose not to add dedicated bike infrastructure.
The evidence is clear. Wales implemented a default twenty mile per hour speed limit and saw a twenty five percent reduction in casualties in the first eighteen months—with no road reconstruction or enforcement. Reducing speeds to twenty further allows narrower lanes, which creates space for bike infrastructure. Pedestrians and cyclists hit at twenty miles per hour have a ninety percent survival rate, compared to ten percent at forty miles per hour.
The city has committed to Vision Zero and adopted many plans that affirm that safe roads should serve everyone—bicyclists, pedestrians, people in wheelchairs, and drivers alike. But commitment requires action. Every time the city touches a road—whether paving, restriping, or rebuilding—it should evaluate adding or improving bike and pedestrian infrastructure.
Congress Street needed that commitment this week. I urge the city council to adopt a formal policy: before any road work begins, assess opportunities to serve every user and every mode.
Respectfully,
Liz Trice
This week, I watched the city repave and restripe a section of Congress Street from Stevens Avenue to Douglass Street. The new pavement is excellent, but the decision to maintain two car lanes while adding zero bike lanes represents a missed opportunity to advance Portland’s Vision Zero commitment.
Congress Street is the primary route connecting downtown to the west. There is no alternative bicycle route. Yet during routine repaving and restriping, the city chose not to add dedicated bike infrastructure.
The evidence is clear. Wales implemented a default twenty mile per hour speed limit and saw a twenty five percent reduction in casualties in the first eighteen months—with no road reconstruction or enforcement. Reducing speeds to twenty further allows narrower lanes, which creates space for bike infrastructure. Pedestrians and cyclists hit at twenty miles per hour have a ninety percent survival rate, compared to ten percent at forty miles per hour.
The city has committed to Vision Zero and adopted many plans that affirm that safe roads should serve everyone—bicyclists, pedestrians, people in wheelchairs, and drivers alike. But commitment requires action. Every time the city touches a road—whether paving, restriping, or rebuilding—it should evaluate adding or improving bike and pedestrian infrastructure.
Congress Street needed that commitment this week. I urge the city council to adopt a formal policy: before any road work begins, assess opportunities to serve every user and every mode.
Respectfully,
Liz Trice
Liz Trice
"Whatever you do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius and power and magic in it."
"Lo que usted puede hacer, o soñar que puedes, comenzar. La audacia tiene genio, poder y magia en ella."
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe / William Hutchison Murray
Emma Holder
Jun 16, 2026, 9:42:22 AM (8 days ago) Jun 16
to Liz Trice, PB...@googlegroups.com
Hi Liz,
Thanks for creating this. I’m with you 110%.
It is indeed infuriating to see stagnation and even backwards movement for those Portland travelers and tax payers who 1) decrease parking pressure, 2) do not hit and kill people 3) do not contribute to pollution, congestion and so on.
Striping to indicate biking space is a light lift for the city; it's much less expensive than hard infrastructure, its quick to deploy, flexibly erased and repainted, and has an immediate effect on traffic patterns.
I’d be happy to add my name as supportive to your letter if helpful.
Emma
Emma Holder
LMT MSc CMLDT
Humankind, let's be both
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Scsmedia
Jun 16, 2026, 9:59:02 AM (8 days ago) Jun 16
to pb...@googlegroups.com
The good news is that the city council agreed to spend $2.1 million in federal money for a demonstration project to hire a consultant to design consult with the public and coordinating the painting of Brighton Avenue next summer to test potential changes for when Brighton Avenue gets paved by the state in 2028. There is no guarantee that the state will accept the changes when they pave.
I told the council that they have a paint ready design all ready for them to use. Kate Sykes did follow up on my comments. Of course Mike Murray was ill prepared to respond to the questions as he assumed this would not garner the need for such information.
Three plus months to hire a consultant, then a fall/spring public process that hopefully actually works to engage the community.
Steven Scharf
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/PBPAC/96C70D7A-6D96-440F-9193-BE8FE55B2499%40emmaholder.com.
Eloise Terry
Jun 16, 2026, 7:47:13 PM (8 days ago) Jun 16
to PB...@googlegroups.com
Thanks for drafting this up, Liz!
I’m not sure if this needs to be in the same letter, but the city is now redoing the curb ramps at each side street intersection. Some have abrupt “sidewalk closed” signs and others have no signage. They are doing both sides of the street, offering no alternative route. This approach makes the entire corridor difficult and dangerous for those on wheels or with a mobility aid.
I share the disappointment that our dollars and resources weren’t spent more intentionally and creatively.
Eloise Terry
she/her/hers
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Emma Holder
Jun 17, 2026, 10:30:56 AM (7 days ago) Jun 17
to PB...@googlegroups.com
Hey All,
Thanks for this Liz, and thanks to Kate S for her input.
I’d like the letter to include the focus of lack of safe bike lanes.
I agree that speed lowering is important, but without adequate enforcement, I don't believe that will happen, because drivers don’t care to follow 20mph.
But lane stripes are an immediate visual that drivers are (more or less) trained to follow. Might be a bigger bang for the DPW buck.
Thanks for your thoughts,
Emma
Emma Holder
LMT MSc CMLDT
Humankind, let's be both
On Jun 16, 2026, at 08:31, Liz Trice <lizt...@gmail.com> wrote:
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