Speed limits on 70 miles of Portland’s neighborhood greenways are set to change from 25 miles per hour to 20 miles per hour. as the City of Portland implements historic safety legislation passed last year. Mayor Sam Adams announced the new speed limits today at a press event on a greenway in Northeast Portland flanked by state senators who supported the bill in Salem.

“With more Portlanders than ever bicycling, walking and using transit, addressing neighborhood speed limits is more important than ever,” Mayor Sam Adams said. “A pedestrian stuck at 20 miles per hour has a 95 percent chance of survival. A pedestrian struck at 30 miles per hour has a 60 percent chance. A small difference in speed can be the difference between life and death.”

Portland’s Neighborhood Greenways are a network of residential streets that prioritize active transportation. Neighborhood Greenways keep pedestrians, bicyclists and families safe by providing alternatives to busy streets.

"I am pleased to celebrate the implementation of House Bill 3150 from the 2011 Legislative Session," said Senator Ginny Burdick, democrat of Portland. "House Bill 3150 will encourage Oregonians to ride their bikes on residential streets and will reduce bike traffic on arterial streets. As a bicyclist myself, I look forward to utilizing these new greenways."

“House Bill 3150 gives local governments the flexibility to create safe and sustainable transportation options for pedestrian and cyclists. This is an important step toward reducing our reliance on cars and fossil fuels, and creating safer, healthier communities,” said Senator Jackie Dingfelder, democrat of Portland.

In Portland, six percent of commuters go by bike. This is the highest percentage of bike commuters for a large American city and means more than 17,000 workers in Portland choose to bicycle. In addition, 238 percent more people biked to work in 2010 than in 2000.