(January 16, 2014) -  The Portland Bureau of Transportation and Portland Police Bureau advise the traveling public that a crosswalk enforcement action is scheduled for Thursday, January 23rd to raise awareness of pedestrian safety and traffic law.

The enforcement action will be held from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the marked crossing on SE Powell Boulevard at SE 31st Avenue.  The enforcement action is being conducted by the City of Portland in cooperation with the Oregon Department of Transportation, which owns and manages Powell Boulevard.

A crosswalk enforcement action includes a pedestrian decoy positioned at marked or unmarked crosswalks. Drivers who fail to stop for pedestrians in the crosswalk and pedestrians who jaywalk may be issued a warning or citation by the Portland Police Bureau.  These actions are designed to inform the public of longstanding Oregon crosswalk laws and to bring more awareness about pedestrian and driver safety, including preventing crashes from a “secondary” or “double threat.”

A “secondary threat” exists when a pedestrian is crossing two or more lanes of traffic traveling in the same direction.  Oregon law requires drivers to slow down and then stop when they see a vehicle stopped in an adjacent lane, regardless of whether a pedestrian is visible.  It is illegal for a vehicle to pass a stopped vehicle at a crosswalk (ORS 811.020).

To protect themselves from drivers who may illegally pass a stopped vehicle, pedestrians are advised to stop and look before crossing each lane of traffic.

Crosswalk enforcement actions are an effective way to communicate pedestrian right of way laws to both drivers and pedestrians. They are conducted approximately once a month at locations suggested by the community or at the initiative of the transportation or police bureaus.  This action was initiated by the police bureau.

The Portland Police and Transportation bureaus previously conducted a crosswalk enforcement action at this intersection on June 29, 2011 that resulted in 32 violations and eight warnings.

Powell Boulevard has been designated a High Crash Corridor by the Bureau of Transportation, and therefore is being prioritized for safety improvements as well as education and enforcement by the city in cooperation with the Oregon Department of Transportation, which owns and manages Powell Boulevard.

Learn more about the Powell Boulevard High Crash Corridor Safety Program http://www.portlandoregon.gov/transportation/61208, additional safety work the bureau is doing at http://www.portlandoregon.gov/transportation/40390, and a pedestrian rights and responsibilities guide at http://www.portlandoregon.gov/transportation/article/435879.

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