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Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Transportation Pedestrian Decoys: Coming to an Intersection Near You!

Posted by Rachael the Unpaid News Intern on Wed, Jul 22, 2009 at 4:47 PM

The Avenue of Roses (or 82nd as those less romantically inclined call it) is known as one of Portland’s most dangerous streets. Those wishing to avoid 205 use it as a freeway, even though the speed limit is only 35 mph, and those wishing to cross it usually say a little prayer before stepping onto the blacktop.

For this reason, Portland Bureau of Transportation’s Sharon White has been assigned the duty of “pedestrian decoy.” Her duty as decoy is to walk back and forth across the street and not get hit. For every close call, there’s a police officer waiting nearby to “handle the situation,” which often includes a nearly $300 ticket or the opportunity to take a safe driver class to have the ticket dropped.

I’m not going to lie, this sounded like a crack version of a speeding trap to me. Hide a police car, seek out cars not following the law, give ‘em a huge ticket. Repeat several dozen times for a few hours. But as I watched for a few minutes this afternoon, I quickly realized this wasn’t the case. There were four yellow signs with the pedestrian icon (one for each lane in each direction), the pedestrian median marked with white paint, and orange cones with sandwich boards a block in each direction warning of “pedestrian crosswalk enforcement” ahead…not to mention the seven police cars and motorcycles visibly stopped just off the main street. Everything about this intersection screamed, “Open your goddamn eyes, people are crossing the street!”

a287/1248306196-ped_decoy.jpg

Sharon White of PBOT, not getting hit by drivers.

Yet, 45 minutes into the hour-and-a-half “action,” about 14 cars had already been stopped. Sergeant Matt Stimmel said stopped drivers usually make one of two arguments:

1. “I didn’t know what she was going to do!”
To that I say: Did you think she was going to stop in the middle of the street and have a picnic?

2. “I didn’t see the signs!”
I repeat: four yellow signs, orange cones and sandwich boards, pedestrian median, and seven police vehicles.

So kids, there are only two things to remember: if a pedestrian has even a foot in the intersection, cars must stop. And second, every corner is an intersection, marked or unmarked. And as PBOT likes to say, “in collisions with cars, pedestrians are always the losers.” Got that? Losers!

Aside from the very sad people who got big tickets, the other loser I saw today was the little hatchback who did stop for the pedestrian decoy but got rear-ended by the slightly bigger hatchback who didn’t. Que triste.

-Rachael Marcus

 

Comments (21) RSS

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1
Potter did this in downtown a few years ago
Posted by D on July 22, 2009 at 5:12 PM · Report
2
"if a pedestrian has even a foot in the intersection, cars must stop"

Didn't the state pass last year a change to this legislation requiring motorists to stop if the person was standing at the curb without need to even step foot into the intersection? I am pretty certain that this law passed last year with much fanfare.
Posted by Walk this way on July 22, 2009 at 5:24 PM · Report
3
I've been on the receiving end of shouted road rage on a few occasions in my life, but no rage was ever so intense as that expressed by other drivers when I dared to legally stop my car for a waiting pedestrian.

A couple of years ago, I did an experiment where I tried to cross Portland Blvd. (now Rosa Parks Way) in a legal crosswalk... I took video with a camera hanging from my neck:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3F7qrDNmIj4

It's a very shaky video. But it shows that 33 cars passed me before I had an opportunity to cross, and no cars specifically stopped for me.
Posted by Bob R. on July 22, 2009 at 5:28 PM · Report
4
There are plenty of motorists out there who just don't seem to give a shit that they might kill or hurt someone. It's pretty psychotic.
Posted by Will Radik on July 22, 2009 at 5:31 PM · Report
5
The problem is Bob, when not at a crosswalk, that cars going the other direction don't stop, so the ped just stands there, you sit there, and everybody else gets pissed.
Posted by D on July 22, 2009 at 5:37 PM · Report
6
"Didn't the state pass last year a change to this legislation requiring motorists to stop if the person was standing at the curb without need to even step foot into the intersection? I am pretty certain that this law passed last year with much fanfare."

I believe that was the case. The old law was a bit of a catch 22, in that you'd be in the middle of the street, but so long as you weren't in their lane cars could be going 30 plus. Not a safe situation.

Also, whatever that woman is paid, it's not nearly enough.
Posted by atomic on July 22, 2009 at 5:39 PM · Report
7
I always just walk out into traffic and it stops.
Posted by Matt Davis on July 22, 2009 at 5:40 PM · Report
8
Actually you must be in the lane in order to assert your right of way. The BTA worked to change this 2 sessions ago when they proposed a law that exists in Norway be added here. This law would have allowed pedestrians to signal their intention to cross with a hand signal rather than having to risk life and limb by stepping into the street. The law was ridiculed by Lars Larson and others resulting in it failing to pass. Too bad because the way things are now is just dangerous.
Posted by econoline on July 22, 2009 at 6:24 PM · Report
9
From ORS 801.220:

Whenever marked crosswalks have been indicated, such crosswalks and no other shall be deemed lawful across such roadway at that intersection. Where no marked crosswalk exists, a crosswalk is that portion of the roadway described in the following:

(1) Where sidewalks, shoulders or a combination thereof exists, a crosswalk is the portion of a roadway at an intersection, not more than 20 feet in width as measured from the prolongation of the lateral line of the roadway toward the prolongation of the adjacent property line, that is included within:

(a) The connections of the lateral lines of the sidewalks, shoulders or a combination thereof on opposite sides of the street or highway measured from the curbs or, in the absence of curbs, from the edges of the traveled roadway; or

(b) The prolongation of the lateral lines of a sidewalk, shoulder or both, to the sidewalk or shoulder on the opposite side of the street, if the prolongation would meet such sidewalk or shoulder.

(2) If there is neither sidewalk nor shoulder, a crosswalk is the portion of the roadway at an intersection, measuring not less than six feet in width, that would be included within the prolongation of the lateral lines of the sidewalk, shoulder or both on the opposite side of the street or highway if there were a sidewalk. [1983 c.338 §36]
Posted by Will Radik on July 22, 2009 at 6:42 PM · Report
10
PAC, did the police record video of the intersection/violaters?
Posted by Commenty Colin on July 22, 2009 at 9:23 PM · Report
11
And by PAC, of course, I mean raechaeal.
Posted by Commenty Colin on July 23, 2009 at 7:18 AM · Report
12
Hey Police Decoy,

Come on down to Hawthorne between 12th and 25th and do the same thing. The city spent all that money building curb extensions, which are completely ignored by motorists. All this attention to bikes, which I ride, but where's the love for the pedestrian?
Posted by infoart on July 23, 2009 at 9:01 AM · Report
13
I've noticed that motorists see the painted crosswalk stripes on the asphalt more than signs. There's a similar pedestrian median sign on Rosa Parks near my house, and it got plowed down by cars turning onto Rosa Parks at least twice last year.
Posted by TWSS on July 23, 2009 at 9:15 AM · Report
14
Infoart (and all), you can request police traffic enforcement actions by calling 503-823-SAFE. They won't promise to do them but they will evaluate the intersection you propose for an action. Be very specific about the exact intersection, time of day, and problem behavior.
Posted by Jessica Roberts on July 23, 2009 at 9:21 AM · Report
15
Speaking of bikes, I caught a dirty look from a cyclist when he had to wait while my daughter and I used a crosswalk. At least he stopped, though. We almost got mowed down by another cyclist last year.
Posted by CraigW on July 23, 2009 at 9:29 AM · Report
16
I make it a point to stop for pedestrians and cyclists whenever they are crossing but it can really be scary when you do and you know the drivers behind you are either not that courteous or just aren't paying attention. I fear stopping and being rear-ended, sending my car into the pedestrian. 39th St, just south of Glisan, right in front of Laurelhurst Park is particularly dangerous.
Posted by jim on July 23, 2009 at 10:30 AM · Report
17
Also, can we do this on Lombard and Mississippi? Crossing to get to the MAX is a little like a game of Frogger.
Posted by Rishu73 on July 23, 2009 at 10:32 AM · Report
18
1. It is completely unrealistic for cars traveling above 30 mph to stop at an unmarked intersection simply because a Pedestrian walks in the direction of the street. Stopping on a dime is dangerous for the driver, the pedestrian, and cars behind the stopping car. This law should be revised to mandate it only for crosswalks clearly labeled for Pedestrians, and more intersections need clear labeling for pedestrians.

2. The bikers in this town have really started to piss me off. And I'm a biker/pedestrian as a primary method of transportation. Many Bikers are belligerent, rude, ignore the laws of the road, and ruin any political gains they may have attained in the past few years with this "I am the most important item on the road."
I do not sympathize with asshole bikers, they really reserve whatever comes their way.

I might be stereotyping, but it seems like the bikers that most ignore the rules of the road are the "professionally suited up" biker and the fixed gears. Yesterday I had lunch at Henry's on Burnside and a Fixed Gear dude was riding on Burnside going the wrong way as cars were driving right at him. They all obviously had to stop as he looked behind him to go across the street to go in the proper direction. Madness. Darwin Award contender.
Posted by NIG GER on July 23, 2009 at 12:03 PM · Report
19
Today when I was walking to the bus stop I heard some major car skid action, and then all of a sudden a car burst around the corner a block away from me, tail-sliding the entire turn. And then a minivan came up after it, doing the same thing. I was standing on the corner, and decided to wait before crossing the intersection. They both made another brutal right turn right in front of me, and then burned down the road. I think the one in back was chasing the other. They were going extremely fast and taking turns nearly at full speed (and the one in back was a minivan!)

It looked to me like a case of serious road rage (or, one car hit the other, and now one of them wanted info and the other wanted to get away...)

During all this (this was on Blandena and Commercial in the N), a cop was parked half a block away, facing the other direction. And he completely missed the action. He finally took off after them (I assume) like 4 minutes later.

Anyway, the drivers in this town have really started to piss me off, etc.
Posted by ROM on July 23, 2009 at 12:31 PM · Report
20
"And by PAC, of course, I mean raechaeal."

Commenty Colin, it's not that difficult to get the girl's name right. Quit being such a cunt.
Posted by Anonymous on July 23, 2009 at 4:44 PM · Report
21
You are asking for the average driver to be more alert while driving. Good luck. If people can't see my Aerostar with the oversize load sign and 2 rotating orange beacons, what makes you think they will pay attention to a pedestrian. Crosswalks should be clearly marked and pedestrians musy give approaching cars time to stop. Just because youy are standing on the sidewalk doesn't mean you may be about to cross the road.
Posted by ujfoyt on July 23, 2009 at 6:01 PM · Report

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