PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • January 10, 2026
A report from the Portland Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee contains some surprising findings. In the six years following installation of parking-protected bike lanes on Park Avenue:
• All injury crashes, including motorists, were reduced by 44.9%, from 98 to 54.
• Bicycle crashes increased by 11%, from 9 to 10, including one fatality.
• Pedestrian crashes at intersections increased 233%, from 3 to 10.
It seems that the general guiding principle of reducing the road width (known as a “road diet”) is sound when it comes to slowing down cars and reducing serious crashes, but in this case, deficiencies in the design have actually been harmful to bicyclists and pedestrians. Separated bicycle facilities may be the right solution for some streets but infrastructure must be designed to create a seamless network of safe connections for all. ~ Zack Barowitz and Winston Lumpkins IV