Like a coach at halftime to a team that’s way behind, Portland City Councilor Tiffany Koyama Lane wants to remind us that we are still a “Vision Zero” city and we need to get out there and start acting like it. Next month will be the 10th anniversary of when Koyama Lane’s council predecessors passed a high profile resolution that stated, “no loss of life is acceptable on our city streets.” Since then our Fatality Tracker has tallied 564 deaths on our streets.
Councilor Koyama Lane has been a persistent voice in support of Vision Zero since taking her seat in City Hall in January. And she told us she would be. In November 2024 she fought back tears at a rally in front of City Hall to mark the World Day of Remembrance for Victims of Traffic Violence. “This shouldn’t be normalized,” she said. “This isn’t a topic that we’re just supposed to talk about when we’re running for office… we will keep fighting.”
On Monday, Koyama Lane will return to the City Hall steps to host an event that will mix the seriousness of Vision Zero with a dose of celebration. Before a meeting of the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee where Koyama Lane will introduce another Vision Zero resolution, she’ll join Mayor Keith Wilson, street safety advocates, and her council colleagues for an official city proclamation to make the week of May 19th, Portland Walk and Bike to School and Work Week.
“Whereas, creating a bike- and walk-friendly community grows the economy of Portland, advances traffic safety, moves us closer to our climate goals, and supports student learning outcomes,” reads the text of the proclamation. “And Whereas, increasing the number of people safely walking and biking to school or work can reduce wear and tear on our streets, mitigate traffic congestion, reduce noise and greenhouse gas emissions, and improve air quality.”
Koyama Lane wants to strike a tone that is urgent, yet hopeful. “Walking/rolling, biking and transit are the most joyful, healthy, connecting, and cost-efficient ways to get around our city,” reads a statement from her office. “Yet ten years into Portland’s commitment to Vision Zero, we still have a long way to go to ensure that walking/rolling/biking are safe, attractive, and convenient for everyone. We can get there, together.”
While Monday will mostly be an awareness-building effort aimed at increasing the public and political urgency around making streets safer ahead of what’s expected to be a very busy bicycling season; there is one significant piece of policy proposed in Councilor Koyama Lane’s resolution. She wants to re-convene a Vision Zero Task Force.
The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) created a Vision Zero Task Force as part of an action plan recommendation in 2017. The group’s members were a mix of high-ranking Portland Police officers, community and advocacy organization leaders, city staff, and elected officials. They met 11 times before being unexpectedly disbanded in 2021. At the time — a moment of massive upheaval and re-examination of policies citywide due to the racial justice protests — former PBOT Director Chris Warner said the move was needed to “evolve” the city’s Vision Zero engagement. The idea was to shift away from a traditional task force approach and launch in its place a, “model of community accountability that engages an even broader set of stakeholders.” Perhaps PBOT succeeded with that effort, but after the task force dissolved there was no longer a public and transparent venue to easily keep tabs the city’s Vision Zero efforts. Late last year, the Portland City Auditor gave PBOT mixed reviews in an assessment of Vision Zero work.
PBOT has succeeded in many elements of what it takes to make Vision Zero a reality. They’ve integrated the concept into their policies and projects (they also use the phrase ‘Safe Systems Approach‘ to clarify that Vision Zero is the goal, but ‘Safe Systems’ is how they will achieve it), and they’ve kept the concept relevant and in the public eye. But for most Portlanders, the only thing that matters when it comes to judging the city’s progress on Vision Zero is whether or not fewer people are being injured and killed on our roads. And with an alarming upward trend in traffic deaths every year since 2015 (except for this year), most Portlanders would say the program has failed.
Councilor Koyama Lane wants to turn the tide and raising the profile of the program and reconvening the task force are her first steps.
If city council passes her resolution, they’ll consider (since resolutions aren’t binding, they won’t be forced to) setting up a new Vision Zero Task Force that will be led by Deputy City Administrator (DCA) of Public Works and Public Safety Priya Dhanapal and co-led by the DCA of Community and Economic Development Donnie Oliveira. The task force will be, “staffed with key program and technical Bureau staff from across the City to collaborate on actions that support the City’s goal to eliminate traffic deaths.” The resolution also calls on PBOT to update the Vision Zero Action Plan and calls on the city to develop partnerships with external agencies including ODOT, Metro, TriMet, Multnomah County, and the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission. The DCAs would then report quarterly to City Council on their progress.
In a scarce funding environment at PBOT and other city bureaus, it will be interesting to hear how new city council members plan to tackle traffic deaths. Will they hide behind budget woes, or will they propose innovative approaches? Either way, at least Councilor Koyama Lane has called the question.
Walk and Bike to School and Work Week Celebration Monday, May 19th, 8:30 am at City Hall RotundaTransportation and Infrastructure Committee meeting, 9:30 am in City Council Chambers (agenda not posted yet)Join a ride to the event. More info here.
