The Portland area has a big problem with people driving cars where they’re not supposed to. On March 19th, BikePortland reader Joe R. faced that reality head-on when someone driving a large SUV entered a bike path he was riding on and nearly forced him off the pavement.
It happened just after four o’clock as Joe was heading northbound on the bike path located in between I-5 bridge on-ramps and the Residence Inn hotel just north of N Marine Drive. “I was enjoying my ride and began to accelerate when I saw the large black vehicle pulling onto the path,” Joe shared in an email with BikePortland. The driver turned onto the path at the culdesac of N Anchor Way.
Back in July, Joe read an article on BikePortland about this exact location. In that article, I reported that the Oregon Department of Transportation has been aware of “ongoing issues with bollards being stolen or ran over” as far back as spring 2023. Despite this acknowledgment of the problem however, a representative from Ask ODOT said, “Staff is exploring options for better bollards or a fix to the problem and do not have plans to reinstall them at this time.”
It appears ODOT has done nothing to improve the situation. In fact, when I shared a video about Joe’s run-in with a driver, several folks said they routinely see people driving on the path at and around this same location. “I see it a lot,” said one person in an Instagram comment. “Same has happened to me there… it nearly took me out,” said someone else.
Thankfully, Joe was riding carefully and managed to stay safe. “I realized there was nowhere for me to go except off the path if I didn’t want to be killed,” he recalled.
After the close call, Joe pedaled over to the opening in the path the driver used. He saw no bollards or other preventative measures in place. Joe frustrated and he sees this problem as another example of the “destruction of Portland” that “horrible leadership” has let go for far too long.
Hopefully the actions taken by ODOT on the I-205 path several miles away will be expanded the entire path network. ODOT, Portland Parks, and PBOT need a coordinated strategy to defend and protect these spaces. Until then, we cannot let this type of driving behavior become normalized. These drivers — and other illegal activities like blocking the path with tents and other personal belongings, dumping trash, starting small fires, and unsafe behaviors — endanger individuals and also send a chill through the entire region that results in many folks giving up on using them altogether.
