Safe Streets for All Report November 2023

November 2023

Safe Streets for All

A transportation safety update to JPACT

and the Metro Council

2 Safe Streets for All Report to JPACT and Metro Council

Metro respects civil rights

Metro fully complies with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that requires that no

person be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise

subjected to discrimination on the basis of race, color or national origin under any program

or activity for which Metro receives federal financial assistance.

Metro fully complies with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of

the Rehabilitation Act that requires that no otherwise qualified individual with a disability

be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to

discrimination solely by reason of their disability under any program or activity for which

Metro receives federal financial assistance.

If any person believes they have been discriminated against regarding the receipt of

benefits or services because of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability, they have

the right to file a complaint with Metro. For information on Metro’s civil rights program, or

to obtain a discrimination complaint form, visit oregonmetro.gov/civilrights

or call 503-

797-1536.

Metro provides services or accommodations upon request to persons with disabilities and

people who need an interpreter at public meetings. If you need a sign language interpreter,

communication aid or language assistance, call 503-797-1700 or TDD/TTY 503-797-1804

(8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays) 5 business days before the meeting. All Metro meetings are

wheelchair accessible. For up-to-date public transportation information, visit TriMet’s

website at trimet.org.

Metro is the federally mandated metropolitan planning organization designated by the

governor to develop an overall transportation plan and to allocate federal funds for the

region.

The Joint Policy Advisory Committee on Transportation (JPACT) is a 17-member committee

that provides a forum for elected officials and representatives of agencies involved in

transportation to evaluate transportation needs in the region and to make

recommendations to the Metro Council. The established decision-making process assures a

well-balanced regional transportation system and involves local elected officials directly in

decisions that help the Metro Council develop regional transportation policies, including

allocating transportation funds. JPACT serves as the MPO board for the region in a unique

partnership that requires joint action with the Metro Council on all MPO decisions.

Project web site: oregonmetro.gov/safety

The preparation of this report was financed in part by the U.S. Department of

Transportation, Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration. The

opinions, findings and conclusions expressed in this report are not necessarily those of

the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration and Federal

Transit Administration

Safe Streets for All Report to JPACT and Metro Council 3

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Letter from the Director................................................................................................................. 5

Purpose .......................................................................................................................................... 6

Introduction and the Safe System Approach ................................................................................. 7

Safe System Approach Elements and Principles......................................................................... 9

Intersection of Traffic Safety And Public Health........................................................................... 11

Notable Safety Actions Since 2021 ............................................................................................... 12

Update on the Roadway Safety Problem ..................................................................................... 14

2021 Safety Performance Measures ........................................................................................ 15

Fatality Trends ......................................................................................................................... 16

Race and Ethnicity .................................................................................................................... 17

Pedestrians .............................................................................................................................. 19

Speed and Intoxication ............................................................................................................ 20

Vehicle Design .......................................................................................................................... 22

Urban Arterials ......................................................................................................................... 25

Taking Action – New Safety Strategies ......................................................................................... 27

Data and Methods ....................................................................................................................... 29

Resources ..................................................................................................................................... 32

TABLES AND FIGURES

Figure 1 Road fatalities per 100,000 people in International Traffic Safety Data and Analysis

Group (IRTAD) countries, 2021 ...................................................................................................... 8

Figure 2 Upstream Approach to Public Health Issues .................................................................. 11

Table 1 Notable Safety Actions Since 2021 .................................................................................. 13

Safe System Approach element ................................................................................................... 13

Notable safety actions since 2021................................................................................................ 13

Figure 3 Annual Traffic Fatalities, Trend, and Targets 2007-2022, Greater Portland Region ....... 15

Table 2 Federal Safety Performance Measures, Greater Portland Region, 2017-2021 ................ 16

Figure 4 All Crashes by Year, 2007-2011 Greater Portland Region .............................................. 16

Figure 5 All Fatal (Injury K) Crasher by Year, 2017-2022 Greater Portland Region....................... 17

Figure 6 All Serious Injury (A) Crashes by Year, 2007-2022 Greater Portland Region .................. 17

4 Safe Streets for All Report to JPACT and Metro Council

Figure 7 Traffic Fatalities per 100k Population, by Race and Ethnicity in Clackamas, Multnomah,

and Washington Counties, 2017-2021 ......................................................................................... 19

Figure 8 Number of Pedestrian Deaths Compared to All Other Traffic Deaths in the Greater

Portland Region, 2017-2022 ........................................................................................................ 20

Figure 9 Contributing Factors in Deadly Traffic Crashes, Greater Portland Region, 2017-2021 ... 21

Figure 10 Speed Involved Traffic Deaths and Life Changing Injuries in the Greater Portland

Region, 2017-2022 ....................................................................................................................... 22

Figure 11 Percentage Change of New Vehicle Sales by Body Type, 1990-2022 ........................... 23

Figure 12 Average Vehicle Weight by Body Type Over Time in Oregon, 2009-2022 .................... 23

Figure 13 Probability of Survival Based on Speed of Vehicle Impact ........................................... 25

Figure 14 Regional High Injury Corridors, Intersections and Equity Focus Areas ......................... 26

Table 3 Planned and proposed safety strategies ......................................................................... 28

Safe System Approach element ................................................................................................... 28

Planned and proposed safety strategies for the next two years .................................................. 28

Table 4 Crashes in the Greater Portland Area, 2007-2021 ........................................................... 30

Table 5 2021 Traffic Fatality Rates per 100,000 People ............................................................... 31

Safe Streets for All Report to JPACT and Metro Council 5

LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR

Our region is facing growing roadway safety challenges as seen across the United

States and in Oregon. These challenges reflect systemic issues impacting

communities large and small, but that disproportionately impact lower income and

communities of color.

The multifaceted nature of traffic safety challenges may appear daunting, but it is

crucial that we tackle them collectively and strategically, with a sense of shared

purpose and unwavering commitment to eliminating traffic-related deaths and

serious injuries. With federal funding Metro can work with partners to focus more

deeply on roadway safety using the Safe System Approach over the next few years.

Our goal is to transform our region into a place where every resident, regardless of

their background, income, or zip code, can enjoy the benefits of safe, accessible,

and reliable transportation. Together, we will not only make our roadways safer

but also work to right the historical and contemporary injustices that have

disproportionately impacted our communities for far too long. This will require

dedication, collaboration, and innovative thinking, and I have no doubt that we are

up to the challenge.

Our safety program staff have prepared this report to kick-off the implementation

of the federally funded Safe Streets for All (SS4A) grant, which will fund regional

and local safety program activities. This report will be used to frame initial

discussions with regional partners as Metro and jurisdictional partners develop

work plans. We want to learn what data and information Metro can provide to

support local, regional, and state efforts and determine what additional questions

we need to be asking to arrive at effective solutions. As the regional government

and MPO, Metro serves as the regional convenor and coordinator with the

intention of making our collective actions more effective.

Working together in coordination we will realize a future where death and serious

injuries are no longer consequences of using our transportation system.

Sincerely,

Catherine Ciarlo, Director

Planning, Research and Development

6 Safe Streets for All Report to JPACT and Metro Council

PURPOSE

This report provides a preliminary overview of traffic-

related deaths and life changing injuries in the greater

Portland region since 2017 and a summary of actions

undertaken in the past few years by regional, state and

local partners since 2021, when the last comprehensive

update was provided to the Metro Council and Metro’s

technical and policy committees with the

2-Year

Progress Report on the Regional Transportation Safety

Strategy.

This report was developed to support discussions with Metro’s technical and

policy advisory committees and the Metro Council as Metro begins to coordinate

efforts with government and community partners to implement the Safe Streets

for All program activities.

Metro, in partnership with Washington County, the City of Tigard and Multnomah

County and the cities of East Multnomah County received a federal Safe Streets for

All grant for the purpose of developing local safety action plans, updating the

regional safety action plan and advancing safety strategies. Using this report as a

starting place, Metro is seeking guidance and input from the Metro Council and

Metro’s technical and policy committees and other partners on what analysis and

information will increase understanding of safety challenges and solutions.

Metro will coordinate with government, community, and business partners on the

Safe Streets for All project over the next few years on this effort. The final section

of the report lists high-level actions that would benefit from coordinated efforts.

Metro Regional Transportation Safety Strategy 2-year progress report, June

2021. https://www.oregonmetro.gov/sites/default/files/2021/08/03/RTSS-progress-report-

20210603.pdf.

The data presented in this

report represent real people–

members of our regional

community. The victims of

traffic crashes are family

members, friends, and

coworkers in our region.

Safe Streets for All Report to JPACT and Metro Council 7

INTRODUCTION AND THE SAFE SYSTEM APPROACH

In the past ten years, state, regional and local transportation agencies and the

communities they serve have adopted and begun implementing transportation

safety action plans with goals to eliminate traffic deaths and life-changing injuries

using the proven Safe System Approach,

recognizing that this approach has been

successful in greatly reducing serious crashes in other places.

• 2016 - City of Portland adopts the first Vison Zero Plan in the state, with a goal to

eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries by 2025.

• 2018 - JPACT and the Metro Council adopt the Regional Transportation Safety

Strategy with the goal to eliminate traffic deaths and life changing injuries by

2035.

• 2019 - Clackamas County adopts the updated Drive to Zero safety action plan, with

a goal to eliminate fatal and serious injury crashes by 2035. The County developed

the first safety plan in the state in 2012.

• 2021 - Oregon Transportation Commission adopts the Transportation Safety

Action Plan with a goal to eliminate traffic deaths by 2035.

• 2023 - Metro updates the 2023 Regional Transportation Plan, including regional

safety policies embedded in the Safe System approach; the City of Hillsboro begins

development of a safety action plan, and the City of Tigard, Multnomah County and

the cities of East Multnomah County, and Washington County prepare to develop

safety action plans.

The Safe System approach relies on multiple, complementary safety interventions

for all people who use our roadways to prevent crashes from occurring in the first

place and to reduce harm if a crash occurs.

When the Metro Council and JPACT adopted a regional strategy to eliminate traffic

deaths and life changing injuries, it was clear that confronting this challenge would

be neither easy nor quickly resolved. People dying on our highways, streets, and

roads is an ingrained and persistent problem, one that many in society have come

to accept as part of our everyday lives.

ITF (2022), Road Safety Annual Report 2022, OECD Publishing, Paris.

https://www.itf-oecd.org/sites/default/files/docs/irtad-road-safety-annual-report-2022.pdf

ITF (2022), Road Safety Annual Report 2022, OECD Publishing, Paris.

https://www.itf-oecd.org/sites/default/files/docs/irtad-road-safety-annual-report-2022.pdf

8 Safe Streets for All Report to JPACT and Metro Council

In recognition of the need to substantially change how the region views and

addresses roadway safety, the Regional Transportation Safety Strategy

commits to

the Safe System Approach the region’s guiding principle.

The Safe System Approach has been used with great success in a growing number

of nations and cities around the world and has now taken hold in the United States.

The Safe System Approach has origins in Sweden through its Vision Zero program

and with the Sustainable Safety program in the Netherlands. These early adopters

experienced impressive decreases in roadway deaths—each with at least a 50%

reduction in fatalities between 1994 and 2019. The concept has spread to other

countries in Europe and beyond with notable success in Australia and New

Zealand. The progress of these counties, compared to the United States, is

illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 1 Road fatalities per 100,000 people in International Traffic Safety Data and Analysis

Group (IRTAD) countries, 2021

Source: International Transport Road Safety Annual Report 2022

While Figure 1 shows that there are over 12 traffic fatalities for every 100, 000

people in the United States, the 2017-2021 per capita fatality rate in the greater

Portland region is 6 people per 100,000 people, closer to some of the countries

that are moving in the right direction. The regional per capita rate is lower than

Oregon’s (12). Washington County has the lowest fatality rate in the region (4).

Clackamas and Multnomah County have fatality rates double that of Washington

County (8). Refer to Table 5 for per capita 2017-2021 fatality rates for Oregon, the

region, the three counties, and all cities in the region.

Safe Streets for All Report to JPACT and Metro Council 9

Safe System Approach Elements and Principles

There are five elements of the Safe System Approach:

• Safe People. Encourage safe,

responsible behavior by people who

use our roads and create conditions

that prioritize their ability to reach

their destination unharmed.

• Safe Roads. Design roadway

environments to mitigate human

mistakes and account for injury

tolerances, to encourage safer

behaviors, and to facilitate safe travel

by the most vulnerable users.

• Safe Vehicles. Expand the availability

of vehicle systems and features that

help to prevent crashes and minimize

the impact of crashes on both

occupants and non-occupants.

• Safe Speeds. Promote safer speeds in all roadway environments through a

combination of thoughtful, context-appropriate roadway design, targeted

education and outreach campaigns, and enforcement.

• Post-Crash Care. Enhance the survivability of crashes through expedient access to

emergency medical care while creating a safe working environment for vital first

responders and preventing secondary crashes through robust traffic incident

management practices.

With the Safe System approach, these five elements work together to create a safe,

redundant transportation system. In such a system, if one layer fails another layer

is in place to prevent serious harm.

Six principles underpin the Safe System approach:

• Death and serious injuries are unacceptable. The Safe System approach rejects

the idea that these are simply the price of mobility.

• People make mistakes, so the transportation system should be designed and

operated to avoid death and serious injuries when a crash occurs.

• Human bodies are vulnerable and have physical limits for tolerating crash forces

before death or serious injury occurs; therefore, it is critical to design and operate

a transportation system and vehicles that is human-centric and accommodates

physical human vulnerabilities.

10 Safe Streets for All Report to JPACT and Metro Council

• Responsibility is shared among those who design, build, and manage streets and

vehicles, those who use these streets and vehicles, and those who provide care

after crashes.

• Safety is proactive. Systemic change is needed to prevent serious crashes.

• Redundancy is crucial. If one layer of the system fails, another layer is in place to

prevent serious injury.

A cyclist rides their bicycle through a crosswalk at a roundabout along a tree lined street, a pedestrian

stands on the corner in Orenco Station, Hillsboro

Source: Metro

Safe Streets for All Report to JPACT and Metro Council 11

INTERSECTION OF TRAFFIC SAFETY AND PUBLIC HEALTH

Preventing fatal and serious traffic injuries is an intersectional issue that is not

only about the physical design of roadways but also social, economic, and political

power. Solutions for improving road safety and preventing serious crashes are

more effective when they are developed with an understanding of contextual

factors that impact roadway safety. Including holistic solutions to address

upstream public health issues including mental health, discrimination, substance

abuse, income inequality, and housing and job insecurity, will make roadways

safer for everyone.

“Public health is focused on creating a safe transportation system through street

design, but we are acutely aware of the need to also address contextual factors

such as housing, mental and behavioral health, substance abuse, and cost of

living.” Public Health Data Report: Traffic Crash Deaths in Multnomah County,

August 2023

Roadways are the meeting places of communities and can reflect the health of

communities. Supporting solutions that complement traffic safety

countermeasures, such as affordable housing and substance abuse rehabilitation

will result in better outcomes.

Figure 2 Upstream Approach to Public Health Issues

Figure 2 illustrates an upstream

approach to addressing roadway

safety. Core to the concept is

promoting healthy environments

including roads and streets,

preventing injury by creating a

transportation system where traffic

crashes do not result in serious

injury, and addressing social

injustice to address the root causes

of traffic safety disparities.

Source: BCCDC Foundation for Population and Public Health

12 Safe Streets for All Report to JPACT and Metro Council

NOTABLE SAFETY ACTIONS SINCE 2021

The actions needed to significantly improve safety, protect people from traffic

death and injury, and achieve a cultural shift that treats roadway deaths as

unacceptable are multi-year endeavors. Although it may take years of sustained

effort to realize substantial reductions in lives lost due to traffic crashes, regional

partners have been taking actions to target our most significant and urgent

problems to improve road traffic safety.

Table 1 provides a summary of notable actions of local, regional, and state

governments with the support and championship of communities and advocates.

These actions are in addition to ongoing city, county, regional, state, and advocacy

led safety programs.

A cyclist exits a separated bikeway in SE Portland.

Source: Metro

Safe Streets for All Report to JPACT and Metro Council 13

Table 1 Notable Safety Actions Since 2021

Safe System

Approach

element

Notable safety actions since 2021

Safe

People

warded $1.6 million regional funds to local SRTS programs for education and

encouragement

activities across the region.

Passed the

2023 Bike Bus Bill (House Bill 3014) giving schools more flexibility spending

state transportation funds

Instituted modifications to the

Safe Routes to School program in the 2023 Omnibus

Transportation Bill

(House Bill 2099) increasing the radius for eligible schools, and

updates to DMV regulations related to safety.

Passed the

2021 Driving Under the Influence of Psilocybin bill (House Bill 3140).

Added clarifications to laws related to

Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants

(

Senate Bill 201).

Safe Roads

Approved

$613 million for capital projects to improve safety in the FY 21-24 and 24-27

MTIP

, including $14 million for SRTS infrastructure projects and $47.4 million in

regional funds

Applied the

ODOT Blueprint for Urban Design to all urban projects scoped for the

2024/2027 STIP cycle

, and several projects in the 2021/2024 STIP.

Advanced safety

improvements on high injury urban arterials, such as: Outer Division

Safety Project

, 82nd Avenue; 122

Avenue SS4A, OR 8 at East Lane (Cornelius)

Pedestrian Safety Project,

OR 141: SW Hall Boulevard Pedestrian Safety

Improvements

Continued planning for

safety improvement on high injury urban arterials, including:

Tualatin Valley Highway Transit Project

, McLoughlin Boulevard Investments Strategy,

82nd Avenue Transit Project

Established the state

Jurisdictional Transfer Advisory Committee (House Bill 2793) to

recommend highways for jurisdictional transfer

Developed a new regional mobility policy that measures safety in addition to

congestion.

Safe Vehicles

Developed research examining the role of v

ehicle design and speed as a factor in the

severity of pedestrian injury in Oregon

Safe Speeds

Expansion of

Portland’s use of cameras in traffic enforcement, up to 40 cameras at the

end of 2024

Passed legislation to allow all cities in Oregon to install t

raffic cameras and set

designated speeds on certain types of residential streets at up to 10 miles below the

statutory speed (provided it’s not less than 20 mph)

(House Bill 2095).

Passed legislation

(House Bill 4105) making it easier for jurisdictions to review and

issue citations based on photo rada

Post

-Crash

Care

No new activities reported.

14 Safe Streets for All Report to JPACT and Metro Council

UPDATE ON THE ROADWAY SAFETY PROBLEM

Traffic violence continues to be one of the major public health crises facing many

communities in the greater Portland region. In a trend seen in the region, in

Oregon, and across the United States the number of traffic deaths have been on the

rise for the past decade.

While cities, counties, the state, and the region make significant investments in

proven safety measures, other factors that impact safety have been moving in the

wrong direction. These factors include, increasing car size and car weight and

increasing driver speed.

It will likely take years of sustained investments in proactive and systemic safety

countermeasures that separate roadway users and calm traffic to realize

substantial reductions in lives lost due to traffic crashes.

Analysis of traffic crashes in the greater Portland region since 2017 indicate:

• Traffic deaths are increasing.

• Pedestrian deaths have risen disproportionately over the past decade.

• Black and Native American people are at much higher risk of being killed in a

traffic crash whether driving, walking, or bicycling.

• Intoxicated driving is a leading risk factor for deadly crashes.

• High traffic speeds continue to be a risk factor.

• Increasingly heavier, larger vehicles on roadways is a growing risk factor.

• Arterial roadways account for most deadly crashes.

Figure 3 illustrates that the region is not on track towards zero traffic deaths and

serious injuries. The blue bars and red numbers show the increase in the annual

average traffic deaths each year since 2009. The blue numbers and blue dotted line

indicate regional targets. The average number of yearly traffic deaths increased

56% between 2016 and 2022, increasing, on average, by 8% each year.

Safe Streets for All Report to JPACT and Metro Council 15

Figure 3 Annual Traffic Fatalities, Trend, and Targets 2009-2022, Greater Portland Region

Source: ODOT crash data 2007-2021, ODOT preliminary crash data 2022, Metro 2018 RTP targets

Compared to 2021, traffic deaths in the greater Portland region in 2022

increased:

• 17% - 125 lives were lost, the highest total number recorded since 2007.

• 29% for people walking - 49 pedestrians were killed, the highest number recorded

since 2007, the first year of data that Metro began tracking.

• 80% among motorcyclists, 27 motorcyclists were killed, the highest number

recorded since 2007.

2021 Safety Performance Measures

Safety performance measures compare observed number and rate of traffic

fatalities and serious injuries to targets set in the 2018 Regional Transportation

Plan. The region is not on track to meet its targets. In fact, across all the measures

summarized in Table 2, the region’s streets have gotten less safe since compared to

baseline data established in 2015.

Preliminary 2022 Fatal & Serious Injury data, Oregon Department of Transportation,

https://tvc.odot.state.or.us/tvc/

16 Safe Streets for All Report to JPACT and Metro Council

Table 2 Federal Safety Performance Measures, Greater Portland Region, 2017-2021

Performance Measure

5-year rolling averages

2015

Baseline

2021

Target

2021

Actual

Number of fatalities 62 49 98

Fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled 0.6 0.4 0.9

Number of serious injuries 458 357 544

Serious injuries per 100 million vehicle miles traveled 4.5 3.3 5.0

Number of non-motorized fatalities and serious injuries 113 95 122

Source: Source: ODOT crash data 2017-2021, analyzed by Metro

Fatality Trends

While the total number of crashes has decreased since 2007, as shown in Figure 4,

the number of deadly crashes has increased, especially since 2016, as shown in

Figure 5. The increase is due primarily to the increase in pedestrian fatalities. The

number of serious injury or life-changing crashes after remaining somewhat

constant since 2007 increased 134% from 2020 to 2022, shown in Figure 6.

This pattern points to the need to focus on the contributing factors of fatal traffic

crashes, namely intoxication, speed, roadway design, pedestrian safety, and

heavier vehicles.

Figure 4 All Crashes by Year, 2007-2021 Greater Portland Region

Source: ODOT crash data 2007-2021

Safe Streets for All Report to JPACT and Metro Council 17

Figure 5 All Fatal (Injury K) Crasher by Year, 2007-2022 Greater Portland Region

Source: ODOT crash data 2007-2021, ODOT preliminary crash data 2022

Figure 6 All Serious Injury (A) Crashes by Year, 2007-2022 Greater Portland Region

Source: ODOT crash data 2007-2021, ODOT preliminary crash data 2022

Race and Ethnicity

Within the three counites, Native Americans and Black people are being killed in

traffic crashes at higher rates than white people. Analysis from the National

Highway Traffic Administration concludes that by several measures, roadway

travel is less risky for white people than for most other race-ethnicity groups; this

100

120

140

2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024

All Fatal (Injury K) Crashes by Year, 2007-2022

Greater Portland Region

18 Safe Streets for All Report to JPACT and Metro Council

disparity persists, even accounting for the amount and mode of travel.

And, recent

analysis from Multnomah County Health Department found that rising traffic

fatality rates in the region are largely driven by growing pedestrian fatalities, the

impacts of which are disproportionately experienced by Black, Indigenous, and

people of color (BIPOC), people with lower incomes, and people likely

experiencing houselessness.

For all traffic fatalities 2017-2022 in Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington

counties:

• Black people experience a fatality rate 40% higher than white people, though

lower than the national average.

• Native Americans experience a traffic fatality rate that is 129% higher than white

people.

• Hispanic/ Latinx people experience a traffic fatality rate that is 18% lower than

white people, and Asian people experience a traffic fatality rate that is 186% lower

than white people. This is consistent with national rates.

• Black pedestrians are killed at a rate twice as high compared to white pedestrians,

and Native American pedestrians experience a traffic fatality rate that is 141%

higher than the rate of white pedestrians.

• Three quarters of serious pedestrian and bicycle crashes, and 65% of all serious

crashes, occur in areas identified as Equity Focus Areas.

Evaluating Disparities in Traffic Fatalities by Race, Ethnicity, and Income, NHTSA, United States

Department of Transportation, January 2022

https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/813188

Public Health Data Report: Traffic Crash Deaths in Multnomah County Taking a Safe System approach

to address traffic-related fatality trends & contributing factors, Multnomah County, 2020-2021 August

2023 https://multco-web7-psh-files-usw2.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/s3fs-

public/Revised_Final_MultCo%20traffic%20deaths%202020_2021_0.pdf

Disparities by Race or Ethnic Origin, National Safety Council

https://injuryfacts.nsc.org/motor-vehicle/road-users/disparities-by-race-or-ethnic-origin/

Safe Streets for All Report to JPACT and Metro Council 19

Figure 7 Traffic Fatalities per 100k Population, by Race and Ethnicity in Clackamas,

Multnomah, and Washington Counties, 2017-2021

Source: Fatality Analysis Reporting System, 2017-2021, Race and Ethnicity Population Estimates 2020

Census, Metro

Pedestrians

Fatal pedestrian traffic deaths in the region, in Oregon, and across the United

States continue to rise; the 2022 Dangerous by Design report

identified Oregon in

the top 20 states that are most dangerous for pedestrians based on pedestrian

fatalities between 2016 and 2020.

• People walking are more likely to die in traffic crashes than people traveling by

other modes of transportation. While pedestrians are involved in only 2.5% of all

crashes, they represent 38% of all traffic fatalities.

• Preliminary crash data for 2022 suggests that it will likely to be the highest count

of pedestrian deaths since Metro began tracking crashes, with 49 people were

killed in a traffic crash while walking, a 29% increase from 2021.

• Dark or dim light conditions are a contributing factor in fatal pedestrian crashes -

75% of pedestrian deaths in the region occur when it is dark or dim out, while

57% of motor vehicle occupant deaths, 50% of bicycle deaths, and 44% of

motorcycle deaths occur in dark/dim lighting conditions.

2022 Dangerous by Design, Smart Growth America, https://smartgrowthamerica.org/dangerous-by-

design/

Dim/dark lighting conditions are darkness-no streetlights, darkness-with street lights, dawn (twilight),

dusk (twilight).

34.16

2.91

10.96

6.71

0.24

4.99

7.31

6.95

American Indian, Non-Hispanic

Asian, Non-Hispanic

Black, Non-Hispanic

Hispanic/ Latinx

Multiple Races, Non-Hispanic

Pacific Islander, Non-Hispanic

White Non-Hispanic

Average Fatality Rate

Number of Traffic Fatalities per 100,000 Population

US Census Race and Ethnicity Categories

Traffic Fatalities per 100K Population, by Race and

Ethnicity in Clackamas, Multnomah, and

Washington Counties, 2017-2021

20 Safe Streets for All Report to JPACT and Metro Council

Figure 8 Number of Pedestrian Deaths Compared to All Other Traffic Deaths in the Greater

Portland Region, 2017-2022

Source: ODOT crash data 2007-2021, ODOT preliminary crash data 2022

Speed and Intoxication

While there are many factors that contribute to the likelihood of a crash occurring,

higher speeds and drugs and alcohol are among the top contributing factors to

deadly crashes in the region.

Safe Streets for All Report to JPACT and Metro Council 21

Figure 9 Contributing Factors in Deadly Traffic Crashes, Greater Portland Region, 2017-2021

Source: ODOT crash data 2007-2021

Crash causes, speed involved flag, drug and alcohol involved flag

• Speed involved crashes tend to be deadlier: 36% of all traffic deaths involve

speeding, while only 7% of all crashes involve speeding.

• Speed involved traffic fatalities and life changing injuries in the region have

doubled since 2017 and increased 81% from 2020 to 2022 reflecting a national

trend. In 2020 there were 117 traffic deaths involving speed, in 2022 there were

212.

• 51% of fatalities in motor-vehicle-only crashes (crashes not involving pedestrians,

motorcyclists or bicyclists) involved speeding (average of 2017-2021 crash data).

• 15% of pedestrian fatalities involve speed, and18% of all motorcycle crashes and

45% of fatal motorcycle crashes involve speed

• 38% of all traffic deaths involve alcohol: 41% of motor vehicle occupant deaths,

36% of pedestrian deaths, 28% of motorcyclist deaths, and 19% of bicyclist deaths

involve alcohol.

22 Safe Streets for All Report to JPACT and Metro Council

• 49% of all traffic deaths involve drugs: 49% of motor vehicle occupant deaths,

49% of pedestrian deaths, 43% of motorcyclist deaths, and 44% of bicyclist deaths

involve drugs.

Figure 10 Speed Involved Traffic Deaths and Life Changing Injuries in the Greater Portland

Region, 2017-2022

Source: ODOT crash data 2007-2021, ODOT preliminary 2022 fatal and serious injury data

Vehicle Design

Heavier vehicles are contributing to more deadly crashes. The share of larger and

heavier vehicles in the United States and Oregon has been steadily rising over the

past ten years, as shown in Figure 11 and Figure 12.

Safe Streets for All Report to JPACT and Metro Council 23

Figure 11 Percentage Change of New Vehicle Sales by Body Type, 1990-2022

Figure 12 Average Vehicle Weight by Body Type Over Time in Oregon, 2009-2022

24 Safe Streets for All Report to JPACT and Metro Council

The growing share of heavier vehicles correlates to the increase in deadlier

crashes and pedestrian fatalities. Research indicates that larger vehicles including

pickups, SUVs, CUVs, and vans significantly increase the odds of a pedestrian being

seriously or fatally injured in the event of a crash, even at lower speeds.

Source: Consumer Reports

As vehicles get larger the impact of speed may be even more pronounced. Many

people are familiar by now with the graphics showing the impact of speed on

survivability for people walking, such as shown in Figure 13 from the National

Traffic Safety Board and Smart Growth America. An article by Smart Growth

America points out that “One important bit of fine print is that the data behind this

graphic (and almost all the other versions you see all over the internet) are

sourced from a 1995 European study that predates the significant shift of the

vehicle fleet (and increase in size) of the last two decades. This means that, today,

it could be that the likelihood of surviving crashes with an “average” vehicle in the

US—at all speed levels—could be even worse than the graphic shows, because the

“average” vehicle is so much larger today—and getting bigger.”

Vehicle Design and Speed: Factors Associated with Pedestrian Injury Severity in the 1 Pacific

Northwest, Josh F. Roll, Oregon Department of Transportation, Submitted for presentation and

publication at the 103rd Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board, Submitted 8/1/2023

SUVs Responsible for More Pedestrian Deaths, December 22, 2003

https://today.rowan.edu/news/2003/12/suvs-responsible-more-pedestrian-deaths.html

The Hidden Danger of Big Trucks: Pickup trucks are getting larger and becoming a hazard to

pedestrians and drivers of smaller vehicles, Consumer Reports, Keith Barry, June 08, 2021

https://www.consumerreports.org/car-safety/the-hidden-dangers-of-big-trucks/

“Bigger vehicles are directly resulting in more deaths of people walking” Steve Davis, April 12, 2021,

Smart Growth America, https://smartgrowthamerica.org/bigger-vehicles-are-directly-resulting-in-more-

deaths-of-people-walking/

Safe Streets for All Report to JPACT and Metro Council 25

Figure 13 Probability of Survival Based on Speed of Vehicle Impact

Urban Arterials

Urban arterials are critical transport corridors. They are transit and freight routes,

and important routes for trips made by car, walking and bicycling. They typically

have speeds of at least 35 mph with four or more travel lanes and they carry tens

of thousands of vehicles per day. Without systemic safety interventions, these

roads are more dangerous due to a combination of high traffic speeds and

volumes, more lanes, a mix of travel modes and auto-oriented design and land

uses. These safety issues are exacerbated for pedestrians and bicyclists. Most

regional high injury corridors are urban arterials. Most speed involved, and drug

and alcohol involved serious crashes occur on urban arterials.

• 68% of traffic deaths and serious injuries occur on urban arterials, and 41% of

traffic deaths and serious injuries occur on major arterials, which make up only

5% of the roadway miles in the region.

• There is more than one fatal crash every year on every mile of the deadliest high

injury corridors in the region.

Metro 2016-2020 High Injury Corridors Dashboard, 2022

https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/6b5ae16aad814e6e81546bcc4ffdf964

26 Safe Streets for All Report to JPACT and Metro Council

• 54% of high injury corridors and 71% high injury intersections are in equity focus

areas, disproportionately impacting people of color and people with lower

incomes.

• 59% of all alcohol involved crashes, 62% of all drug involved crashes, and 55% of

all speed involved crashes occur on arterials.

Figure 14 shows regional high injury corridors, intersections, and equity focus

areas (census tracts that above regional average populations of people of color,

people with limited English proficiency and people with low incomes) identified in

the Regional Transportation Plan. Sixty percent of all fatal and serious crashes and

all pedestrian and bicycle crashes in the region are on these corridors, which

account for about 6% of all roadway miles.

Figure 14 Regional High Injury Corridors, Intersections and Equity Focus Areas

Source: 2023 Regional Transportation Plan

Regional High Injury Corridors and Intersections Dashboard (2016-2020 crashes),

https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/6b5ae16aad814e6e81546bcc4ffdf964

Safe Streets for All Report to JPACT and Metro Council 27

TAKING ACTION – NEW SAFETY STRATEGIES

The actions needed to significantly improve safety are multi-year endeavors.

Although it may take years of sustained effort to realize substantial reductions in

lives lost due to traffic crashes, regional partners continue to implement short and

long-term strategies and actions to target our most significant and urgent

problems to improve road traffic safety.

The Safe System Approach requires a culture that places safety and equity first and

foremost in road system investment decisions. Systemic interventions that focus

on creating a safe transportation system are needed to address the safety trends

highlighted in this report.

Table 3 provides proposed strategies and actions that local, regional, and state

governments, communities and advocates could focus on in the coming years, in

addition to ongoing city, county, regional, state, and advocacy led safety programs.

Two adults and a child walk on a sidewalk along Tualatin Valley Highway in Cornelius.

Source: Metro

28 Safe Streets for All Report to JPACT and Metro Council

Table 3 Planned and proposed safety strategies

Safe System

Approach

element

Planned and proposed safety strategies for the next two years

Safe People

Continue

investments in stable housing, harm prevention, and behavioral health.

Support legislation to lower legal limits for blood alcohol content (BAC) to 0.

05 or

lower

. Countries with lower BAC levels have lower fatality rates.

Develop in

-depth pedestrian traffic crash analysis with corresponding countermeasures

and strategies

Develop in

-depth crash victim analysis (age, seat belt use, BAC level, etc.)

Support strategies to reduce intoxicated driving, including enforcing Oregon law to not

serve people who are visibly intoxicated.

Safe Roads

Form a regional work group and convene interagency partners for coordination.

Develop strategies for additional funding (including SS4A) and prioritize HSIP and other

funding for systemic, corridor wide safety interventions on the urban arterials where

most deadly crashes occur, with a focus on pedestrian safety and speed reduction

Pilot ODOT Vulnerable User Crash Response team.

Hold workshop

s on street design, such as “Improving Pedestrian Safety on Urban

Arterials: Learning from Australasia

Implement findings from the

Oregon Vulnerable Road User Assessment Safety

Assessment

Develop regional high injury corridor profiles

Develop in

-depth assessment of primary causes and contributing factors of serious

crashes for each county and city in the region

Safe Vehicles

Identify and focus

on interventions and incentives to reduce the impact of heavier

vehicles

Support legislation that prioritizes people when considering the

safety of new cars.

Gather

data to understand kinetic energy involved in crashes.

Advocate

for state-level policies adopting intelligent speed technology systems and

alcohol

detection systems in new vehicles.

Safe Speeds

Focus on

reducing speeds on high injury urban arterials through automated

enforcement

, roadway design and lowering posted speeds to a maximum of 30mph.

Increase the number of fixed speed and red

-light cameras in the region.

Develop SS4A safety camera toolkit to support implementation

Hold workshop on speed setting and speed management.

Post

-Crash

Care

Complete a scan of best practices for EMS response times to crash sites and

assessment of needs.

Review state and

national (NRSS) strategies on post-crash care to identify strategies

that could be supported at the regional level.

Use planned data exchange to link EMS response activities and hospital outcomes.

Safe Streets for All Report to JPACT and Metro Council 29

DATA AND METHODS

Data and Geography

Unless otherwise specified, all analysis uses the Metropolitan Planning Area (MPA)

boundary. Other boundaries used include county and city boundaries.

• ODOT crash data 2007-2021, summarized by Metro and available at RLIS

Discovery.

Also see ODOT Crash Statistics and Reports.

• Preliminary 2022 Fatal & Serious Injury data, Oregon Department of

Transportation

• Fatal Analysis Reporting System (FARS)

• Metro streets data available at RLIS Discovery

• Race and Ethnicity Population Estimates 2020 Census, Metro

• American Community Survey, 1-Year and 5-Year

Data Tables

• Between 2017 and 2021 in the greater Portland region, there were 93,322 crashes

documented in ODOT crash data. 232,435 people were involved in crashes, and

184, 279 vehicles (including bicycles and motorcycles).

• Between 2007 and 2021, there were 312,422 crashes documented in the ODOT

crash data.

Metro RLIS https://rlisdiscovery.oregonmetro.gov/search?q=crash

ODOT Crash Statistics and Reports https://www.oregon.gov/odot/data/pages/crash.aspx

TDS Crash Reports https://tvc.odot.state.or.us/tvc/

https://www.nhtsa.gov/research-data/fatality-analysis-reporting-system-fars

30 Safe Streets for All Report to JPACT and Metro Council

Table 4 Crashes in the Greater Portland Area, 2007-2021

Year

Fatal Injury

Crash (K)

Serious

Injury

Crash

(A)

Minor Injury

Crash (B)

Possible Injury

Crash (C)

No Apparent

Injury/PDO (O) Total

2007

64 531 2,132 4,837 12,073 19,637

2008

47 693 1,936 5,029 10,755 18,460

2009

56 302 1,873 6,042 9,921 18,194

2010

46 359 2,310 7,117 10,267 20,099

2011

54 455 2,489 8,404 11,191 22,593

2012

63 421 2,653 8,556 11,371 23,064

2013

66 363 2,429 7,666 12,213 22,737

2014

56 383 2,512 8,219 12,123 23,293

2015

65 480 2,655 9,881 11,635 24,716

2016

80 525 2,701 10,099 12,902 26,307

2017

82 477 2,581 9,019 12,174 24,333

2018

86 453 2,502 8,537 8,858 20,436

2019

91 495 2,281 8,326 8,970 20,163

2020

101 360 1,647 4,851 6,051 13,010

2021

101 649 3,276 4,514 6,840 15,380

Total All

Years

1,058

6,946

35,977

111,097

157,344

312,422

Safe Streets for All Report to JPACT and Metro Council 31

Table 5 2021 Traffic Fatality Rates per 100,000 People

Geography

Population

Estimate

Total

fatalities

2017-2021

Fatality rate

per 100,000

people

State of Oregon 4,246,155 2541 12

Region (MPA) 1,740,845 488 6

Clackamas County 422,537 174 8

Multnomah County 803,377 337 8

Washington County 600,811 123 4

City of Beaverton 98,204 18 4

City of Cornelius 12,893 3 5

City of Durham 2,073 0 0

City of Fairview 10,439 6 11

City of Forest Grove 25,767 3 2

City of Gladstone 12,017 2 3

City of Gresham 113,106 54 10

City of Happy Valley 23,442 8 7

City of Hillsboro 106,651 25 5

City of Johnson City 451 0 0

City of King City 4,992 0 0

City of Lake Oswego 40,390 4 2

City of Maywood Park 1,054 0 0

City of Milwaukie 21,108 1 1

City of Oregon City 37,160 10 5

City of Portland 642,218 248 8

City of Rivergrove 545 0 0

City of Sherwood 20,281 1 1

City of Tigard 54,750 6 2

City of Troutdale 16,353 8 10

City of Tualatin 27,821 2 1

City of West Linn 27,173 3 2

City of Wilsonville 25,887 2 2

City of Wood Village 4,435 3 14

Source: ODOT 2021 crash data, American Community Survey, 1-year and 5-Year

population estimates. Notes: 1) Portland Metropolitan Planning Area geographically defined as Oregon

Census tracts that intersect Metropolitan Planning Area boundary. 2) 1-year estimates only available for

geographies with 65,000 persons or more.

32 Safe Streets for All Report to JPACT and Metro Council

RESOURCES

The following resources support efforts of communities to apply the Safe System

approach and make streets safer for all.

Reports, Plans and Strategies

• 2023 Progress Report on the National Roadway Safety Strategy

, United States

Department of Transportation, February 2023

• Public Health Data Report: Traffic Crash Deaths in Multnomah County Taking a

Safe System approach to address traffic-related fatality trends & contributing

factors, Multnomah County, 2020-2021, August 2023

• Vision Zero Portland 2022 Deadly Traffic Crash Report, City of Portland, 2022

• Oregon FFY 2023 Highway Safety Plan, Oregon Department of Transportation

• Regional Transportation Safety Strategy, 2018, Metro

Data and Tools

• Fatality and Injury Reporting System Tool (FIRST)

This query tool allows a user to

construct customized queries from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS)

and from the Crash Report Sampling System (CRSS).

• Oregon Health Authority, Oregon Transportation Safety Dashboard

• Metro 2016-2020 High Injury Corridors Dashboard

Race and Ethnicity

• Disparities by Race or Ethnic Origin

, National Safety Council

• Evaluating Disparities in Traffic Fatalities by Race, Ethnicity, and Income, NHTSA,

United States Department of Transportation, January 2022

• Race and income disparities in pedestrian injuries: Factors influencing pedestrian

safety inequity, Josh Roll, Nathan McNeil, Transportation Research Part D:

Transport and Environment, Volume 107, 2022

Pedestrian Safety, Speed, and Urban Arterials

• Global Benchmarking Program: Reducing Pedestrian Fatalities and Serious Injuries

on Urban Signalized Arterials, United States Department of Transportation,

September 2022

• Safe and Healthy Urban Arterials, Policy Brief, Metro RTP, 2023

• Speeding Away from Zero: Rethinking a Forgotten Traffic Safety Challenge,

Governors Highway Safety Association, January 2019

• Speed Safety Camera Program Planning and Operations Guide, United States

Department of Transportation, 2023

If you picnic at Blue Lake or take your kids to the Oregon Zoo, enjoy symphonies at

the Schnitz or auto shows at the convention center, put out your trash or drive

your car – we’ve already crossed paths.

So, hello. We’re Metro – nice to meet you.

In a metropolitan area as big as Portland, we can do a lot of things better together.

Join us to help the region prepare for a happy, healthy future.

Stay in touch with news, stories and things to do.

oregonmetro.gov/news

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Metro Council President

Lynn Peterson

Metro Councilors

Ashton Simpson, District 1

Christine Lewis, District 2

Gerritt Rosenthal, District 3

Juan Carlos González, District 4

Mary Nolan, District 5

Duncan Hwang, District 6

Auditor

Brian Evans

600 NE Grand Ave.

Portland, OR 97232-2736

503-797-1700

December 13, 2023