SAVING LIVES WITH SAFE STREETSVision Zero Traffic Crash Report 2019

visionzeroportland.com May 2020

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Traffic crash report (2019)Overall serious injuries decreased in 2018 by 16%, including serious injuries among pedestrians and motor vehicle occupants. More traffic deaths occurred in 2019 than in any year since 1997.

Although the 2019 data are discouraging and tragic, one year does not make a trend. Eliminating all traffic deaths and serious injuries, while achievable, will require considerable continued effort by the City of Portland and residents. Vision Zero projects have only just begun being built, and the high death toll in 2019 serves as an important reminder of the urgent need for this work to conitnue.

Latest data at-a-glanceDeaths Serious injuries

2017 2018* 2019 2017 2018* 2019Transit 0 0 0 0 0 n/aBiking 2 2 2 12 15 n/a

Motorcycling 7 9 9 37 44 n/aPedestrian 20 15 16 49 32 n/a

Motor Vehicle 18 8 23 189 150 n/aTotal 47 35 50 287 241 n/a

Figure 1. More traffic deaths occurred in 2019 than in any year since 1997.

Portland traffic deaths by travel option, 2015-2019

Figure 2. With 50 fatalities, 2019 had more traffic deaths than in recent years. Data: Portland Police Bureau (2019), Oregon Department of Transportation (2015-2019)

Data details:Serious injury data is not yet available for 2019 and is preliminary for 2018.

Data details: Pedestrians include people using mobility devices and motor vehicle occupants include passengers. Serious in-juries are defined as “a non-fatal injury that prevents the injured person from walking, driving, or normally continuing the activi-ties the person was capable of performing before the injury occurred” (ODOT).

Data: Portland Police Bureau (2019), Oregon Department of Transporta-tion (2017-2018)

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2019 crash data support Vision Zero focus2019 was the first year with more than 50 traffic deaths in Portland since 1996, a stark contrast to the decrease in traffic fatalities in 2018. The increase in traffic deaths in Portland extends a trend that began locally and nationally after 2010 (see Figure 3). This increase in fatalities was seen in many other American cities in 2019, including other cities with Vision Zero commitments.

Data show that street design continues to be a factor in many traffic deaths that occur in Portland. In 2019, 52% of traffic deaths occurred on the High Crash Network (see map below in Figure 4), which indicates that continued investment in this network is important in preventing traffic deaths and serious injuries. In 2020, PBOT expects to invest more than $48 million on dozens of safety projects on the High Crash Network across Portland. Recent crash data trends confirm that continued focus on speed, impairment, dangerous behaviors, and street design is critical in eliminating traffic deaths and serious injuries.

HIGH CRASH NETWORK STREETS & INTERSECTIONSPORTLAND, OREGON

An interactive citywide map of Portland crashes is available at map.visionzeroportland.com.

67%of traffic deaths occurred on

8%of Portland's streets, the High Crash Network in 2019

56%of traffic deaths occurred in low-income communities and communities of color in 2018

Figure 4. The High Crash Net-work comprises the 30 deadli-est streets and intersections in Portland.

Low-income communities and communities of color refers to locations with PBOT Equity Matrix Scores higher than 7, which are areas with relatively high proportions of individuals with these characteristics based on 2012-2016 American Community Survey 5-year estimates.

Figure 3. Traffic deaths have increased nationwide since 2010. Data: U.S. Census population estimates v2019, NHTSA FARS 2018; Portland Police Bureau (2018).

TRAFFIC DEATHS PER 100,000 PEOPLE IN THE U.S. AND PORTLAND, OREGON, 1990-2018

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People who died in traffic crashes, Portland, Oregon, 201950 people died in 2019 based on national reporting criteria (figure based on preliminary data; subject to change)

Figure 5. The first names and approximate location of Portland’s 50 traffic death victims. In addition to the people on the map, 4 people died in traffic crashes that are excluded under national reporting criteria. See “How crash data works” below for details. Data: Portland Police Bureau

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The table below describes the crash date, name, age, travel type and approximate crash location of people who died in traffic crashes in Portland in 2019.

In the year 2019: • April had the highest number of traffic deaths, when 10 people died • The median age of people who died was 48, with a range from age 15 to 85 • Of the people who died, 31 were male and 19 were female

Date First name Last name Age Travel type Approximate crash location1/4 Lowell Gibson 78 Walking SW Salmon St & SW Park Ave

1/5 Rachelle Cox 34 Walking NE Airport Way near NE Mason St

1/12 Donald Adams 63 Motor Vehicle NB I-5 at Lombard Exit

2/2 James McCree 58 Walking SE Division St & SE 130th Ave

3/1 Laurie Pierce 56 Walking SE 92nd Ave & SE Holgate Blvd

3/1 Steven Medaris 52 Biking 9100 block NE Killingsworth St

3/9 Heaven Mathews 19 Motor Vehicle SE Division St & SE 122nd Ave

3/19 Ortrud Vatheuer 85 Walking SW 45th Ave & SW Carson St

4/7 Shawn Scott 48 Walking SE Powell Blvd under I-205

4/8 Kelsey Pickel 27 Walking EB I-84 ramp to NB 1-205

4/9 Calvin Westhusing 68 Motor Vehicle NE Marine Dr near I-205

4/10 Laurence Grodd 65 Motor Vehicle SW Macadam and SW Curry

4/10 Sandra Bosch 82 Walking N Fessenden St & N Polk St

4/11 Dmitriy Barannik 17 Motor Vehicle SE Foster Rd & SE 134th Ave

4/16 Deontae Farlow 22 Motor Vehicle 10000 block SE Holgate Blvd

4/19 Lori Woodard 53 Walking NE Grand Ave & NE Broadway

4/20 Ray Ilar 47 Motor Vehicle NE 102nd Ave over I-84

4/25 Larry Dill, Sr. 77 Walking 6400 block NE Columbia

5/3 Elijah Coe 46 Motorcycle E Burnside St & 17th Ave

5/14 Galen Lawrence 62 Motorcycle NE 148th Ave & NE Fremont St

5/22 Ana Moreno-Hernandez 19 Motor Vehicle N Greeley St at N Going St

6/13 Kaylee Moreno-Hernandez 15 Motor Vehicle N Greeley St at N Going St

6/13 Mark Herr 55 Motor Vehicle NB I-405 near US-26 exit

6/13 Tonya Smith 54 Motor Vehicle NB I-405 near US-26 exit

6/13 Louanna Battams 82 Walking SE Foster Rd & SE 71st Ave

6/21 Magdiel Chacon-Sanchez 23 Motor Vehicle WB I-84 at NE 122nd Ave

6/23 Lance Hart 32 Biking 7800 block SE Flavel St

6/25 Alfonso Martinez-Ananguthy 35 Motor Vehicle NE Lombard St & NE 42nd Ave

7/8 Charlene Hauth 60 Motor Vehicle SE 148th Ave & SE Powell Blvd

7/8 Robin Macready 59 Motor Vehicle SE 148th Ave & SE Powell Blvd

7/24 Jamie Saint-Louis 22 Walking NE Halsey St & NE 141st Ave

7/25 Donald Cole 50 Motorcycle 8300 block NE Alderwood Rd

8/12 Elena Davkina 48 Motor Vehicle SE Division St & SE 112th Ave

8/16 Karl Moeller 56 Motorcycle NE 122nd Ave & NE Stanton St

8/21 Tony Mack 50 Motor Vehicle NB I-5 near exit 294

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Date First name Last name Age Travel type Approximate crash location8/28 John Shenfield 35 Motorcycle NE Airport Way near NE 148th Ave

8/30 Susan Bartlett 66 Motorcycle NE Tillamook St & NE 40th Ave

9/15 Cristian Lennon 27 Walking 4500 block NE Lombard St

9/21 Nazariy Senchuk 23 Motor Vehicle 12900 block SE Flavel St

9/28 Edward Woods 41 Motorcycle NE Halsey St & NE 80th Ave

9/30 Robert Henderson 64 Motorcycle NE Grand Ave & NE Multnomah St

10/3 Eric Tomlinson 41 Walking SB I-5 at Fremont Bridge

10/14 Rena Sandler 66 Motor Vehicle NE Broadway & NE 47th Ave

10/17 Brandon Thomas 30 Motorcycle N Going St, W of Interstate Ave

11/11 Stephanie Marcott 54 Motor Vehicle NW Glisan St & NW 9th Ave

11/18 Kristine Ritsma 45 Walking E Burnside St & 22nd Ave

11/19 Fernando Valverde 27 Motor Vehicle EB I-84 at NE 79th Ave

12/15 Matthew Parks 34 Motor Vehicle NE Lloyd Blvd & NE MLK Blvd

12/27 Terry Riha 54 Walking NE 122nd Ave & NE Halsey St

12/27 Donald McQueen 60 Motor Vehicle 300 block N Lombard St

Deaths excluded by national reporting criteria

1/15* Alan Campbell 50 Walking WB I-84 ramp to SB I-5

7/20* Preston Vang 7 Motor Vehicle 6404 SW Beaver Ave

8/28* Not Available Not available NA Walking I-405 & W Burnside

12/24* Mary Pettijohn 90 Walking 7476 SE 82nd Ave

*Death excluded from Portland Vision Zero annual reporting due to death occurring in a parking lot, non-traffic collisions, or as an act of suicide. See the next section on “How crash data works” for a full description of traffic fatality reporting criteria.

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PORTLAND TRAFFIC DEATHS2010–2019S O U R C E : P B O T

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20152010

Portland traffic deaths 2010-2019

How crash data worksODOT compiles the official crash record for the State of Oregon using self-reported information and traffic crash investigations. For deadly crash data, PBOT also works directly with the Portland Police Bureau (see diagram).

PBOT uses national traffic crash reporting criteria that exclude people who die:

• More than 30 days after a crash,• Intentionally (suicide),• In an act of homicide (a person intentionally crashes

into another person),• In a crash not involving a motor vehicle,• From a prior medical event (e.g. a heart attack or drug

overdose), or• In a crash in a parking lot.

PBOT excluded four deaths from crash reporting in 2019 as a result of these criteria (see bottom of table above). Deaths are also excluded if a medical examiner determines that a person died of causes not directly attributable to a traffic crash, such as suffering a heart attack while driving. Regardless of reporting criteria, PBOT uses all available data to inform potential safety improvements.

CRASH DATA SOURCES

PBOT supplements the official crash record with Portland Police Bureau data to obtain the latest information.

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Patterns and trends in 2019 deaths In 2019, 23 people driving and riding in motor vehicles died on Portland streets and highways. This is a significant increase from 8 in 2018, which was the lowest number of vehicle occupant deaths since 2014. Motor vehicle occupant fatalities increased from 21% of annual fatalities in 2018 to 46% of fatalities in 2019.

Another anomaly in 2019 was that many motor vehicle occupant and motorcyclist deaths were in single vehicle crashes that did not involve any other road users. Of the 32 individuals who died while traveling in a motor vehicle or on a motorcycle, 13 died after leaving the roadway and crashing into a fixed object, such as a pole or tree, or rolling over. Single-vehicle crashes resulted in 26% of traffic deaths in 2019.

Despite the increase in deaths of motor vehicle occupants, fatalities among people walking, riding bikes, and riding motorcycles remained constant from 2018. However, the deaths of these vulnerable road users still accounted for over half of fatalities this year.

Speed and impairment continue to be contributing factors in deadly crashes in Portland. The World Health Organization (WHO) lists speed as one of the five top risk factors for traffic injuries and states that vehicle speed directly influences risk of a crash, severity, and potential of death. Thirty percent of fatal crashes in Portland in 2019 were speed-related, including many of the single-vehicle crashes. In 5 out of 7 deadly crashes where drivers were impaired by drugs or alcohol, speed was also a contributing factor, meaning that it is more likely that an impaired driver was also speeding.

It is the policy of the City of Portland that no person shall be excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination in any city program, service, or activity on the grounds of race, color, national origin, disability, or other protected class status. Adhering to Civil Rights Title VI and ADA Title II civil rights laws, the City of Portland ensures meaningful access to city programs, services, and activities by reasonably providing: translation and interpretation, modifications, accommodations, alternative formats, and auxiliary aids and services. To request these services, contact 503-823-4998, City TTY 503-823-6868, Relay Service: 711.

Single vehicle crash on Marine Drive. May 2020.