Making Portland's Division Street Safer

About two people a year are killed on Division street in Portland, and many more inured, now some fixes are in place and more are on the way.

1 minute read

August 2, 2018, 2:00 PM PDT

By Casey Brazeal @northandclark


Portland Traffic Safety

SE Division Street, where it intersects with SE 156th Avenue, shows signs pedestrian safety infrastructure as of September 2017, with signs of additional improvements to come. | Google Streetview

Two pedestrians have already died on Division Street this year. It's a street that’s been dangerous for walkers for a long time. "Over the past decade, 129 people have been seriously injured and 19 people have been killed on Division Street," Anna Griffin reports for Oregon Public Broadcasting.

Pedestrian deaths are up around the country, and while Division Street has been no exception, the city has made some changes to the street and plans to make more. The street boasts new stoplights, reduced the speed limits, and signs that document drivers’ speeds. "More obvious changes are coming: More sidewalks, more streetlights, more crosswalks. A tree-lined raised center median. Separated bike lanes. Limits on where drivers can turn onto Division from cross streets," Griffin writes.

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