Portland Advocates Defend Life-Saving Street Design — and Win a Pause

*One of the sets of traffic diverters that were scheduled for removal. (Source: Google Maps.)*

Last week, the Local Conversation Strong Towns PDX gathered with neighbors and other advocacy organizations in Northwest Portland, Oregon. The varying groups shared a unified message: Don’t take away the traffic diverters that are keeping us safe.

Traffic diverters are concrete barriers that block one lane of car traffic, turning a two-way street into a one-way street for cars while allowing people on foot and bike to continue using the other lane. According to the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT), crashes involving cars, pedestrians, and cyclists dropped by about 66% since the installation of the diverters in 2022. The route is now considered one of the safest ways for children to get to school, and it is frequently used by Bike Bus PDX, an organization that helps children bike to school in large, safe groups.

But this summer, Portland’s Public Environmental Management Office announced plans to remove the diverters.

The news frustrated community advocates and cyclists. “Why did we in 2020 fight for the Northwest in Motion plan and implement it in 2022, just to get rid of these barriers three years later?” one advocate asked Fox 12 News.

According to city staff, the removal is a matter of public safety. They argue that the diverters make it more difficult for law enforcement to patrol the neighborhood, leading to an increase in drug activity and crime.

That wasn’t a satisfactory answer for many in the community. “[Street] safety is just as much a public concern as drugs or guns in Portland,” said Sarah Risser of Families for Safe Streets PDX. This argument was reinforced the same week as the planned removal, as three pedestrians were killed in separate crashes across the city.

Portland advocates protested the planned removal in several ways. They held demonstrations at the intersections with diverters, sharing information about walkability and street safety with passersby. In addition, over 100 residents attended an August 12 meeting of the Bicycle Advisory Committee, according to Oregon Public Broadcasting. The committee advises Portland staff and officials on policies related to bikeability. Dozens of people provided public comment, all in opposition to removing the diverters.

City councilors Mitch Green, Tiffany Koyama Lane, and Sameer Kanal were also in attendance. They agreed with the committee’s call for a pause in the diverter removal, citing several concerns:

A lack of data proving that the diverters contributed to increased crime
A lack of transparency or public engagement in the removal process
Proven dangerous behavior by drivers in the area.

"If anything, the SUV I saw drive around the planter & use the bike lane as a car lane makes me think the whole road could be closed to cars, not just one direction," Councilor Kanal wrote on Bluesky after visiting one of the intersections.

The day after the committee meeting, city staff confirmed that the removal plans had been paused. For the city’s advocates, it’s a reminder that their voices matter and that collaborating with fellow organizations and city officials can make a real difference.

The diverters in Northwest Portland aren’t permanently safe yet. But thanks to residents who organized quickly and spoke up, they’re still standing — and the conversation has shifted to prioritizing safety for all users. That’s the Strong Towns approach in action: local people working together to make their voices heard and address a problem in their community.