In 2019, Portland has seen the most traffic fatalities, including pedestrian deaths, since 1997.
Forty-nine people have died in traffic-related crashes since the beginning of this year. That number, tracked by the Portland Bureau of Transportation, does not include suicides, homicides or people who died more than 30 days after being injured in a crash, to stay consistent with nationwide tracking.
With those elements added in, the number stands at 52, according to the Portland Police Bureau.
That does not include a fatal crash from Dec. 27, which police say may have been "preceded by a medical event," according to preliminary information.
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“The rate of traffic deaths in Portland is actually far lower than many cities of our size,” said Hannah Schafer, a spokesperson for PBOT. “And our population has grown significantly in the last 22 years since 1997.
Schafer said PBOT has not pinpointed a specific cause for the increase in fatal crashes.
“Our Vision Zero team in particular emphasizes that one year in particular is not a trend,” she said. “Prior to that, we’ve had years that are more optimistic.”
PBOT's Vision Zero team has a goal to eliminate all deadly and serious traffic crashes. Schafer said that team will continue to work next year on projects related to that goal.
"We're approaching that in many different ways — through education, through engineering our streets to make them safer for all travelers and working with Portland Police who are stepping up enforcement, especially this time of year," she said. "They're out keeping an eye out for people who are driving under the influence of intoxicants."
Schafer said PBOT is offering discounted taxi, Lyft and Uber rides through its Safe Ride Home program through Jan. 1 in attempts to cut down on impaired driving.
