Portland Traffic: Speed Cameras Being Activated On Division

Less than one week after Portland's City Council passed an emergency bill lowering the speed limit on a large part of Southeast Division Street, the city is taking another step to improve safety along Division. Starting Monday, a series of automated speed cameras will be in operation fro Southeast 148th to Southeast 162nd.

The pictures will be reviewed regularly by police officers. For the first 30 days, drivers caught speeding will receive warnings. After April 4, they receive tickets.

HAVE PATCH EMAIL YOU ALL THE LATEST NEWS

Officials say that safety cameras are proven safety tools that can reduce dangerous speeding and save lives.

The cameras are mounted along High Crash Corridors and when people driving past them exceed the posted speed limit, they capture photos and video for review by Portland Police.

The cameras, which are also being activated along Southeast 122nd between Foster and Holgate Boulevards, are part of the city's Vision Zero Program to reduce traffic fatalities.

They've been in use along Southwest Beaverton-Hillsdale Highway since August and have been credited with drastic reductions in speeding.

In 2016, five people - more than 10 percent of the 44 people who were killed in crashes in Portland - died on that stretch. On December 7, two people died within hours of each in separate crashes.

"The correlation between speed and serious injury or death is clear," said Transportation Commissioner Dan Saltzman. "We must ensure that all streets in our city are safe for people walking, biking, rolling or driving. I am grateful to my colleagues on City Council for understanding and supporting this urgent situation."

The Portland Bureau of Transportation began switching the signage on Friday. The new, lower limit will go into effect once all of the signs are in place.

Over 10 years, SE Division has had more crashes that caused fatalities or serious injuries to people driving than any other corridor in the city with a total of 13 deaths and 117 serious injuries. It had the fourth highest total for people walking, and the second highest total for people riding bicycles.

Speed limits are normally set by the Oregon Department of Transportation. There is a provision that allows cities to declare a safety emergency and set a lower limit for 120 days.

Photo Portland Bureau of Transportation