Portland has implemented one of the most sweeping commitments to traffic safety of any city in the United States: 20 mph speed limits over the vast majority of the city's streets.
"To improve traffic safety and make streets more welcoming for walking and biking, Portland will lower speed limits on nearly all of its residential streets to 20 miles per hour, in most cases replacing a 25 mph limit," reports Angie Schmitt.
According to Schmitt, the 70 percent of the city's collected miles of streets will now be subject to the 20 mph speed limit. Portland, like many other cities around the country, needed permission from the State legislature to lower its speed limits. Once it had that permission, the Portland City Council approved the lower speed limits unanimously.
The action by the Portland City Council is perhaps the most sweeping of any similar efforts around the country, though Portland is not the first city in the country or in the world to lower speed limits in the name of traffic safety. For more background on the movement, here is a list of articles on the subject:
FULL STORY: Portland Will Reduce Residential Speed Limits to 20 MPH
'20 Is Plenty' in the Twin Cities
The first 20 mile per hour speed limit signs have been installed this week in the Twin Cities.
Latest to Say '20 Is Plenty': Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk joins several other cities in smoothing the way for 20 MPH speed limits on neighborhood streets to promote its Vision Zero goals.
Portland Completes Massive 20 MPH Speed Limit Overhaul
All of Portland's 3,000 miles of residential streets now have a maximum speed of 20 miles per hour. Similar changes could be coming to more Oregon cities in the future.
Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing
Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?
Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?
Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?
Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.
Poorest NYC Neighborhoods Pay Price for Delivery Boom
The rise of ‘last-mile’ e-commerce warehouses — and their attendant truck traffic and air pollution — is disproportionately impacting the most historically disadvantaged parts of the city.
Greening Oakland’s School Grounds
With help from community partners like the Trust for Public Land, Oakland Unified School District is turning barren, asphalt-covered schoolyards into vibrant, green spaces that support outdoor learning, play, and student well-being.
California Governor Suspends CEQA Reviews for Utilities in Fire Areas
Utility restoration efforts in areas affected by the January wildfires in Los Angeles will be exempt from environmental regulations to speed up the rebuilding of essential infrastructure.
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