Around 7:25 PM on August 18th, a car driving westbound on SE Stark Street crashed into a pedestrian crossing the road at 80th Avenue. An ambulance transported the person to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The marked crosswalk at the intersection had newly installed Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon (RRFB) signals meant to indicate to drivers that they should yield to people crossing. However, the RRFB lights never began blinking because crews had not activated the equipment in the six months since Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) contractors installed them.
In January, crews installed signal equipment on SE Washington Street at 86th Avenue and SE Stark Street at 80th Avenue. These RRFBs remained unavailable to people trying to cross those intersections while city staff waited for road markings and new electric service from the power company PGE. Six months later, around August 2nd, linemen connected power lines to the safety signals at both intersections. However, crews only activated the RRFB signals on SE Washington Street at 86th Avenue. Despite the service line connection earlier this month, PBOT representative Dylan Rivera explained that power service is not yet active on SE Stark Street at 80th Avenue, leaving people crossing there less protected. While this equipment remained inoperable, residents complained that these inactive signals created an unsafe condition where motorists were unsure of people’s intent to cross because they had not activated the crossing signal.
Crews working for PBOT started construction on safety upgrades at SE Stark Street and 80th Avenue over a year ago. People visiting the historic Montavilla Downtown area frequently use this marked crosswalk. This fast-paced street has limited safe crossing points with two lanes for automotive westbound traffic. PBOT engineers decided to update safety infrastructure here as part of the 70s Neighborhood Greenway project that will increase non-automotive uses at this intersection. In June 2023, crews reconstructed street corners to widen the sidewalk and install mounting infrastructure to support the new signal hardware. Road workers patched and repaved the intersection after trenching and laying new conduits between the corners in September 2023. In January 2024, with snow still on the ground, signal specialists installed RRFB hardware on SE Washington Street and SE Stark Street at 80th Avenue.
The RRFB equipment remained inactive, awaiting the prolonged dry weather painting contractors require when applying high-visibility crosswalks to the road surface. PBOT representatives explained that the bureau’s policy requires street markings before activating crossing signals like RRFBs. Hicks Striping & Curbing completed the crosswalk work this April, and PBOT activated the RRFB at SE Washington Street and 80th Avenue soon after. However, the SE Stark Street unit remained unpowered and offline, along with an RRFB at SE 86th Avenue and Washington Street that crews completed as part of another project. At times, PBOT marked the dormant safety devices with caution tape, alerting pedestrians and cyclists to the non-functional equipment. After a prolonged delay, the utility company added power line connections to RRFB control equipment in early August.
This Sunday night crash occurred in the evening as the sun set behind Mt. Tabor, possibly limiting visibility. The RRFB equipment is designed to aid crossing pedestrians where light conditions or other distractions make them less visible to drivers. At the time of the crash, the activation buttons at this intersection were covered in caution tape, indicating they were not functioning. Witness reports say that one vehicle stopped for the pedestrian while a car in the second lane of the one-way street continued past, striking the southbound pedestrian and sending them to the ground. People at the nearby bar and restaurant residents saw the incident and called emergency services. Portland Fire & Rescue workers assisted the injured person until the ambulance arrived, and the driver of the car cooperated with the investigation.
Rivera expressed PBOT’s concern for the pedestrian and reinforced the need for signal equipment. “Injuries from crashes like this can impact a person for years, and our thoughts are with them and their community. Pedestrian beacons and crossing improvements such as the one nearly completed at this location can greatly improve visibility for pedestrians, and they have been shown nationally to reduce the chances of a fatal or serious injury crash. Even after the beacon is activated, we need everyone to use caution when driving on our streets.” PBOT has not set a timeline for activating this new safety equipment and is waiting on the utility company.
Update: As of August 20th, the RRFB signals on SE Stark Street at 80th Avenue are functional.
Promotion: Help keep independent news accessible to the community. Montavilla News has a Patreon account or you can pay for a full year directly online. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to consider becoming paid subscriber or sponsor. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.
