 Vision Zero Week!
I am SO proud of what we accomplished for Vision Zero this week, and for what the unanimous vote to pass this resolution means for our new form of government!
Vision Zero’s stated goal is to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries on streets in Portland – but there is so much more to this resolution. What we passed Wednesday night calls for the city to protect the lives of people of all ages, stages, and wages. The Vision Zero Task Force will invite community advisory committees and community members to help update the Vision Zero Action Plan, which identifies specific actions and commitments that city bureaus are responsible for delivering to improve traffic safety. The Task Force will coordinate with external public agency partners to ensure alignment across jurisdictions, and Portland’s Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) is charged with developing and implementing innovative, data-informed traffic safety infrastructure guided by an Equity Matrix. There will be quarterly reports to Council.
The goal of Vision Zero is simple, yet profound: Every Portlander deserves to make it home safely at the end of the day.
I am grateful to the co-sponsors of the Resolution: Councilor Olivia Clark (District 4, Chair of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee), Councilor Angelita Morillo (D3, Vice Chair of the T&I Committee), Councilor Loretta Smith (D1), Councilor Mitch Green (D4), and Councilor Sameer Kanal (D2). I have also been grateful for the conversations and support from all of my fellow Councilors throughout this process. It means a lot to me that this resolution was passed with a 12-0 vote – with consensus building, hard conversations, and finding shared goals, we stood as one Council to call for a safer, stronger, and more connected city.
There is widespread commitment to collaboration from all of the Deputy City Administrators, meaning we can have cross-bureau initiatives from Environmental Services, Planning and Sustainability, Fire and Rescue, Police, Fleet and Facilities, and Parks and Recreation. I am inspired to see such a direct outcome of our new form of city government – by breaking down silos between bureaus we can increase collaboration between different service areas, making the work deeper and more impactful for our community.
Beyond Council and city bureaus, I am deeply grateful to the many community members who shared their stories and perspectives throughout this important process. Your voices made this resolution stronger, and will have real impact on the future of traffic safety in our city. With this resolution we have a better starting point for the next stage of our work together.
Wednesday evening’s celebration included music, popsicles, chants, and a parade, which made for a powerful way to enter the official vote process! But it was also a somber reminder that there is so much work to be done to make sure that every Portlander is safe when walking, biking, driving, and otherwise travelling around our city. We will continue to work toward the Vision Zero goal – together.
 AARP Oregon Age-Friendly Summit
Thursday I joined AARP Oregon at its annual Age-Friendly Summit at Portland State University. That morning my colleague, Councilor Jamie Dunphy, offered the packed ballroom a retrospective on Portland’s age-friendly efforts that date back to 2006. He shared how former City Commissioner Nick Fish championed the efforts in the 2010s and called for Portland to return to being an age-friendly leader.
That morning I sat on a panel with other elected officials and discussed the importance of age-friendly communities focusing on all ages and abilities. I offered ideas on how we can make our city a better place to grow up and grow old, such as creating more intergenerational care and housing opportunities. That afternoon I sat on another panel that allowed me to share details about Vision Zero, Safe Routes to Schools, and how we can grow our support of bike buses and safe mobility. My staff member Alan DeLaTorre led a session on age-friendly housing production that included government officials, advocates and a local developer.
Reviving Portland’s age-friendly efforts is an area I’m working on with my staff as I see it as an important part of Portland’s livability. Stay tuned for more to come!
 Arts in Education
On another joyful note, I had the honor of being part of a celebration of Arts in Education Week Tuesday morning. Spending time with kindergartners at Bridger Creative Science School – who were having their third ever music class – was a great way to mark this moment. This year’s high school seniors are part of the first class of students who have had access to an arts education kindergarten through twelfth grade. As a teacher and mom I know how important access to visual art, music and movement is for kids. I ran into PPS School Board Director Steph Engelsman. Thank you Arts Tax and the Arts Access Fund!
 Welcoming Week Event at SEUL
Welcoming Week will be held noon to 4 p.m. tomorrow, September 20, at SE Uplift, 3534 SE Main Street. In addition to a farmers’ market, there will be an art installation and resource fair focused on immigrant and refugee nonprofits.
Rocky Butte Tunnel Concert and Block Party
Also tomorrow, a concert block party to celebrate the history and craftwork of the Rocky Butte Tunnel and the surrounding community will be held, starting at 4 p.m. I hear the acoustics inside the extinct volcano's tunnel are amazing!
World Car-Free Day Monday
This Monday, Sept. 22, is World Car-Free Day! Check out this fun clip from TriMet – If you usually drive, you can plan a trip at trimet.org, or try out other forms of transportation!
Come Walk with D3 Councilors!
Join me and my fellow District 3 councilors, Angelita Morillo and Steve Novick, for a D3 walk this Tuesday! Nonprofit group Oregon Walks will host the walk from 9 to 10 a.m. September 23, meeting up at the north-central entrance to Laurelhurst Park (off SE Ankeny).
Home Electrification Fair
ElectrifyPDX.org will be having a free home electrification fair from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, September 27 at the Redd, 831 SE Salmon Street. Learn more and register for tickets here: Electrify Portland!
Fernside Flea Market with North Tabor NA
The North Tabor Neighborhood Association will be hosting Fernside Flea, a neighborhood flea market with local vendors and music from 1 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 27, at Leikam Brewing, 5812 E Burnside.
https://bikeportland.org/2025/09/18/with-unanimous-support-portland-reaffirms-commitment-to-vision-zero-396905
PGE Discount Program
Did you know that Portland General Electric has a program that discounts bills for income-qualified households?
You can get an ongoing, monthly discount of up to 80% on your energy use if you qualify. To apply, visit portlandgeneral.com/pgediscount or call 503-228-6322.
By calling or visiting their website, you can also set up a payment plan, extend payment due dates, or find other community resources, such as the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), Oregon Energy Assistance Program (OEAP) or Oregon Energy Fund.
Ongoing Driver’s Education
Oregon Friendly Driver is a statewide effort to help drivers better understand the rights and responsibilities of all road users. For in-person and online education options, and to learn more, visit http://oregonfriendlydriver.org/
Portland Street Response Committee Recruitment
Recruitment has begun for community members to serve on the Portland Street Response Committee, which was created as part of the approval of Resolution 37709 on June 25. This recruitment will close on Monday, October 27. To apply visit https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/portlandor/jobs/5060003/volunteer-non-paid-position-portland-street-response-committee.
Reporting Transportation Concerns
Something I am often asked by constituents is how to report transportation concerns. According to the Portland Bureau of Transportation, the best way to report infrastructure-related concerns is to call 311, or to use PDX Reporter. Both of those tools create a record for PBOT to follow up on. For traffic violations, people are encouraged to the Portland Police Bureau either through their non-emergency number (503-823-3333) or, if serious enough, by calling 911. For parking violations, citizens can contact our Parking Enforcement office at 503-823-5195, where there are team members available until 11:30 PM daily who can dispatch support as needed.
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