This past weekend, the City of Portland witnessed the latest tragedies in an ongoing epidemic of unacceptable traffic violence on our streets. Yan Huang, 78, was struck and killed by an automobile while attempting to cross SE Division with her husband, who was hospitalized from the collision. This profoundly sad Valentine’s Day fatality was immediately followed by a hit-and-run collision that left another citizen dead on our streets.

Efforts to establish “Vision Zero” as a guiding philosophy for transportation investments here in Portland fizzled in 2011, and despite assurances from the Oregon Department of Transportation and the City of Portland declaring intent to invest in safer streets, we are clearly, fundamentally underprioritizing safety improvements in our most vulnerable neighborhoods.