Vision Zero Work Zones (#WorkZoneWTF)
policy research, development, and advocacy
I got tired of seeing signs directing me to cross the street because the sidewalk was closed ahead when on-street parking remained. As new developments popped up all around Portland, so did this situation. Portland was great at building streets for everyone but when they're under construction, it was a different story.
Rather than call or email about one-off work zones and detour concerns, I decided that the Bicycle Transportation Alliance should propose a new work zone policy – something to which contractors could be held. With the help of an intern, a local engineer, two retired Portland Bureau of Transportation employees, and our friends at Oregon Walks, I tracked down work zone policies that prioritized safety for all users and modeled our own policy after them.
Once we had a clear proposal in hand, we set to work drawing attention to problematic work zones via social media and our hashtag "#WorkZoneWTF." I eventually introduced #WorkZoneWTG (way to go) for work zones that were particularly well-designed and implemented.
Eventually, after I left Portland, the city finally adopted our work zone policy.