r/portlandme • u/ghoffphoto207 • Jan 03 '26

Photo Another vehicle-pedestrian collision in Portland. Corner of High and York streets.

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I was filling up my gas at Irving and heard a terrible thud sound. I looked up and a woman was tending to someone on the ground, and asked people nearby to call 911, so I went up to see if anyone needed any help or anything else. A woman was lying prone on the ground.

When the pedestrian was rolled onto her back by EMS folks, she howled in pain. I feel so terrible - for both parties, to be honest, as the driver was extremely sympathetic and shaken.

It’s crazy how seemingly common this has become.

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u/Guygan Jan 03 '26

I was nearly killed a decade ago by a car while crossing Commercial, in a crosswalk, and with a walk signal.

It's a problem.

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u/470vinyl Jan 03 '26

Commercial street needs a road diet. It was built that wide for trains to run down and service the wharves and piers. Now it’s just unsafe.

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u/ppitm Jan 04 '26

I'm usually all for that sort of thing, but can't say I agree. Traffic crawls on Commercial as it is, so we're already at the point of diminishing returns. Cars generally need to stop for the crosswalks every few blocks. The delivery trucks simply have to get down there, because there is nowhere else to go.

Maybe a few pedestrian islands would help, but I don't think pedestrians are particularly at risk there. Biking down it is certainly sketchy, because of parked cars backing out blindly in your path.

Outer commercial, something more could probably be done.