H PUBLISHED IN NORTHEAST PORTLAND SINCE 1984 H STAR PUBLISHING INC. STAR THE HOLLYWOOD Great ideas for Mother's Day & Easter! PAGES 12-13 H SERVING NORTHEAST AND NORTH METROPOLITANNEWS PORTLAND NEIGHBORHOODS H APRIL 2019 H VOLUME 36, NUMBER 10 H StarH HSTAR COMMUNITY NEWS WALKING WHILE BLACK FEELS UNSAFE IN CITY Walking while Black in Portland can feel treacherous, according to data analysis and public outreach by transportation planners who are developing a city pedestrian plan. Residents in Southwest and outer eastside neighborhoods have the most gaps in sidewalks and they also have inadequate BY JANET GOETZE lighting compared to close-
[email protected] in areas, the planners said. However, the planners wanted to learn more because they received a relatively low percentage of survey comments from low-income Expoloring leafy Kerns areas and neighborhoods with sizable minority residents. They teamed with community organizations to develop two focus groups. Among other things, they learned that Black residents say they must be extra careful when Neighborhood by foot crossing streets or using crosswalks because they may be targets of racial slurs by drivers or other pedestrians. One woman who wanted to walk for exercise said BLOCK BY BLOCK SAVORING FLAVORS OF KERNS, SERVED UP BY FRANKS-A-LOT'S BILLY GOUCHER. PAGE 15 she never ventures out after 5 p.m. because she doesn’t feel safe. Another said she pays her son’s car insurance “because it is safer for him to drive than to be exposed.” In addition to increasing lighting in underserved communities, planners said in a summary document, their “toolbox” will include partnering with other agencies and city bureaus “to advance the well-being and personal security of vulnerable communities and continuing to research racial bias and driving behavior.” The “toolbox” information and focus group summary are in the project website www.pedpdx.com.