Enhancing Targeted Traffic Enforcement Efforts in Portland, Oregon

Enforcement is a key component of any comprehensive traffic safety program, and through a unique effort the Portland Office of Transportation (PDOT) partners with schools, the court system, community groups and the Police Bureau to develop a coordinated citywide program to improve traffic safety. However, like many government agencies, the Police Bureau faces constraints that limit the resources it can devote to traffic safety. In response, PDOT and the Police Bureau’s Traffic Division have instituted a program of Strategic and Focused Enforcement (SAFE) to better allocate limited traffic safety personnel and resources. Using historical crash data, PDOT identified 30 high crash corridors and the Police Bureau directed enforcement to these areas. This paper explores alternative techniques to identify SAFE corridors using more recent crash and driver error data. It also highlights the potential for the city to carry this program through to a more robust, high-profile implementation phase, and the new data analysis options that will become available in the next few years. This study will be useful for other practitioners wishing to engage enforcement as a key ally in improving traffic safety