PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) - Days after an [86-year-old Portland man was hit and killed by a motorcyclist](https://www.kptv.com/2025/03/10/person-dies-after-being-hit-by-motorbike-se-portland-rider-rushed-hospital/) on Southeast Powell Boulevard on his way home from a Trail Blazers game, his neighbors say they want to see more safety measures along the road.
Jose Esparza’s family owns the El Campesino Bakery & Meat Market, which is on this stretch of roadway.
“Sometimes it’s really dangerous, cars going really fast just flying, it’s really dangerous for people crossing the streets,” Esparza said.
Esparza is among many business owners and neighbors who have grown increasingly concerned with the number of crashes and consistent danger created by traffic and a lack of crosswalks, lights, and warnings in this part of Portland.
“They need a stoplight or something like that, to cross the street, especially at night because it’s really dark,” Esparza said.
On March 9 at around 9 p.m., Roger R. Lee was hit and killed after getting off at a TriMet bus stop near Southeast Powell Boulevard and Southeast 67th Avenue. Portland police say the driver was not impaired and they did not file charges.
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However, Juan Cummings, chair of the South Tabor Neighborhood Association said Lee’s death was preventable if the city were to turn promises into action.
“It’s not the first one, we had a bad streak of three people dying during our meetings on Powell,” Cummings said. “It’s one of the most unsafe streets in the city of Portland, the state of Oregon, and there’s just no action being taken by our local government.”
As it is a highway, the Oregon Department of Transportation said in a statement that they have been working with PBOT and TriMet to make the corridor safer with more signs, cameras, and pedestrian upgrades in the coming months.
However, as to this specific stretch, ODOT is waiting for police to finish their investigation into the crash that killed Lee before determining if safety improvements at that exact place will be considered.
Cumming says one death is too many.
“It seems like every couple months something happens out there, whether it’s street racers having accidents with themselves, pedestrians getting hit, bikers getting run over, it’s not a surprise and it’s sad it has to keep happening,” Cummings said.
“We need lighted crosswalks, maybe a camera, something like that, let people know they need to slow down,” said Esparza.
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