If you ever wondered how serious the city of Portland is about making it safe to walk, drive and ride around our city, take a look at this photo.

I know it just looks like a bunch of people sitting around a table…and it is. But what you’re looking is something the city calls its Community and Schools Traffic Safety Partnership (CSTSP) Coordination Council. I know it’s a mouthful, but just think of it as a bunch of very smart and dedicated people getting together to make our roads and neighborhoods safe and livable.

That photo was taken at a meeting I attended last night. Around the table were representatives from the community, the city of Portland, and from the private sector.

The meeting is a way for everyone to get up to date on the great programs and initiatives being worked on and trade ideas about how to improve Portland’s traffic safety.

Last night’s agenda included updates and presentations on:

• PDOT’s new neighborhood traffic safety outreach efforts.
• The vast, community-led effort to overhaul traffic safety conditions on SE 82nd Blvd.
• A new class that will give some first-time traffic violation offenders the chance to dismiss their citation if they attend and learn about traffic safety laws as they pertain sharing the road.
• A new biking program for senior citizens.
• A roundtable discussion where reps from TriMet, the BTA, State Farm Insurance, Multnomah County Courts, and others updated the group on their ideas, programs and experiences in the field.

It’s very inspiring to see so many people, from such a diverse cross-section of the community, come together to work on these important issues. Stay tuned for more developments and reports about these exciting efforts.