The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) and Portland Police Bureau (PPB) have partnered with safety equipment provider NovoaGlobal to replace all 32 existing traffic cameras and install new ones at high-risk intersections. The upgrades are expected to be completed by November 1.
New Cameras Target High-Crash Areas
The additional cameras will be placed at:
- Southeast Powell Boulevard at 34th Street
- Northeast 82nd Avenue and Fremont Street
- Northeast 82nd Avenue and Klickitat Street
Two more cameras are planned for Southeast Powell and 60th Avenue in 2026, with additional installations on Southwest Barbur Boulevard in the design phase.
PBOT stated that all camera locations are part of Portland’s High Crash Network, which covers just 8% of city streets but accounted for 70% of deadly crashes in 2022.
Mixed Reactions from Drivers and Advocates
The expansion has drawn support from safety advocates like Sarah Risser of Families for Safe Streets, who lost her 18-year-old son, Henry, in a traffic crash.
“The consequence is so immediate,” Risser said. “Drivers who run red lights or speed excessively will get a ticket—and that changes behavior.”
However, some drivers, like William Uding near NE 82nd and Fremont, see the cameras as a nuisance—even if they improve safety.
“I don’t like them,” Uding admitted, “but people do slow down when they know the cameras are there.”
How the Program Works
- Funded by citations and traffic safety class fees (per Oregon state law).
- Aims to reduce speeding and red-light violations in high-risk zones.
PBOT emphasized that the goal is prevention, not punishment, with data showing that automated enforcement leads to fewer crashes and fatalities.
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