The Oregon Department of Transportation manages a highway near Portland’s southern border that’s the only way for some bicycle riders to travel between Sellwood and Lake Oswego. Unfortunately this highway, Highway 43, poses extreme risks to cyclists who encounter a shoulder full of rocks and dirt with just inches of space between themselves and car users driving over 50 mph.
68-year-old Rutilo Jorge learned that the hardest way. He was killed while bicycling on Highway 43 on November 11th. Police officials say he hit a rock in the shoulder, lost control and then was involved in a collision with a driver.
It’s unclear exactly what happened that night; but it’s clear the current conditions cannot stand. ODOT must provide a greater level of safety for bicycle riders in this corridor…