A jury late last week said the city of Portland and a driver who caused a fatal motorcycle crash must pay a combined $5.1 million to the family of the dead motorcyclist — ruling that the city shouldn’t have allowed street parking to block the view of the driver, who pulled into the pathway of the motorcyclist because he didn’t see the motorcyclist coming.
Such intersections have long annoyed Portland drivers who attempt to cross busy thoroughfares from side streets — first stopping at stop signs, then inching forward bit by bit so they can see past cars that are parked so close to the corner that they obstruct the views of oncoming traffic.
On the flip side, allowing cars to park up to the edge of city blocks has helped relieve the city’s street parking shortage, with both residents and business owners urging the city to provide more, not less, parking…