PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland Timbers today announced the club is partnering with the City of Portland and the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) to support its road safety initiative, Vision Zero. Through a multifaceted partnership involving education, public service campaigns and direct communication with area students, the Timbers will join in Vision Zero’s commitment to ending traffic violence in the city and working to eliminate deaths and serious injuries on the community’s streets by 2025.
The Timbers will be front-and-center promoting educational components of the Vision Zero program, encouraging safe driving choices and drawing attention to the dangers of drinking and driving, while also promoting safe choices for all modes of transportation, including biking, walking, driving and public transit.
“This partnership with the Portland Timbers is a tremendous opportunity,” said Transportation Commissioner Dan Saltzman. “Vision Zero is our ambitious traffic safety initiative to end deaths and serious crashes on our roads. With the support of the Timbers, we will raise Vision Zero’s profile and bring its important safety message to more Portlanders. It is fantastic to have the Timbers organization on board, and I’m very grateful for their commitment to their home city.”
As part of the ongoing partnership, goalkeeper Jake Gleeson will take a lead role among Timbers players and staff in fostering driver safety education through the Vision Zero program, featuring in public service announcement campaigns, direct communication with area high school students and through safety messages to be used in classrooms and diversion classes.
“As Timbers players, we are very fortunate to enjoy the incredible support we do in this community, and being in a position to make a difference in the city I call home and to help make Portland a safer place is extremely rewarding,” said Gleeson. “In my case, I feel a personal responsibility to share my own experience with as many people as possible and turn my particular situation into a positive by supporting Vision Zero’s efforts to educate and promote safety on our streets.”
Led by Gleeson and team captain Liam Ridgewell, Timbers players will work with area schools to promote safe driving choices and behavior in support of the Vision Zero Action Plan. Additionally, Timbers players will be featured in specialized public service announcements that also will be featured during games at Providence Park.
To learn more about Portland's Vision Zero program, visit www.visionzeroportland.com.
