New West Blog News

Bend visitor claims to be hit by minivan

Oregon Loves its Pedestrians, Sometimes

By Joseph Friedrichs, 11-12-09

Ireland native Gerad Byrne shares his story with a cowboy in downtown Bend. Photo by Joe Friedrichs.

After being struck by the large motorized vehicle, Gerad Byrne felt as though he was living in southern Florida.

“There’s some pain, yeah,” he said Wednesday morning, just several hours after being hit by a minivan on the streets of Bend.

Byrne, an Irishman presently living in Central Oregon, was walking Wednesday morning near the intersection of Lava Street and Franklin Avenue when the incident occurred. According to Byrne, a turquoise-colored minivan driven by a woman with black hair and who had a crazed looked in her eye struck him while he attempted to cross the street.  Oddly enough, the event occurred approximately 48 hours after Bend was named the second friendliest city for pedestrians in Oregon.

“It happened so quick, ya know,” Byrne said of being hit by the vehicle.

In a statewide study, Bend ranked second in Oregon when it came to being pedestrian friendly. Portland topped the list, which also included the likes of Ashland and Grants Pass.

All the same, after discovering Bend was the second friendliest city for pedestrian traffic and then learning the twisted fate of the Irishman, I decided to conduct some investigative journalism and take to the streets, sidewalks and alleys. Yes, I went for a walk.

My journey started in a large parking located near the public library. A sign posted on an aged streetlamp indicated it was a 2-hour parking area. I felt disgusted when I saw the sign. Few people on this planet enjoy parking signs, and I am not among their ranks. The parking lot itself was quite pleasant. Apparently the city takes pride in its public parking, and for this fact perhaps I should place a call to the mayor, I considered. Then the notion faded and I started to walk down Bond Street toward downtown.

I held a steady pace as my walk began. Brown shoes with a black cover over the toes protected my feet. When I stopped in front of City Hall to take a sip of my lukewarm coffee I spilled a few drops on my blue Columbia jacket.

“Shit,” I said. “Damn it.”

A national survey also released Monday read that four of the top five most dangerous cities in America for pedestrians are in Florida. At least I’m not living in Florida, I thought. And how about that Irishman? Why, he may have been killed when that van crushed his femur had he been in Orlando? I continued my walk.

There’s nothing terribly wrong with walking throughout Bend. The sidewalks are spacious and most often there is little trash to block one’s way. Once in a while a piece of dog feces will be on the sidewalk, such as the fine piece I nearly stepped on when I got to Minnesota Avenue. A popular corner, I thought of the intersection. A fine place for a dog to release its bowels.

As a whole, Oregon is a comfortable place to be a pedestrian. After all, Portland ranked ninth in the nation when it came to being pedestrian friendly. Most often people will stop in Oregon when a person attempts to cross the street. It’s kind of an unwritten rule in the West one might say.

“Oh, most people here are great,” Byrne had told me. “But they could pay a little more attention when they’re driving.”

Keeping all the facts in my mind, I crossed over to Wall Street and it started to rain. A small child being carried by his mother in some kind of makeshift shawl began to cry. An annoying goose could be heard honking nearby in Drake Park.

“What am I doing with my life?” I questioned. “What does it all mean?”

Instead of dwelling to deeply into the unknown, I continued to stroll down Wall Street. It was comforting to know that I was in the second friendliest city Oregon has to offer its pedestrians.

Just try telling that to the Irishman.

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