Cyclists discover trip line at contentious intersection | Crime

PORTLAND, Ore. – Cyclists who use a heavily-traveled intersection in Southeast Portland discovered an improvised trip line early Wednesday morning they said was intended to injure bicycle riders running a stop sign.

Heavy plastic wrap was stretched between two stop signs at an intersection at Ladd Circle, where an estimated 1,100 cyclists, mostly commuters, pass per day.

Many do not stop at the stop sign. No one was injured by the improvised obstacle.

Lauren Hudgins, one of two cyclists who spotted the obstacle at about 1:30 a.m. Wednesday, disabled it by cutting through the material. She said the material was so strong they could not break it by pulling on it.

Initial indications were that the line was positioned in such a way that a cyclist hitting the line would likely be sent over their handlebars.

"If you're trying to send a message that riding through stop signs is dangerous, rigging it so injury is highly likely is not a good way to say it,” Hudgins said.

KATU News observed many cyclists rolling through the stop signs at the intersection, which borders a large roundabout in the geometrically-designed Ladd’s Addition.

Several cyclists who stopped to talk with KATU News admitted they did not stop at the stop signs where the line was set up. Some cyclists were moving past the stop signs at over 20 mph.

"I mean, I'm going to be honest. I've rolled through the stop before but not at a high rate of speed and it's always when there's no traffic here,” cyclist Corey MacMillan said. ”So it's kind of silly that you would try to take someone out on their bike just for that."

Hudgins said that when she stopped to inspect the line, someone with a male voice said “thanks for stopping!” from nearby shrubbery. She did not see the person who said the phrase.

At the time of this report, Portland Police did not appear to be involved with investigating the improvised trip line.