Survey: Portland Pedestrian Traffic Remains Strong

By Courtney Christy (OPB)
Portland, Oregon June 29, 2015 11:30 p.m.
Pedestrians only street sign.

Pedestrians only street sign.

Amanda Troxler / OPB

An alliance of Portland businesses released the results of a semi-annual pedestrian count for downtown Monday, showing foot traffic around the city's businesses remains healthy.

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Lisa Frisch, retail program director for the Portland Business Alliance, said her group is responsible for ensuring business vitality in downtown Portland.

"One of the ways we measure our success is through some different market research projects," she said, citing the survey as one avenue.

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While the survey showed a 1 percent decrease in pedestrian traffic from last year, Frisch called it a "very consistent result" with past surveys.

She said downtown remains strong and vital despite suburban competition.

"When tourists visit Portland, most often they are staying in downtown Portland. And we are seeing them in our local businesses, in our restaurants, on transit, our cultural institutions," she said.

The count took place June 11-13, and included two new corners by Powell's Books on the corner of Northwest 10th Avenue and West Burnside Street, and Voodoo Doughnut at Southwest 3rd Avenue and Southwest Ankeny Street.

"The results of those corners were pretty amazing. With over 10,000 visitors at 3rd and Ankeny and over 13,000 at Powells books," Frisch said.

The most highly trafficked corners in the city center were at Southwest 5th Avenue and Southwest Morrison Street, and Southwest Broadway and Southwest Morrison Street.

"Portland is beautiful during the summer and our residents and visitors alike know this," Frisch said.

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