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I met Portland Bureau of Transportation Director Leah Treat for the first time today after she gave a speech to the City Club of Portland.

Clearly passionate about transportation, Treat outlined her vision to make the roads safer for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists. She genuinely believes in “active transportation” – i.e., bicycling or walking to work or school instead of driving a car. It is obvious that Treat, who rides her bike to work, envisions Portland’s transportation future less reliant on automobiles.

Traffic creates a “public health crisis,” said Treat, who wants to shift the conversation from traffic volumes to safety as the top priority in the city.

Portland had 36 traffic fatalities in 2013, more than twice as many murders.

“It can’t continue,” Treat said.

Treat touched on a host of issues, including adoption of the Vision Zero philosophy in which zero traffic-related fatalities or injuries are acceptable. Other initiatives include adoption of a citywide bike sharing program, expansion of the city’s Safe Routes to Schools program and discovery of other cost-effective ways to get people out of their cars.

The heart of Treat’s plan calls for making streets safer for vulnerable populations – children, the elderly and the impoverished. East Portland, which has the highest percentage of dangerous intersections and the highest poverty rates, also has the greatest need for pedestrian safety, she said.

Funding is the key challenge preventing future transportation improvements citywide, Treat said. The city is in the process of developing a street fee that would be assessed to each household based on income and each business based on trips generated, she said. Revenues from the fee could be used to maintain city streets and improve safety.

In short, the plan would make it easier and safer for everyone to get around.