Mt Tabor Park Events are upon us: Safety First!

This blog post addresses short term parking problems near Mt Tabor Park, not long term ones such as abandoned vehicles (although, calling 311 is also one option in those cases).

Please be careful where you park when attending events at Mt Tabor Park.

• Please do not block sidewalk ramps (aka curb cuts and cuts). People who push strollers or use wheelchairs and other mobility devices will thank you.

• Do not block driveways. They are used for turn-arounds, especially on dead-end streets; blocking driveways only makes traffic problems worse, not to mention a safety hazard if someone in the home needs to get out or let EMTs in.

• Do not block fire lanes. (This speaks for itself, I sincerely hope. Yikes.)

• Park a couple of blocks away from the park rather than in the middle of the scrum.

• If there is no safe crosswalk from where you park to Mt Tabor Park, talk to the Mt Tabor Neighborhood Association (MTNA) and work with them and the city to have safe crosswalks installed. (How do you think the traffic light at SE 60th and Salmon came about? You can thank neighbors and the MTNA for that light.)

TIPS for reporting blocked fire lanes and driveways:

Before you call one of the numbers below, be prepared to provide exact information: your name, date, time, exact location of the illegally parked vehicle, license plate (if applicable and when possible), description of vehicle (make, model if known) or hazard, etc. Take a picture of the vehicle and license plate, if possible and if it is safe to do so.

Phone Numbers:

EMERGENCIES: In an emergency or if you're not sure: Call 911. (E.g. fire, obstructed police or EMT access, life in jeopardy, etc.)

NON-EMERGENCIES, but important, for example:

• Blocked fire lane: Call 311 or Portland Fire and Rescue Main Office: 503-823-3700

• Parking hazard: Call 311 or Parking Enforcement Dispatch: 503-823-5195. Be prepared to leave a detailed message, time, name, location, etc.

When in doubt, and when not an emergency, call 311.

NOTE: If the problem occurs during a Wednesday night TaborDance event, call them at this number and and ask them to make an announcement: (503) 730-7901. TaborDance has been working closely with the neighborhood to minimize parking and noise problems. When you call or text them, make sure you give sufficient details for them to find the driver, including license plate #, location of illegally parked vehicle, type of vehicle, color, etc.

This blog post was published on 4/20/25, by Laura.