Portland had an 'Unusual and Tragic' Year for Traffic Deaths The Portland Bureau of Transportation's annual traffic crash report highlights the city's slow progress towards its Vision Zero goal. March 4, 2021, 10am PST | Diana Ionescu | The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) just released its annual report on traffic crashes for 2020, an "unusual and tragic year" for traffic deaths despite a reduction in driving due to the pandemic. In the report, the agency acknowledges "that 2020 was a tragic year of loss and continues to stay committed to eliminating traffic fatalities." Jonathan Maus for Bike Portland reports that PBOT tallied 54 traffic deaths, although the Portland Police Bureau recorded 58 total fatalities on Portland's roads and parking lots.