This is a report on Memorial Day weekend at Oregon’s most popular attraction. Thought you would want to hear what’s going on down there from someone who had boots on the ground.
I’m writing this while taking a breather. We’ve worked at Multnomah Falls 50 hours in the 4 days of Memorial Day weekend and served hundreds of customers a day. Much of that time was spent at or traveling to Multnomah Falls, as it has been for last 3 seasons since I started Ebike Multnomah Falls in 2021 and then the Waterfall Shuttle here in 2023.
This year the dangerous situations I saw were beyond what I’ve experienced in the 200 or so days I spent down here between the last 2 seasons. We’re lucky no one was injured or killed this weekend.
1. Dangerous freeway conditions. The onramps were backed up onto the freeway in both directions. The traffic backs up into the fast lane of a 65 mph freeway resulting in parked cars on the interstate. One of the folks working the lot said he was here a few years ago when this exact same issue did result in a deadly crash.
2. Official presence was completely non existent. No parking or traffic control throughout the highway. The two I84 lot attendants had their hands full explaining this system to everyone. People were walking up and down the historic highway in unprecedented numbers. One other tour operator said bikers were probably saving these pedestrians lives by slowing cars down. How is the speed limit on this road 40 mph? The risk of someone getting killed by a car goes up with every mile per hour. As I was driving sunset tour guests from crown point there were motorcycles and cars racing the highway both Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night. A 40mph limit alllows drivers to go 60mph with just a slap on the wrist as consequences. All of the accessible parking spots were taken by able bodied people and cars filled the bus and shuttle parking. Hundreds of illegally parked cars throughout the highway. Zero law enforcement.
3. 50-75% of people were unaware of permit requirements and did not understand the system. What is a timed use permit? Try explaining it to someone for whom English is a second language. Through hundreds of conversations with visitors to Oregon in the Multnomah Falls lot, when being told they needed a permit the most common confusion was the fact that they had circled and finally found a spot, just to be told that they were allowed to park but they needed a permit to access the timed use area. The idea that they could get a parking spot, even stay in it, but not enter was confusing because it is not logical. It does not solve the problem. People were told that permits were sold out til 4 pm, this was at 1pm, but that they could wait in that spot until 4pm and then enter the area. This results in the exact opposite of the system's intended effect, clogging up parking spots with people who do not get to see the falls and making less spots available for those who did plan ahead and purchase a permit. Some people do learn that they can simply ask to go to the bathroom to get in. Or they can make a restaurant reservation for free and get in. They can drive a shuttle or use a tour operator but none of these options are apparent to people because with so many people in one place the internet on phones does not work for anyone. The internet is so poor that even if permits were available there’s not enough service to purchase one online when that many cell phones are in the lot pinging overloaded cell towers.
4. As I stood at the entrance and watched people get through or not it was obvious that the majority of people entering were native english speakers and those not getting in were largely people who spoke another language. This is Oregon’s most popular natural attraction. It is a destination for every international traveler who visits and it is not accessible to them. Where are the translations? The sign was in one language. I’d guess 30% of visitors speak another language. We’re showing them an incredibly frustrating and disappointing experience that I witnessed first hand over and over again. The rec.gov site uses 870 English words in the description of the permit with translations to 0 other languages.
5. Lack of solutions and communications. No walk up tickets offered? Some people don’t have credit cards. No suggestions of what alternatives are available. Missed opportunity to spread people to less crowded areas. I’m suggesting signage, flyers, paper with information about what their alternatives are in Spanish, Hindi, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, German, and French. I know permits are given away for free at a couple locations but this was not communicated to the folks who needed them.
I want to be clear that everyone working down there in the lot was doing their best and doing good work. They were simply not equipped to solve the problem. The system needs a redesign before someone dies.
If trying to manage the number of people using the parking lot, why put the limit on the number people who can walk under the underpass? The indirect approach taken is not effective.
- Taylor Marean
