PORTLAND — A new report released by Downtown Portland Clean & Safe says that foot traffic in downtown Portland has increased in 2022 compared to 2021. Downtown Portland Clean & Safe helps maintain a 213-block area of downtown Portland by providing cleaning services and security.
The report highlights pedestrians, both tourists and workers, within the 213-block area. It shows that foot traffic increased year over year from 2020 to 2022, but doesn’t mention how it compares to 2019, the last nonpandemic year in Portland.
In 2020, states and cities across the country shut down amid the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Portland also experienced months of protests and riots in response to the George Floyd killing in Minnesota. In 2021, as vaccines became more widely available, cities and states began to lift restrictions and capacity limits, but that wasn’t until summer and those restrictions only lasted a few weeks before being implemented again in Oregon and Washington.
The year 2022 started off with mask requirements and COVID-19 restrictions that were lifted in March. The city has come back to life as businesses began to require workers to return to the office. At the same time, a decrease in foot traffic also means that remote work has become more acceptable and feasible.