More people are dying or getting seriously injured in traffic crashes across the Portland metro area, and the region is “not on track” to achieve its lofty goal of eliminating all traffic deaths by 2035.

That’s according to the first-of-its-kind performance report released by the Metro regional government last month.

The report comes as Portland last year saw the most traffic deaths in the city since 1997. Those 49 deaths aren’t accounted for in the Metro report, and officials noted that the trend line shows deaths are likely to increase “unless something changes.” Bike Portland first reported on the Metro findings.

Planners used 2015 as the base year and set targets to reduce the overall number of traffic deaths and serious injuries significantly by 2018 across various metrics. According to the report, the Metro region failed to meet those ambitious targets virtually across the board.

Traffic deaths increased by 17%, while planners had sought a 7% decrease. Some 75 people died in traffic crashes across the tri-county area in 2018.

The failures were extensive, regardless of the metric. The region failed to meet goals of reducing the rate of fatality and serious injury crash per 100,000 people, deaths and injuries by various modes, and the rate of injuries and deaths calculated per 100 million miles traveled.

The overall number of serious bicycle injuries and rate of such injuries were the lone categories for which Metro met its specific targets.

Portland City Council in 2016 pledged to eliminate all traffic deaths and injuries by 2025, an ambitious goal that is part of a larger global campaign known as Vision Zero. The Metro region has a goal of eliminating those incidents by 2035. “Based on the results of the performance measures,” the report said, “the region is not on track for achieving its Vision Zero goal.”

The performance audit comes as Metro seeks to put a $7 billion transportation package on the November ballot, with safety projects on dangerous streets like 82nd Avenue, McLoughlin Boulevard and Tualatin Valley Highway representing some of the most significant expenditures.

“The report shows greater Portland urgently needs to do more to prioritize safety, especially for people who walk, bike or use mobility devices,” Jim Middaugh, Metro’s communications director, said in an email. “That's why safety investments are a top focus of the potential 2020 transportation funding measure.”

Middaugh said the current project list would address 86 miles of dangerous high-crash streets across the region, “adding hundreds of safe marked crossings, dozens of miles of new sidewalks , and thousands of streetlights.”

He added that Metro Council is also eyeing more money to make walking to and from schools safer across the region. Other projects could include expanding the region’s multi-use path and off-street trail network.

Here’s a link to the full report.

-- Andrew Theen; atheen@oregonian.com; 503-294-4026; @andrewtheen

Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories.