The gist is that Portland drivers couldn’t stop hitting crucial safety infrastructure (proving its necessity) so PBOT gave up on it.
As one of the commenters pointed out: Since a pedestrian/bike fatality costs PBOT nothing and replacing a concrete planter a car has demolished costs them more than nothing, to balance the budget they’re going to go with more pedestrian deaths.
TLDR; They didn’t actually expect them to work. Every time they get hit, they move and they require a crane or forklift to put back into position.
Perhaps they should double the weight of them so they’re less likely to move when struck.