Analysis of agencies affecting transportation policy in Portland, OR

1. Portland:
A City of Sustainable Planning
Will Kresic
Adam Polinski
Brooks Brown
Thomas Wamser
Dave Mellisy

2. Federal, State, & City Gov’t
Federal: US Department of Transportation
● Statewide Planning and Research
● Regional Flexible Funds
State: Oregon Department of Transportation
● Department of Land Conservation and Development
● Land Conservation and Development Commission
City: Portland Bureau of Transportation
● Transportation System Plan (TSP)
● Portland DOT’s Sustainability Plan

3. Federal
Statewide Planning and Research (SPR)
● Managed by Oregon’s Transportation Development Division
● Funds provided and program approved Federally
● 2 Parts: transportation planning and research activities
● Provides policy and technical direction
● Provides data and information for comprehensive decision-making
Regional Flexible Funds
● Used to finance local and regional transportation priorities
● Funds distributed by Metro through the Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Program
● Covers Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington counties

4. State
Evolved major planning laws 1970s
1973- Oregon Land Conservation and
Development Act creating the LCDC
19 Statewide Planning Goals:
● urban growth boundaries
● wise use of urban land
● protection of natural resources
Requires each city and county to adopt a
comprehensive plan to be “acknowledged” by
the LCDC

5. City
Portland DOT’s Sustainability Plan
● Created the Sustainable City Government Partnership
● All plans include:
o A vision and mission statement
o Summary of past and current sustainable practices
o A public communication strategy
1998 Pedestrian Design Guide Portland Bureau of Transportation
● Maintains the investments in infrastructure facilities
● Aims to balance competing uses, complexity, age, and size of the transportation system with
pedestrian needs

6. Portland Metro Area’s Regional Government

7. Metro Transportation Initiatives
Southwest Corridor Plan and Powell-Division Transit
Development Projects
● Transportation development focused on connecting downtown
Portland with growing suburbs

8. Metro Transportation Initiatives
Active Transportation Plan Goals
● Increase access
● Promote walking and biking
● Increase travel choices
● Increase actual and perceived safety
● Reduce instance and cost of crashes
● Increase activity of the general public

9. Metro Transportation Initiatives
Climate Smart Communities Project
Task: Reduce per capita greenhouse gas
emissions from cars and small trucks by
20% from 2005-2035
Goals: “clean air and water, transportation
choices, healthy and equitable
communities and a strong economy”

10. Metro Transportation Initiatives
Climate Smart Communities Scenarios Project
Vision Zero: making street safety a higher priority than travel speed
Key Policies of Draft
1. Make transit convenient, frequent, accessible and affordable
2. Make biking and walking safe and convenient
3. Make streets and highways safe, reliable and connected
4. Use technology to actively manage the transportation system
5. Provide information and incentives to expand use of travel options
6. Manage parking to make efficient use of land and parking spaces

11. Metro Development Plan
Urban Growth Boundary - limits expansion of metro area
Outside UGB:
● Rural Reserves

12. Metro Development Plan
Urban Growth Boundary - limits expansion of metro area
Outside UGB:
● Rural Reserves
● Urban Reserves

13. Metro Development Plan
Urban Reserves
Rural Reserves
Delegated to
State Gov. Land
Conservation &
Devel. Cmmte.

14. Urban Growth Management
- Metro law mandates that municipalities
maintain or increase housing stock
- Current Portland Metro boundaries can
support twice the current population

15. Filling the Gaps
Vacant land in
Portland

16. Filling the Gaps
Potential
Redevelopment
Sites

17. Filling the Gaps
T.O.D. Subsidy
For projects which:
● Increase ridership
of transit
● Increase density
● Increase access
● Reduce parking
per capita

18. TriMet: The Product of the Plan

20. Trailblazing
Transit
● Innovative approach
● High quality service
● Long-term vision

21. Non-Government
Organizations

22. Bike Portland
● Online blog for biking advocacy and news
● Created in response to a vibrant biking
community
● #1 biking blog in the world (London Cyclist 2009)
● Founder/editor = Jonathan Maus
● Useful features for users:
o Ask BikePortland Q&A
o Forums & podcasts
○ Stolen bike listings

23. Oregon Walks
● Pedestrian advocacy group
● Explains benefits of walking to citizens
● Database of city’s walking groups
● Programs to make walking safer such as:
o Crosswalk Actions
o Safe Routes to School
● Puts forward legislation
o Crosswalk Safety Bill (SB 424) in
2011
o Stop and Stay Stopped Law in 2003

25. Works Cited
Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development
http://www.oregon.gov/LCD/Pages/goals.aspx
Oregon Metro Government Library: Land Use Shelf
Urban and Rural Reserves: http://www.oregonmetro.gov/urban-and-rural-reserves
Urban Growth Management Functional Plan: http://www.oregonmetro.gov/urban-growth-management-functional-plan
2014 Urban Growth Report, part of 2015 Management Decision: http://www.oregonmetro.gov/sites/default/files/2014-urban-growth-report-
Revised-Draft-FINAL.pdf
Transit Oriented Development Program: http://www.oregonmetro.gov/tools-partners/grants-and-resources/transit-oriented-development-program
Non-Government Organizations:
Bike Portland http://bikeportland.org/
The Bicycle Story http://www.thebicyclestory.com/2013/04/jonathan-maus/
Oregon Walks http://oregonwalks.org/