Stymied by Covid in 2020, the Oregon Active Transportation Summit is back and looks to be stronger than ever.
OATS, as it’s known among the local advocacy crowd, has been held annually since 2011. It’s a must-do gathering of bicycling, walking, transit, and every other kind of non-driving mobility expert, activist, or influencer. You should be there if you want to get your foot in any doors or want to notch-up your professional networks and knowledge. OATS is organized by The Street Trust, the Portland-based nonprofit formerly known as the Bicycle Transportation Alliance. (Fun history: OATS began as a project of Cycle Oregon known as the Oregon Bike Summit in 2006. The word “bike” was dropped in 2010.)
The 2021 OATS will take place online from Tuesday to Friday April 27 through April 30th. “On this tenth anniversary of OATS we are thrilled to be giving a platform to the bright minds that are taking on the intersecting issues of climate change and transportation in an equitable and sustainable landscape!” reads the official website.
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(Photo courtesy The Street Trust)
This year’s slate of panels, workshops and speeches will include a diverse range of subjects and perspectives. Among them are: Mobility, Equity and Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Disability and the role of accessibility in equitable transit, Safe Routes to School as a Climate Resilience Strategy, Electric Mobility and Black Portland, Adapting Commuter Programs During and After COVID, The history and evolution of highways in Oregon, What Does Abolition Look Like on Public Transit?, and many more.
This year’s keynote speaker is Ronnie Matthew Harris. Harris is a Chicago resident who’s billed as, “an experienced urban mission strategist” and someone who has, “devoted his life to seeing people flourish within the context of global cities, advocating for equitable access to a quality life.”
Early bird registration rates of $149 are available now through March 15th. After that tickets go up to $199. Learn more and register here.
— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and jonathan@bikeportland.org
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