43 candidates share their vision for transportation in Portland

NOTE: This is the third post in a series. The answers have been highly edited for brevity. Please read the full responses at Bike Loud’s website.

Local bike advocacy nonprofit BikeLoud PDX asked all City of Portland candidates* to answer eight questions gleaned from their members. The third question, “What is your vision for transportation in Portland?” was answered by 39 city council candidates and four mayoral candidates.

I’ve gone through the submissions and pulled out a short quote from each candidate. These very abbreviated answers below are based on what I personally found to be the most interesting/notable/newsworthy parts of their responses. For the full answers, visit BikeLoud’s website. I’ve also shared photos of each candidate in the order their responses were shared (if you’re on mobile, be sure to hit the arrow and scroll through the images.) The photos were taken from the Rose City Reform candidate tracker.

Read edited responses from all 43 candidates below:

City Council District 1

Timur Ender

I am committed to a future where more of our arterials have bus rapid transit given the importance of reducing commute times and the impact this has on upward economic mobility and life expectancy.

Sonja Mckenzie

To have accessible and safe transportation for all Portlanders, regardless of their zip code.

Steph Routh

 People can age in community with dignity because they have options that allow them to get around at any age… Businesses, particularly small businesses, can thrive as more people connect with them while walking or biking by. Families can live more easily on their incomes and have more time together.

David Linn

That everyone can get where they need to go safely, with negligible impacts to our environment, and that is affordable to working class Portlanders. 

City Council District 2

Elana Pirtle-Guiney

We should be honest about who, where, and why, cars will be needed so that we can plan appropriately while also investing for denser neighborhoods with safe bike corridors, pedestrian friendly opportunities, and rapid transit.

Christopher Olson

More public transportation options… Safe biking and pedestrian infrastructure across the city… public transportation should be fareless.

Nat West

Narrower streets, with more walkable neighborhoods, and less commuting between housing, retail, and work… I also want to plant a seed for eventual removal of I-5 on the east side of the river. We did it for Harbor Drive.

Michelle DePass

The vision is of closed streets in front of elementary schools; a car free downtown, and a Portland whose bike infrastructure works for all.

Debbie Kitchin

My vision for Portland includes a multi-modal transportation system that has robust transit, safe bike and pedestrian infrastructure, plans for freight transportation and cars. 

Mariah Hudson

Imagine a Portland where we are connected by a vibrant Green Loop, a continuous ribbon of green space bustling with bikes, pedestrians, and lively plazas… We build housing with transit in mind, creating vibrant, mixed-use developments that are seamlessly integrated with public transit. 

Jonathan Tasini

Any vision of transportation should be driven by making Portland a more equal city where the people come first. Any vision of just transportation for the city of Portland means just housing in Portland.

Mike Marshall

… as we “rethink” downtown due to permanent changes in work place behaviors, we should consider creating car-free zones that foster community through walking and bike riding.

Laura Streib

Ideally we would have all electric vehicles, spaces for bike/wheels and walkers – buses & street cars that can get people moving to their destinations in a timely manner.

Will Mespelt

… expanding TriMet, particularly the light rail system. Part of what I would advocate for would be including bike infrastructure installation alongside improvement and expansion of public transportation. 

City Council District 3

Tiffany Koyama Lane

Children and their families.

Rex Burkholder

Quiet, calm, safe passage for all with maximum access through better land use planning and street design. 

Theo Hathaway Saner

… a forward-thinking, inclusive, and sustainable system that prioritizes the needs of its residents and the health of the environment.

Daniel Gilk

By liberalizing our zoning restrictions throughout the neighborhoods, we can 1) create more employment and commercial opportunities closer to where we live and 2) create the density that can better support bus and train lines.

Angelita Morillo

I want transportation in Portland to serve all Portlanders, regardless of age, income, disability status, or ability to drive. Transit should be an affordable and accessible way to get from anywhere in the city to any other place, and bicycling should be both a safe and efficient option to do so as well.

Jonathan Walker

It is not mathematically possible to really grow the city without endless sprawl or getting more people in it to transition to walking, transit, biking, and smaller electric transportation devices. To do that, we need to make transit safer, more convenient, and pleasant.

Matthew Thomas Anderson

Separation.

Daniel DeMelo

… we need to invest in visionary infrastructure that will continue to support Portland’s growth and development. This includes supporting the construction of the downtown MAX tunnel, which would significantly increase the capacity and efficiency of our light rail system. 

Philippe Knab

… creating a safe, sustainable, and accessible system that meets the needs of all residents. This includes expanding and improving bike infrastructure, such as adding more protected bike lanes and ensuring they are well-connected throughout the city.

Sandeep Bali

A fine healthy balance between cars, bikes, public transport. 

Jesse Cornett

… my vision is Vision Zero. We must aspire to stop the deaths. That means we will be far more walkable and bikeable than we are today.

Chris Flanary

Walkable neighborhoods and multi-modal transportation options are our way forward. Even folks who continue to drive will benefit. I would explore potential alternative uses of street space like the outdoor dining project or street fairs, but on a more permanent basis to create gathering spaces for communities. 

Luke Zak

I envision Portland thriving with a community-centered transportation system that is low-barrier, low-risk, and high-convenience that is so woven into the fabric of our city that using multimodal transportation and investing in its infrastructure is second-nature.

Council – District 4

Mike DiNapoli

Our city needs to refocus on our cities ‘Walkability’ and engineering neighborhoods to be inclusive of what’s needed inside of 15 minutes (without a car).

Olivia Clark

Traffic calming, more safety measures, get neighborhood associations actively involved in transportation safety. 

Ben Hufford

We need to move towards systems less dependent on single car/single driver use, and towards shared transportation resources.

Chad Lykins

My vision is to connect transportation, housing, economic development, and public safety in an integrated system that supports human flourishing.

Sarah Strawberry Silkie

I would like to see more park n ride lots so that people living in less dense areas can drive from where there is no public transit and then park and either bike, ride or walk in the more dense parts of the city.

Michael Trimble

I envision a fare free public transit (like Albuquerque) with all the MAX and street car lines along with more of the frequent trip bus lines running 24/7.

Eli Arnold

I believe making public transportation more appealing and creating paths like the Springwater Corridor are crucial.

Andra Vltavín

To turn almost all streets into communal gathering spaces and food-growing spaces. 

Eric Zimmerman

Safe, sensical, and standardized. I think for the immediate future we need to spend time focusing on improving safety and standardizing our streets and the various lanes available for use.

Lisa Freeman

I believe in walkable, bikeable neighborhoods that allow us to come together as communities and reliable, affordable public transit to take us anywhere else we want to go.

Bob Weinstein

My vision for transportation in Portland is to create a safe, equitable, and sustainable system that serves all residents while reducing our carbon footprint.

Mitch Green

I want to live in a Portland where… transit is free at the point of service, and there are bike-share depots at every major node… where the students walking home from Jackson Middle School don’t have to walk on the side of the road as drivers speed by… where there are no car drop off lines, because parents feel comfortable knowing that it’s safe to cycle and walk to and from school.

Mayor

Liv Østhus

To have access to transportation (including bikes) to be seen through the lens of class and class seen through the lens of environmental collapse (as in the lower class suffers climate crises more than the upper class). 

Durrell Javon Kinsey Bey

Economic Optimism is one of my campaign values and with that, regarding transportation I see TriMet and many other local small transportation businesses contributing to this Vision.

Keith Wilson

My vision for TriMet is 120 million boardings per year in 2030, double that of 2023. I also want a focus on micromobility. 

Carmen Rubio

I envision a city where people can get where they need with as little carbon, danger, and stress as possible, and as quickly as possible. I support free public transportation and want to see more and more high-frequency routes that can transfer riders wherever they need to go… Above all, I want a compassionate city where people truly see each other and each others’ needs — whether they traverse the city on a bike, foot, in a wheelchair, in an electric car or on a bus.

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I think questions like this are interesting because it reveals which candidates are able to transcend a conventional response and really let loose with something visionary. In my opinion, Portlanders are hungry for a new vision and leaders who can not just explain it but have the chops to get us there. Did any of these candidates impress you with their answer to this one?

BikeLoud will post more responses in the weeks to come. Stay tuned for question #4 and see more 2024 election coverage here.

*BikeLoud sent the questionnaire to all candidates that had filed a letter of intent as of May 27th.