4/25: Hello readers and friends. I'm still recovering from a surgery I had on 4/11, so I'm unable to attend events and do typical coverage. See this post for the latest update. I'll work as I can and I'm improving every day! Thanks for all your support 🙏. - Jonathan Maus, BikePortland Publisher and Editor
A chance to be where a lot of important stuff happens.(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland) Metro’s Transportation Policy Alternatives Committee, or “TPAC” as it’s known around here, is looking for four new community representatives. If you want to influence local and regional transportation projects, this is a great opportunity. TPAC’s main role is to advise the … Read more
Metro is gearing up for a series of open houses to let the public weigh in on their Westside Trail project. The project spurred controversy earlier this summer when residents of the Oak Hills area of unincorporated Washington County objected to plans to have the shared-use path run through property adjacent to their homes. The … Read more
Proposed new lane on I-84 in east Portland. In a rare bit of love for freeways, on Thursday July 19th, Metro (Portland’s metropolitan planning organization) approved funding for a project that will add capacity to an interstate located within Portland city limits. The $6 million project will extend an auxiliary lane on eastbound Interstate 84 … Read more
Arterials kill. Using ODOT traffic crash data and their own data on transportation infrastructure Metro’s State of Safety report has found that roadway collisions cost our region $958 million a year — that’s significantly more than congestion. The report also lays bare one of the nagging issues for local transportation planners and a central theme … Read more
Did you know the new Trolley Trail south of Milwaukie is almost fully complete? In case you haven’t noticed, there’s a ton going on around our regional network of trails and multi-use paths* — a.k.a. “The Intertwine“. To help get the public up to speed and foster collaboration and momentum on the projects, Metro and … Read more
These green spaces around Happy Valley would be tied together with the newly proposed Mt. Scott/Scouter Mt. Trail Loop. Metro is prepping for the public unveiling of an exciting new network of paths that span from just south of the Powell Butte Nature Park all the way down to the Clackamas River. The Mt. Scott/Scouter … Read more
A survey created by Metro and sent to their nearly 10,000 member Opt In Panel last month has drawn the ire of non-profits, local business owners, and citizen advocates — 26 of whom have signed onto a letter outlining their concerns that was sent to Metro President Tom Hughes and members of the Metro Council … Read more
Annual trail use between 2008 and 2011 shows a steady climb (despite all the rain last year!).(Graphic: BikePortland)
Jobs and the economy need to be our focus, even if the environment suffers.— Choice on a Metro Opt In survey A Metro survey aimed at the 8,000 members of their Opt In Panel drew swift and critical reaction from active transportation advocates yesterday. The survey was introduced as “some questions about infrastructure projects and … Read more
Survey says. Give us more!(© BikePortland) A Metro ‘Opt-In’ survey on active transportation shows that a majority of respondents from around the region feel it’s important to make greater investments in dedicated bicycle infrastructure. The survey, which was answered by 3,865 members of the Opt-In feedback panel, was to help inform in Metro’s first ever … Read more
JPACT came together this morning to green light $16.8 million in federal grants for active transportation projects.(Photo © J. Maus) A Metro committee unanimously approved a $70.7 million package of federal “regional flexible funding” at a meeting of their Joint Policy Advisory Committee on Transportation (JPACT) this morning. 14 projects (totaling $22.9 million) — including … Read more
Blumenauer: Come together. Right now.(Photo © J. Maus) United States Congressman Earl Blumenauer spoke during a rare appearance at an influential Metro committee last week, doling out some tough love over the groups’ inability to come together around a regional vision for transportation investments. It was a rare showing of straight talk that speaks to … Read more