Love Our Arts & Culture Coverage?
You can help fund it!

Give now

Transportation
Posted inNews

“There Is No Money”: I-5 Rose Quarter Project Slated for August Groundbreaking, Budget Woes and All

ODOT has permission to start initial work on the freeway expansion project, but state transportation leaders say there isn’t enough money to finish it.
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) has lost the majority of the funding it was counting on to construct the first phases of its I-5 Rose Quarter project. With a hostile federal administration and chaos in the Oregon Legislature, it’s unclear when or if the department can expect more money for the project. Even so, […]

Posted inNews

TriMet Announces Major Service Cuts Starting This Fall

Portland’s public transit agency was already in a dire financial situation. The Oregon Legislature’s failure to pass a transportation funding bill didn’t help.
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

TriMet is experiencing a significant fiscal crisis, and it’s forcing the public transit agency to cut service by 10 percent over the next two years, with reductions coming as soon as this fall. Bus frequency, especially in the early mornings and at night, will be first on the chopping block, but TriMet may need to […]

Posted inNews

Amid Statewide Funding Crisis, Portland Looks to New Transportation Revenue Streams

This isn’t the first time the city has tried to find new, sustainable ways to fund transportation and infrastructure. But there may be increased urgency now.
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

For years, Portland transportation leaders have sounded the alarm about the funding crisis threatening the city’s streets, sidewalks, and bike paths. The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) relies on increasingly unsustainable funding streams, and previous efforts to change course have largely failed.  Now, with state and federal funding in flux, the city’s transportation funding problem […]

Posted inNews

State and Federal Losses Stack Up for ODOT’s I-5 Rose Quarter Plan

As funding and legal woes mount for ODOT, a plan to reconnect the Albina neighborhood is caught in the middle.
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) is in dire financial trouble. The Oregon Legislature’s failure to pass a transportation funding package this session has left the agency financially adrift, forced to lay off hundreds of workers and cut critical services across the state.  Still, ODOT leaders say they plan to move ahead with its $2.1 […]

Posted inNews

After Manufacturer Backlash, DEQ Delays Clean Truck Rule

Enforcement of the Advanced Clean Truck rule, intended to reduce diesel emissions in Oregon, has been delayed until 2027. 
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

Oregon’s attempts to curtail diesel emissions are in jeopardy following a state decision to delay enforcement of the Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) rule until 2027.  The ACT rule, which was approved by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Commission in 2021, seeks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from high-polluting diesel engines by requiring truck […]

Posted inNews

With Vision Zero Resolution, City Councilor Wants Portland to Renew Traffic Safety Vows

Since Portland pledged to eliminate traffic fatalities in 2015, deadly crashes have hit 30-year highs. Councilor Tiffany Koyama Lane wants the city to reaffirm its commitment to addressing the crisis. 
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

Just about 10 years have passed since Portland City Council first adopted a Vision Zero resolution in June 2015, setting the goal to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries on the city’s streets. At the time, city leaders said that even though it didn’t set target dates to accomplish its goals or dedicate funding to […]

Posted inNews

Advocates, Transit Agencies Say Oregon Legislators’ Transportation Package Proposal Falls Short

With public transit and safety programs on the line, Democrats are under pressure to find more funding. Increasing the gas and payroll taxes could be part of the solution.
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

Hilda Perez lives with her family in Forest Grove, where she relies on the bus to get around. While Perez said “public transportation has been a lifeline,” it’s not always easy or safe for her to use. After moving to a neighborhood with minimal public transit service, Perez said she now is forced to walk […]

Posted inMusic

Fans of PDX’s Upgrade, Mass Timber, and Sustainability Just Got a New Anthem!

DJ Avelanche’s fire video for “PDX (Wooden Roof)” is a fun who’s who of Portland hip-hop 
Avatar photo Jenni Moore

It’s no secret that Portlanders are really really proud of Portland International Airport, to the point that the city has become synonymous with PDX (our airport’s code). And let’s be honest, the obsession is warranted. In fact, I challenge anyone to show me a cooler, prettier, or more pleasant airport in the United States of […]

Posted inStreet View

Street View: For Transportation in Portland, “Dreaming Big” Might Mean Starting Small

We can’t have it all.
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

Earlier this week, to the dismay of local freeway fighters, Metro Council moved to allow the Oregon Department of Transportation to get started on the initial phases of its I-5 Rose Quarter project. Given the controversy surrounding the freeway project, the councilors apparently felt they had to justify their decision, responding in part to the […]

Posted inNews

Metro Says “Yes” To ODOT’s I-5 Plan

The agency plans to begin construction on the Rose Quarter project this summer, but doesn’t have the funding for the entire $1.5-1.9 billion plan.
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

The Metro Council voted on April 1 to move the Oregon Department of Transportation’s (ODOT) I-5 Rose Quarter plan forward, approving $250 million in additional funding for the freeway expansion project. Most members of the Council agreed that while the project may have its flaws, those are outweighed by its potential community development and economic […]

Posted inNews

ODOT Wants To Start Building The I-5 Rose Quarter Project—With Only Enough Money for Half of It

Critics are skeptical the transportation agency will fulfill its promise to reconnect the Albina neighborhood with caps over I-5. 
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

After nearly a decade of planning and frequent political and financial obstacles, the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) is closer than ever to breaking ground on its I-5 Rose Quarter project—at least, part of it.  ODOT’s full plans for I-5 through Portland’s Rose Quarter include widening the freeway in both directions and covering it with […]

Posted inNews

Steel Bridge Skatepark Rolls Forward After Major Land Swap Approval

A land transfer between the state and city is officially in motion, putting the long-awaited Portland skatepark closer than ever to actualization. 
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

Portland is closer than ever to breaking ground on the long-envisioned “crown jewel” skatepark on the west side of the Steel Bridge in Old Town.  The Steel Bridge Skatepark has been in the works for nearly two decades, with progress waxing and waning throughout that time. But the project has seen significant momentum in the […]

Gift this article