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c3Category — Transportation & Urban Planning
Posted inStreet View

Street View: Sundays Are For Open Streets

Inspired by similar events in Latin America, Portland hosted its first Sunday Parkways event in 2008. Nearly 20 years later, the city has yet to fully commit to the open streets concept. 
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

In the early 1970s, bike activists in Bogotá, Colombia convinced their city leaders to close two major thoroughfares to car traffic, giving the space to people riding bikes and walking for one day. Thus began the tradition of Bogotá’s world-renowned Ciclovía (cycleway) events, which now occur every Sunday and on most holidays, transforming more than […]

Posted inNews

Update: Oregon Lawmakers Make Another Go at a Transportation Funding Package

The bill, expected to raise roughly $4.5 billion over the next 10 years, was approved by the Oregon House and will now move onto the Senate—after a hiatus. 
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

Update 9/3, 8 am: With one Democratic member of the Oregon Senate, Chris Gorsek, out for health reasons, the special session is effectively on hold. Democrats can’t afford to lose a vote, so they’ll need to wait until Gorsek is healthy enough to return to Salem and vote “aye” on the bill. The current plan is […]

Posted inNews

Despite State Transportation Funding Crisis, Construction Begins on I-5 Rose Quarter Project

As legislators prepare to duke it out over transportation funding in a special session this week, ODOT has quietly broken ground on the first phase of the $2.1 billion freeway project.
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) broke ground on the first phase of the I-5 Rose Quarter project this week—an event nearly a decade in the making. But the occasion commenced without fanfare. Even after years of buildup for the project, ODOT didn’t hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark its official start, nor did the […]

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 inCity Guide 2025

See Your City on a Bike!

Explore the often unseen Portland with these four routes that cover a variety of situations. 
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

[Read all of the articles in our Portland Fun Guide HERE! Looking for a print copy? Look at this handy-dandy map!—eds.] Everyone knows Portland is a great city for biking. But once you have your bike, and you’re on the street getting ready to push the pedals, you may find yourself wondering: Where should I […]

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