Portland
Streetsblog Basics
Portland Launches Public Adaptive Bike Rental for People With Disabilities
The rental bikes will be available at affordable fares and can be checked out with a transit pass, but won't be distributed in a network of stations like bike-share.
July 24, 2017
Portland Has a Plan to Do for Buses What It Did for Cycling
Portland officials are developing a plan for a network of "Enhanced Transit Corridors," carving out space in the street for buses so vehicles with 30 passengers aren't stuck in a quagmire of vehicles carrying just one.
June 23, 2017
Portland — And Soon, Detroit — Bring Bike-Share to People With Disabilities
Riding a bicycle is too often thought of as an activity that's off-limits for many disabled people. And that has continued to be the case with the bike-share systems getting off the ground in several American cities, which provide standard bicycles meant for the able-bodied. But that's starting to change, thanks to a yearlong effort in Portland that's the first of its kind in the United States.
May 11, 2017
Is Portland Losing Its Resolve Against Highway Expansions?
In the 1970s, some American cities revolted against highway expansion and kept the worst excesses of the interstate construction spree in check. Those cities tend to be the most walkable and transit-oriented places in the nation today. But in Portland that legacy is in jeopardy.
April 5, 2017
Portland Advocates Won’t Settle for Business-as-Usual Highway Spending
Advocates in Portland are challenging the region's business-as-usual approach to transportation planning. They're sick of roads getting most of the funding pie, while transit, biking, and walking get crumbs.
March 23, 2017
Why Is Portland’s Transit Chief Advocating for More Highways?
After suffering an embarrassing defeat a year ago, the Oregon highway lobby is rattling the can for more money again. They have a list of highways they want to widen, and they say Portland's economy depends on it. In addition to the usual suspects, the highway cheerleaders include Neil McFarlane, general manager of TriMet, the regional transit agency.
February 23, 2017
Despite Cold, Portland’s New Mayor Biked to Work on First Day
It was 25 degrees, and it wasn't a photo op.
January 4, 2017
Straight Talk From Portland PD on the Importance of Speed Enforcement
There's nothing all that special about this traffic safety video from the Portland Police Bureau. It's just a short talk from retired officer Ron Hoesly, formerly of the department’s traffic division, on the importance of enforcing speed limits.
November 6, 2015
The Key Human Factors That Can Lead Any City to Transform Its Streets
How did Portland get to be a national model for sustainable transportation and walkable development? Yes, Mayor Neil Goldschmidt stopped the Mount Hood Freeway from being built in 1974 and began negotiations that eventually led to the implementation of the urban growth boundary. But Goldschmidt didn’t do it alone.
August 4, 2015
Portland Tackled Disabled Parking Placard Abuse, and It’s Working
Disabled parking placards used to be ubiquitous in Portland. Until very recently, the city provided unlimited free street parking to placard holders, estimated at a $2,000 annual value. Many cars bearing these placards would remain in prime spots for weeks or months without moving.
August 7, 2014