The Way to Go Plan: Moving People in Portland - A Transportation Demand Management strategy to advance our mobility, climate, and equity goals
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Exhibit A The Way to Go Plan: Moving People in Portland A Transportation Demand Management strategy to advance our mobility, climate, and equity goals
The City of Portland ensures meaningful access to city programs, services,
and activities to comply with Civil Rights Title VI and ADA Title II laws and
reasonably provides: translation, interpretation, modifications, accommo-
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services, contact 503-823-5185, City TTY 503-823-6868, Relay Service: 711.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
City of Portland Bureau of Intergovernmental Affairs
Transportation (PBOT) Shoshana Cohen
COMMISSIONER Jo Ann Hardesty Communications & Public Involvement
Vanessa Micale
DIRECTOR Chris Warner Hannah Schafer
PRIMARY AUTHORS Equity & Inclusion
Liz Hormann Tosin Abiodun
Transportation Demand
Management Specialist Development Review
Michael Pina
Michael Espinoza Amanda Owings
Transportation Demand
Management Specialist Community Right Of Way Use
Permitting
CONTRIBUTORS Rich Eisenhauer
Active Transportation & Safety
Steve Hoyt-McBeth Parking & Regulatory
Catherine Ciarlo Erika Nebel
Love Johnson Christy Keller
Sarah Goforth Kristan Alldrin
Renata Tirta Kathryn Doherty-Chapman
Janis McDonald
Strategy & Innovation
Scott Cohen
Katie Root
Clay Veka
Dana Dickman Bureau of Planning & Sustainability
Marty Stockton
Policy, Planning and Projects
Emma Sagor Alta Planning & Design
Eric Hesse Cathy Cibor
Kristin Hull Jessica Roberts
Peter Hurley Sydney Herbst
Art Pearce
Mel Krnjaic
Bob Kellett
David Backes
Liz Tillstrom
2
Preface 4 Vision & Guiding
Principles 28
Travel During an Unprecedented Time
Vision Statement
Guiding Principles
Introduction 12
Advancing City Goals Strategic Priority Areas 30
Why Manage Demand?
How Do We Manage Demand? Pricing
History of Transportation Demand Financial Incentives
Management at PBOT Direct Modal Services
Personal Security
Evolving PBOT’s Approach Right-of-Way Management
to TransportationDemand Land Use + Development
Management 22 Employer Commute Programs
Infrastructure Activation
Expand Beyond Information
and Encouragement Information + Encouragement
Develop and Refine Programs to Address
Structural Barriers for BIPOC, People with
Low Incomes, and People with Disabilities Where Do We Go From
Step Up Evaluation and Reporting Here? 68
Improve Intra-Agency and
Inter-Agency Coordination Early Actions
THE WAY TO GO PLAN: MOVING PEOPLE IN PORTLAND 3
Preface
Everyone who lives and works in Portland The Portland Bureau of Transportation
should be able to get where they need to go. (PBOT) is obligated and committed to
Mobility helps us reach jobs, stay connected helping people meet their mobility needs
to friends and family, and access important through accessible transportation options
services like health care. Employers need that get them where they need to go,
their employees to get to work, small including transit, active transportation, and
businesses need customers reach them, shared micromobility, like bike-share and
and freight needs to make deliveries free scooter-share. Helping people drive alone
of constant gridlock. In short, quality of less often, and use other modes more often,
life and economic prosperity depend on is called Transportation Demand Manage-
mobility. ment (TDM, demand management).
Mobility means different things to different The Way to Go Plan sets the foundation
people, and the private automobile cannot for PBOT’s demand management policies,
be the only option to meet those needs. Not projects, and programs. It defines strategic
everyone can drive and many people lack priority areas that will guide the bureau’s
access to a car. There is not enough room work to:
on city streets for every trip to be made by · Improve mobility for everyone through
car, and we’d all suffer from the additional air better access to and reliability of a wide
pollution, noise, expense, and traffic safety range of transportation options.
problems that would result.
· Remove burdens for Black, Indigenous,
and People of Color (BIPOC), people with
low incomes, and people with disabilities
for using transportation options, and
increase the use of those options.
· Reduce greenhouse gas emissions
by shifting drive-alone trips to more
environmentally-friendly modes.
PREFACE 5
PREFACE
Travel During an
Unprecedented Time
We cannot tell the story of mobility in Port-
land without acknowledging the impacts
of long-standing structural racism and the
COVID-19 pandemic that began in 2020.
Both have profoundly affected how people
move around our city. The following is a brief
summary of some of the ways COVID-19 and
the continued fight for racial justice impact
the movement and transportation decisions
of people in Portland. While some of these
impacts might be shorter-lived, and will
undoubtedly change as the public health
crisis subsides, others will only be addressed
by taking proactive steps to ensure equitable
and accessible mobility options.
6
COVID-19 Pandemic and its
Impacts on Travel
Transit ridership dropped
Oregon recorded its first COVID-19 case precipitously. According to TriMet’s data,
on February 28, 2020. On March 23, 2020 ridership decreased nearly 70% at its lowest
Governor Kate Brown issued a Stay at point (in April 2020), and ridership numbers
Home Order in an effort to help curb the remain low in early 2021.1
spread of COVID-19. With that order came
a sharp decline in travel across the state MARCH 13, 2020
COVID-19 is
and in Portland as people traveled only 2,500,000 declared a
Estimated Boardings
for essential jobs and trips like grocery national
2,000,000
emergency
shopping and medical appointments. As
1,500,000
the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded, travel
1,000,000
ebbed and flowed with the slow reopening
500,000
of stores and restaurants and subsequent
freezes and closures. Changes will continue JAN FEB MAR APR MAY
as schools in Portland re-open to in-person
learning. During the unique conditions of
the pandemic, PBOT, along with other local
agencies, collected data to help tell the story
Traffic volumes initially dropped, but
of how COVID-19 has impacted transpor-
are growing steadily. PBOT’s traffic volume
tation in the city. The data shared below is
data shows that traffic volumes dropped
not comprehensive, but it illustrates how a
significantly (30-50% depending on location)
global pandemic has impacted travel in Port-
over a two-week period starting March 16,
land and helps frame what we can learn.
2020, but have grown steadily and returned
to near pre-pandemic levels by the end of
2020.2
PREFACE 7
PREFACE
Trips on shared micromobility Recreational and weekend bike
decreased. In the months immediately riding rose. The Portland bridge bike
following the Governor’s Stay-at-Home count data (Hawthorne, Steel, Tilikum
Order, rides on Portland’s BIKETOWN Crossing and Sellwood bridges) showed
system and shared e-scooters significantly that weekend bike counts increased and
decreased. As of Spring 2021, ridership has weekday counts decreased compared to
returned to near pre-pandemic levels. 2019; this trend is in line with the change
we would expect in reduced travel to
downtown on weekdays3, and an increase
10k
in people using bikes for outdoor, socially
Number of BIKETOWN Trips
2019
2020
8k distant recreation or exercise.
6k
4k
2k
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
8
Looking Forward
Working from home increased. Roughly It is difficult to predict how post-pandemic
35-40% of the nation’s workforce transi- conditions will impact travel in Portland,
tioned to teleworking since the pandemic especially long-term impacts on shared
started, and an estimated 50% of the total modes like transit and carpooling. What we
workforce is teleworking as of early 2021.4 do know is that transportation is a major
source of greenhouse gas emissions and
transportation options remain vital for many
people in Portland, especially those that
35–40% work essential jobs in sectors that cannot
OF THE NATION’S WORKFORCE
TRANSITIONED TO TELEWORK be shifted to working from home. These
IN MARCH 2020
workers are more likely to be BIPOC, women,
and low-income.6 Moving forward, it is crit-
ical that PBOT, in collaboration with other
transportation agencies, work to address
the climate crisis by shifting away from a
reliance on single-occupancy vehicles, while
Traffic fatalities and serious traffic
also centering what we have learned about
crashes continued. Speeding increased
necessary travel as we move our work
in Portland and in communities across the
forward. Amongst many, we must consider
country as a result of stay-at-home orders
how to:
that reduced traffic congestion on our
streets. People appeared to take advan- · Prioritize essential workers in
tage of those conditions to drive faster and transportation programs
engaged in risky driving behavior, including · Prioritize community members who rely
street racing. Excessive speed and driving on transit (more likely BIPOC, women, and
under the influence of alcohol and other low-income workers)
drugs contributed to over half of 2020 · Support socially-distanced modes of
traffic deaths,5 and this trend has continued travel, such as biking and micromobility
into 2021. options, like bike-share and scooter-share,
for future resiliency
PREFACE 9
10
Continued Fight for Racial Justice
The other, and much longer-running, crisis Time and time again, whether in the 2018
that America continues to face is that of Walking While Black focus groups or in
racism and anti-Blackness7 that permeates conversations with community-based orga-
our policies, structures, and institutions. The nizations during the development of this
murder of George Floyd on May 29, 2020, plan, BIPOC Portlanders have shared that
sparked national protests and a local reck- they face the threat of harassment, discrim-
oning with renewed calls for racial justice. ination, and violence from law enforcement
officers, fare inspectors, and members of
In response, PBOT Director Chris Warner the public when walking, biking, and taking
put forth a bureau-wide commitment to transit. This has made some BIPOC commu-
“invest in anti-hate work and collab- nity members prefer driving or riding in
orate with community organizations private vehicles whenever possible, because
to better understand and respond to they feel it is the safest option for them.
the concerns elevated by the Black
community … to put us on the path to Even with an eventual return to pre-pan-
becoming a more inclusive and anti- demic travel patterns, we know that the
racist organization.” effects of individual acts of racism and
institutionalized racism still stand in the way
To do this work, we must acknowledge that of our goals. We cannot achieve mobility
disparities exist in our current transporta- freedom for all Portlanders without under-
tion system, programs, and policies. BIPOC standing the real experiences of BIPOC
communities have been telling us for years neighbors who face threats of harm in the
about the fundamental differences in how public right-of-way. The Way to Go Plan
Black people, Indigenous people, and other will not solve these issues, but it sets up a
people of color experience public space framework to guide proactive steps that
compared to white people, including the help all Portlanders enjoy safe, reliable, and
deadly impacts of police violence. affordable transportation options to meet
their mobility needs.
We cannot achieve mobility freedom for all
Portlanders without understanding the real
experiences of BIPOC neighbors.
PREFACE 11Introduction
Everyone needs to get where they’re going. Transportation Demand Management
And as Portland grows, traffic increases. describes policies, programs, and proj-
More cars lead to congestion and grid- ects that shift drive-alone automobile
lock, rising air pollution, and increased trips to walking, biking, rolling, and
greenhouse gas emissions, which in turn taking transit. This frees up space on
cause health and environmental problems. our streets for essential vehicle trips
Congestion makes it harder for people to get and freight trips. TDM increases these
to jobs, schools, and services and for goods more environmentally-friendly forms of
to be delivered. All of this does the most travel through incentives and disincen-
harm to low-income and BIPOC commu- tives to influence behavior.
nities, who frequently live further from
downtown and away from reliable travel This plan establishes the bureau’s demand
options, and are exposed to more environ- management vision and guiding principles,
mental pollution. We need a solution. and sets forth Strategic Priority Areas to
guide future investment and work areas.
INTRODUCTION 13INTRODUCTION
Advancing City Goals
The City of Portland, with partners at the regional and state level, has
policies that set ambitious mobility, climate, and equity goals. Further,
the core goals of the PBOT Strategic Plan are to make streets safe
for everyone, move people and goods, and manage the city’s assets
and infrastructure wisely, all while reducing carbon emissions and
advancing transportation justice. Better managing the number of
vehicles on our roadways will support all of these goals.
Climate Emergency
Resolution #37494
RESOLUTION No. 37494 As Amended
2035
Declare that along with the COVID-19 pandemic that has created a public health and
economic crisis, a human-made climate emergency also threatens our city, our region,
our state, our nation, humanity and the natural world, and that such an emergency calls
for an immediate mobilization effort initiating greater action, resources, collaboration
COMPREHENSIVE
and new approaches to restore a safe climate (Resolution)
WHEREAS, the City of Portland recognizes that frontline communities in Portland and
worldwide, including Black and Indigenous people, communities of color, immigrants,
refugees, low-income individuals, labor and workers, people living with disabilities,
PLAN
youth, and individuals experiencing homelessness are often the communities least
responsible for contributing to climate change, yet are disproportionately affected by its
impacts and will continue to bear a disproportionate burden; and
Photo: Connecting Communities. TriMet WHEREAS, the people from frontline communities have the fewest opportunities to
2015
change or benefit from the systems that impact them, including an economy that is built
LOCAL STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS
off slavery, colonialism, and the unsustainable extraction of natural resources, and they
JUNE
must be the ones that benefit first from the transition to a clean energy economy and be
CLIMATE CHANGE able to lead the planning and implementation efforts to address climate change; and
WHEREAS, Native Nations prioritize the balance between a sustainable environment
and the well-being of the people, as they have done for this land since time immemorial
and will do so in perpetuity to preserve their culture and protect traditional lifeways; and
WHEREAS, the City of Portland recognizes the value of the sovereign voice of Native
Nations and the importance of working in partnership with tribal leaders to uphold treaty-
reserved lifeways, traditional values, and cultural resources that are jeopardized by the
increasing threat of the climate crisis; and
WHEREAS, the City of Portland acknowledges that Indigenous, immigrant, and refugee
families in Portland are connected with communities in their homelands that are
experiencing or are highly vulnerable to the catastrophic impacts of climate change; and
WHEREAS, youth will inherit the legacy of our decisions on climate, and youth from
diverse backgrounds are organizing locally and worldwide to demand and support
climate justice and government action to mitigate the catastrophic impacts of the climate
emergency and to restore a safe climate; and
WHEREAS, the lifecycle impacts of fossil fuels pose risks to the health, livability, and
safety of local communities surrounding the fuels’ extraction, refinement, and
combustion sites, transportation routes, and storage facilities and those communities
are often disproportionately low-income and/or communities of color; and
WHEREAS, workers on the frontlines of climate change, such as day laborers,
UPDATED THROUGH
construction workers, and outdoor workers, should be provided with a climate-safe work
MARCH 2020
CITY OF PORTLAND, OREGON
1
City of Portland
Bureau of Transportation
The Way Moving to Our Future
to Go Plan
PBOT’s Strategic Plan
2019-2022
MOVING TO OUR FUTURE 2019-2022
March 2020
Ordinance No: 187832, 188177, & 188957
Amended by Ordinance No: 189848
1
Demand management is elevated in a number of city and regional policies
as one of the solutions to meeting our ambitious mobility, climate, and equity
goals. The Way to Go Plan is a step to operationalize these policy documents.
14Why Manage Demand?
Demand Management in
Building more and bigger roads is proven the Energy Sector
to lead to more car trips, induced demand,8 Demand management principles are
increasing air pollution, greenhouse gas well known in sectors beyond trans-
emissions, and traffic deaths.9 Rather than a portation. During the energy crises in
supply-side solution (building more roads), the 1970s, demand-side management
there is a more cost-effective, sustain- programs were prevalent to lower
able alternative: demand management. electricity demand. Reducing home
Managing demand for our roads means and business energy consumption
keeping the total number of car trips we allowed utilities to avoid the large
collectively make in check, and redistributing costs of building new generators and
the demand to non-peak hours to better transmission lines. These energy
manage the entire system performance. demand management programs
are widespread, even today in the
form of consumer incentives for
energy-efficient appliances, variable
pricing that encourages consumers to
shift their electricity use to off-peak
times, and real-time feedback on
energy consumption. Transportation
demand management is similar: it
looks for ways to reduce the amount
of car travel in our region, so that
we continue to meet mobility needs
even as the population grows, without
building expensive new roads that
increase transportation carbon emis-
sions and deadly traffic crashes.
INTRODUCTION 15INTRODUCTION
How Do We
Manage Demand? Pricing
Many transportation demand manage- Fees, charges, and tolls—designed
ment programs focus on initiatives that intentionally and equitably to manage
offer information and encouragement demand—send price signals that help
for people to try new modes (like transit people understand the true costs of
or biking). While these are important driving and encourage non-driving
tools, the city cannot reach its ambi- choices when possible. One example of
tious climate, mobility, and equity goals pricing is charging a daily rate for parking
with informational and encouragement your private vehicle.
programs alone.
To most effectively manage demand for
the city’s transportation system, PBOT Personal
needs a toolkit of strategies that address Security
the multifaceted nature of human travel
behavior, employing strategies that People need to be and feel safe when
reduce travel demand or redistribute taking transit, biking, walking, and rolling,
demand in space, in time, or by mode, so they don’t feel the need to travel in
including the following: their own enclosed vehicle for every trip.
Employer Commute
Programs
Commute trips to and from work are
generally longer, and more habitual,
than other kinds of trips. The majority of
commute trips also happen during the
most congested times of day. Working
through and with employers to influence
the ways their employees get to work
can be an effective and efficient strategy
to reduce drive-alone trips.
16Financial Direct Modal
Incentives Services
Especially in tandem with pricing, financial Increasing the number, frequency, and
incentives—such as discounted passes, reliability of transportation options,
subsidies, and reimbursements—make using like transit, bike-share, scooter-share,
travel options more cost-competitive, and car-share, and more, is essential to
can increase motivation to try new ways of decreasing the demand for private car
getting around. ownership and drive-alone trips.
Right-Of-Way Land Use +
Management Development
Projects are built and road space is Neighborhoods and developments are
allocated to prioritize non-driving modes planned, constructed, and managed in
to improve safety, accessibility, and ways that make it easier to walk, bike, roll,
reliability of the mode. and take transit.
Infrastructure Information +
Activation Encouragement
New infrastructure—such as bike lanes, People need to know about their
crosswalks, sidewalks, and transit stops—are transportation options, and they need
delivered in tandem with culturally appro- to feel confident and comfortable using
priate community outreach, education, non-driving modes of travel.
and other support that shape final projects
and create spaces that enable more people
to experience the first-hand benefits of
walking, biking, rolling, and taking transit.
INTRODUCTION 17INTRODUCTION
Financial
Pricing
Incentives
Information + Direct Modal
Encouragement Services
Equitable
Mobility &
Managing
Demand
Infrastructure Personal
Activation Security
Employer Right-of-Way
Commute Programs Management
Land Use +
Development
We know that work under all nine Strategic Priority Areas will be vital to effectively
manage demand and achieve our equitable mobility goals. By understanding how
strategies under each area interact and reinforce each other, we can be more
strategic, aligned, and efficient in achieving our outcomes.
18INTRODUCTION 19
History of Transportation
Demand Management at PBOT
PBOT engages with large SMARTTRIPS DOWNTOWN
employers to increase transit launches, coinciding with
usage to remedy Portland’s TRAVELSMART piloted the construction of the MAX
violation of the CLEAN AIR ACT. in Multnomah Village. Green line.
TRANSPORTATION PBOT launches SMARTTRIPS BUSINESS
OPTIONS DIVISION SMARTTRIPS program. and SMARTTRIPS
formed at PBOT. RESIDENTIAL programs
launched.
SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL First SUNDAY PARKWAYS
Program begins. opens the city’s largest
public space—its
streets—for people to
walk, bike, and roll.
20The PBOT Strategic Plan
MOVING TO OUR FUTURE
makes TDM and mobility-
related policies, programs,
and projects central to the
work of the city.
Transportation Options PBOT launches PBOT launches the
Division reorganizes as the Portland’s bike-share PRICING OPTIONS FOR
ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION system, BIKETOWN. EQUITABLE MOBILITY
DIVISION. (POEM) project.
SMARTTRIPS NEW PBOT launches the BIKETOWN transitions
MOVERS launches. TRANSPORTATION to e-assist bikes and
WALLET program. expands service area.
City adopts ACTIVE
VISION TRANSPORTATION
ZERO AND SAFETY DIVISION
POLICY. brings TDM, Safe Routes
to School, micromobility
management, and Vision
Zero into a single team.
PBOT initiates its SHARED
ELECTRIC SCOOTER pilot.
21Evolving PBOT’s Approach
to Transportation
Demand Management
Photo credit: MetroPBOT has been recognized nationally for Developing The Way to Go Plan gave PBOT
nearly two decades for its transportation the opportunity to reflect on its demand
demand management policies, projects, management work to-date and to look for
and programs. Yet, the city is not close to opportunities to evolve, update, or change
meeting its mode share or vehicle miles that approach to more effectively advance
traveled (VMT) reduction goals. PBOT needs the mobility, climate, safety and equity goals.
to be smart, bold and assertive in embracing Through research, exploration, data anal-
the demand management strategies that ysis, and outreach, a number of opportunity
have demonstrated the ability to significantly areas for evolving the demand management
reduce transportation-related carbon emis- work started to emerge.
sions. These strategies must also reduce the
structural barriers faced by BIPOC, people
with low-incomes and people with disabilities.
Transportation Emissions
in Multnomah County
Emissions caused by transportation in Multnomah County would have to drop dramatically (orange and yellow lines)
to meet our adopted climate goals of 50% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and 100% reduction by 2050.
The dark blue bars show that we are not on track to achieve this reduction, unless we make big changes to how Portland
manages transportation.
Baseline Emissions to Date 50% by 2030 0% by 2050
4,000,000
Emissions (CO 2e metric tons)
3,000,000
2,000,000
1,000,000
1990 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030 2035 2040 2045 2050
EVOLVING PBOT’S APPROACH TO TRANSPORTATION DEMAND MANAGEMENT 23EVOLVING PBOT’S TDM APPROACH
Expand Beyond Information
and Encouragement
PBOT’s signature and longest-lasting Expanding the “demand management
transportation demand management toolbox” beyond information and encour-
programs—including SmartTrips and Sunday agement will create a more comprehensive
Parkways—are based on encouragement range of options and offer more effective
principles. Encouragement programs aim to tools for each situation and audience. Using
overcome perceived barriers by providing a combination of strategies, for example,
information, building confidence, and helping subsidized transit passes and pricing parking
people have a positive experience with spaces to pay for those passes is most
walking and bicycling. effective at reducing VMT and the use of
non-drive alone modes.
While encouragement approaches have a
role to play—particularly when used at the
right time to enhance major capital proj-
ects and programmatic activities—PBOT
also needs to use stronger behavior change
tools.
Encouragement strategies are most effective
in tandem with programs that reduce struc-
tural barriers, such as:
· Efforts to directly reduce the cost
of using travel options and/or use
pricing to regulate demand, capture
true costs to the system, and fund other
non-driving options
· Efforts that improve the facilities and
services for travel options (such as
street redesigns and regulating parking
for major institutions, developments, and
employers)
24Develop and Refine
Programs to Address
Structural Barriers for
BIPOC, People with Low
Incomes, and People with
Disabilities
One way to operationalize equity work at
PBOT is to continue to build and strengthen
relationships with community-based orga-
nizations and community leaders to better a real barrier to riding transit and using
serve BIPOC, people with low incomes, and micromobility, and for many people, even a
people with disabilities. In the past few years, discount program may not be sufficient to
intentional efforts to actively engage BIPOC make a given mode affordable. Additionally,
communities have yielded new insights into safety issues are also top of mind—both
the systemic disparities that exist in Port- traffic safety and personal safety, including
land’s transportation system. impacts of racial hostility from law enforce-
ment and other road users. Community
One clear message is that PBOT’s existing displacement and upheaval related to
demand management programs seldom gentrification add new mobility challenges
address the actual barriers to using and strain community bonds. These issues
transportation options faced by BIPOC, cannot be fixed through education and
people with low incomes, and people encouragement alone.
with disabilities.
Demand management programs must be
Generally, these groups of people already co-created with communities affected by
drive less than other demographic groups transportation disparities. These programs
and have personal experience with the must be grounded in PBOT’s commit-
ongoing barriers to using various transporta- ments to acknowledge past harms, reduce
tion options.10 When BIPOC, people with low disparities, and build power in communities
incomes, and people with disabilities don’t to dismantle unjust systems. It is PBOT’s
use transit, active transportation, and micro- responsibility to remove barriers to equi-
mobility (like bike-share and scooter-share), table and accessible mobility, wherever
the reasons tend to be structural. Cost is those barriers exist.
EVOLVING PBOT’S APPROACH TO TRANSPORTATION DEMAND MANAGEMENT 25EVOLVING PBOT’S TDM APPROACH
Step Up Evaluation
and Reporting
Demand management has a central role overall impact of demand management on
to play in supporting PBOT’s goals and in system-wide outcomes, such as reducing
creating a healthy and just economy in the VMT. Reporting should include ongoing
region. A more integrated and comprehen- tracking, such as dashboards focused on key
sive approach to monitoring and evaluation performance measures. To support better
will help PBOT understand its return on evaluation, a customer relationship manage-
investments. Rigorous, ongoing monitoring ment (CRM) system is needed to coordinate
and evaluation also provide feedback about between different programs, to track
how programs can be continually improved communication and engagement of program
to be more effective. This should include participants, and to allow for longer-term
ongoing monitoring and evaluation by evaluation.
program evaluation experts to gauge the
26Improve Intra-Agency and
Inter-Agency Coordination
Transportation demand management is a calls for even greater visibility, coordination,
key strategy to meet PBOT’s goals around and integration of transportation demand
safety, moving people and goods, asset management work throughout PBOT and
management, climate and transportation other city bureaus.
justice. As such, demand management work
is an essential function for the entire bureau. Finally, PBOT should also continue to
work closely with other local agencies,
In designing and delivering demand manage- including Oregon Department of Transpor-
ment programs, projects, and policies, tation (ODOT), Metro, TriMet, Multnomah
staff should work across the bureau, from County, surrounding city governments, and
active transportation & safety to planning community-based organizations to provide
to parking management to communications coordinated and efficient services and
to development review. The Way to Go plan programs.
EVOLVING PBOT’S APPROACH TO TRANSPORTATION DEMAND MANAGEMENT 27Vision & Guiding
Principles
Photo credit: MetroThe Way to Go Plan vision statement spells out what we intend to achieve through
our demand management work. We further articulated principles to guide the way will
organize our demand management activities. We will continually re-visit our vision and
guiding principles when deciding what to prioritize and what actions to take.
Vision Statement Guiding Principles
PBOT strives to IMPROVE MOBILITY FOR The PBOT Strategic Plan directs us to ask
EVERYONE while decreasing the number of two fundamental questions in all that we do:
drive-alone trips and reducing vehicle miles
traveled to:
Will it advance equity and
Improve quality of life and health address structural racism?
Advance racial equity and address
structural racism
Will it reduce carbon emissions?
Reduce carbon emissions
Enable opportunities for economic
growth and prosperity
As we pursue our demand management
Use public resources wisely and vision and implementing policies, projects,
efficiently and programs, we are adding specificity,
where we ask:
Reduce traffic deaths
Are we REDUCING STRUCTURAL
PBOT will meet this goal by being: BARRIERS to using transportation
COLLABORATIVE, both within the options for Black, Indigenous, and People
bureau and with partner organizations of Color, people with low income, and
people with disabilities?
INNOVATIVE and continually seeking
best practices Are we REDUCING VEHICLE MILES
ACCOUNTABLE and TRANSPARENT TRAVELED in Portland?
in decision-making
DATA-INFORMED in adjusting policies
and programming
VISION & GUIDING PRINCIPLES 29Strategic Priority Areas
The following Strategic Priority Areas offer a framework for how to organize current and
future demand management policies, programs, and projects. They will guide the bureau’s
work to deliver on our demand management vision and principles.
Personal Employer Commute
Pricing Programs
Security
Financial Right-Of-Way Infrastructure
Incentives Management Activation
Direct Modal Land Use + Information +
Services Development Encouragement
Each Strategic Priority Area includes the
following information:
Objectives: What do we hope to Existing PBOT Work: Past, current, and
accomplish through this strategy area? near-term PBOT efforts in this strategy area
Theory of Change: What are our Implementation Recommendations:
assumptions about the mechanism by which Notes on how to successfully deliver
this strategy area supports our goals? How programs under this strategy area, based on
do we believe this works?11 peer research
Potential to Reduce Vehicle Miles Complementary Policies and
Traveled (VMT): How big do we think the Strategies: Synergy with other Strategic
impact will be on reducing VMT?12 Priority Areas
Potential to Reduce Structural As Seen Elsewhere: Noteworthy efforts
Barriers for BIPOC, People with Low in this strategy from other communities
Incomes, and People with Disabilities:
How strongly do we think this strategy Potential Partnerships: Organizations
helps to address known structural barriers in the Portland region who have a stake in
(such as price, access to mobility, and/or and/or may need to be involved in the work
incidences of harassment or violence) for under this strategy area, or whose participa-
identified populations?13 tion will be helpful for success
STRATEGIC PRIORITY AREAS 31STRATEGIC PRIORITY AREAS
Pricing
Pricing refers to strategies that involve charging
people for driving or using roadway space. It can
be tied to parking or particular roads or areas,
or charged based on the amount of miles driven.
These charges can also vary based on different
factors, such as levels of congestion, time of day,
vehicle occupancy, or type of vehicle. Other cities
have effectively used pricing to reduce congestion,
cut pollution, and manage demand for road space.
Pricing can also generate funds to reinvest in a
more equitable and lower-emission mobility future.
32Theory of Change Potential to Reduce
Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT):
Because driving on most of our transporta-
tion system is free, drivers are unaware of
the true cost single-occupancy, combustion
engine trips have on our roads, our commu- Potential to Reduce Structural
Barriers for BIPOC, People with
nities, and our climate. Helping people
Low-Incomes, and People with
realize the true cost of driving through price Disabilities:
signals that reflect driving’s negative exter-
nalities can prompt them to make different
choices.
Pricing shows potential to reduce structural
Sending a price signal to drivers can help barriers for using transportation options by:
alleviate congestion by encouraging drivers · Improving the efficiency and reliability of
to switch trips to walking, biking, transit, and/ our transportation system, making it easier
or carpooling; driving at a different time of to move people and goods. Our inefficient
day; or combining trips together. A price system today disproportionately burdens
signal can take many forms, including paying those who have fewer transportation
to park, paying to enter a congestion zone, options and have been displaced from
paying per mile driven, and fees on different centers of jobs and services.
commercially operated trips, like Lyft/Uber
· Helping reduce vehicle miles traveled,
or on-demand deliveries.
which can improve climate, health, and
safety outcomes.
Objectives · Generating funding to reinvest in building
facilities, creating services, and providing
Apply pricing tools more inten-
information that residents and visitors
tionally to improve mobility,
need to get where they need to go by
address the climate crisis, and
every mode.
advance equity for people
historically underserved by the
transportation system
Invest pricing revenue in multi-
modal improvements that will
reduce traffic, manage demand,
advance equity, and make the
system more sustainable in the
long term
STRATEGIC PRIORITY AREAS 33STRATEGIC PRIORITY AREAS PRICING
Existing PBOT Work Implementation
Pricing Options for Equitable Mobility Recommendations
(POEM) Task Force Engagement: The Pricing strategies need to be developed
POEM project started with a question: should with input from community members
we use pricing strategies more intentionally
throughout Portland. Cities that have
in Portland to create a more equitable,
implemented large-scale pricing programs
sustainable transportation system? This
developed with community input often
project will have a recommendations report
see public support dip right before
in summer 2021, which will inform next steps
and potential future work. implementation, but once benefits are
realized, there is a rebound in approval
Area Parking Permit and Transportation ratings for a project.
Wallet in Parking Districts: In two
Local and regional stakeholders must
Area Parking Permit Program locations, a
surcharge is assessed to the base parking have a say in decisions about how
permit price. That surcharge is used to help potential pricing revenue is reinvested.
subsidize a package of transportation options Discounts, exemptions, or rebates must
incentives available to anyone who lives or be provided to ensure low-income drivers
works in the designated parking district. The are not disproportionately burdened,
pricing strategy is used to manage demand while still achieving demand management
through a price signal, and the revenue is outcomes.
utilized to offer financial incentives. PBOT
has replicated the Transportation Wallet (the Technology and payment systems must
financial incentive package) in a few other be designed to reduce barriers for
areas, but this is the only one that is done in individuals with limited access to bank
coordination with parking pricing. accounts. These systems should also
include strong privacy and enforcement
Performance-Based Parking
protections.
Management Manual 2018: With
Resolution 37204 (April 2016), City Council
directed PBOT to develop a Performance-
Based Parking Management Program, based
on adopted parking policies, accepted
performance targets, and defined program
parameters. The purpose of this Parking
Management Manual (PMM) is to translate
policy into operational guidelines.
34As Seen Elsewhere
Complementary Strategic
Other cities are effectively using pricing Priority Areas
strategies to reduce congestion, cut pollu-
tion, and manage demand for road space. Employer Commute
Programs
· Parking Pricing: Most major cities in
the United States price parking as a way
to manage parking demand and send Financial Incentives
targeted price signals to encourage
parking turnover and use of other
non-driving modes. Information +
Encouragement
· Cordon or Area Pricing: Internationally,
London, Milan, Singapore, and Stockholm,
have implemented a congestion pricing Land Use +
zone, or a clean air zone, in the central Development
city; the results were dramatic in achieving
VMT reductions. Cities in the United Infrastructure
States like Chicago and New York are Activation
considering a central congestion zone for
all vehicles. Right-of-Way
· TNC Pricing and Fees: Chicago has Management
implemented a demand- and impact-
based fee for Transportation Network Direct Modal
Companies (TNCs) like Lyft and Uber Services
with prices associated with number of
passengers, peak hours, and where trips
begin and end.
Potential Partnerships
· Investing Revenues: Revenues from
· ODOT
pricing schedules are most often invested
into improving public transportation · Metro
frequency and facilities. · Community-based organizations
· Technology companies and parking
operations companies
STRATEGIC PRIORITY AREAS 35STRATEGIC PRIORITY AREAS
Financial
Incentives
Financial incentives and subsidies can change the
context in which people make their transporta-
tion decisions. They can help counterbalance the
many hidden subsidies that make driving appear
easy and less expensive, and they can reduce the
barrier of cost that disproportionately burdens
BIPOC, people with low incomes, and people with
disabilities. Incentives and subsidies can also
be powerful tools to overcome habits and the
status quo bias.14 Examples of financial incen-
tives and subsidies may include rewards for using
non-drive-alone modes and discounted or fully-
paid transit pass programs.
36Theory of Change Potential to Reduce
Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT):
Financial incentives can reduce drive-alone
trips by:
· Making non-driving modes more
Potential to Reduce Structural
economically appealing and competitive Barriers for BIPOC, People with
compared to driving Low-Incomes, and People with
· Reducing “friction” in the process of using Disabilities:
transit and other mobility options (e.g.,
by allowing people to simply get on the
bus rather than figuring out the fare and Reducing or eliminating the costs of using
finding exact change, thus making the transportation options (such as transit fares
experience easier and less stressful). or the purchase price of a bicycle) directly
reduces a primary and commonly expressed
In some cases, people may also feel the barrier for BIPOC Portlanders. Financial incen-
desire to “get their money’s worth” or not tives alone, however, will not address other
lose out on the value of a received incentive important structural barriers (such as infra-
(e.g., an employer-provided transit pass), structure, safety, or accessibility concerns) and
which can also cause an individual to change may bring about other barriers (such ease of
behavior. access to those financial incentives).
Objectives
Reduce financial barriers to using
non-driving transportation options
Equalize the cost of using transportation
options relative to driving
Incentivize trying new transportation
options as a step towards behavior change
STRATEGIC PRIORITY AREAS 37STRATEGIC PRIORITY AREAS FINANCIAL INCENTIVES
Existing PBOT Work Implementation
Recommendations
Transportation Wallet in Parking
Develop programs that allow flexibility
Districts: The Transportation Wallet is
in the options people can use will be
a collection of passes and credits for
useful to a broader range of people. For
use on transit, streetcar, bike-share, and
example, Santa Monica, CA encourages a
scooter-share funded by parking permit
flexible ‘transportation wallet’ approach
surcharges collected in two parking districts.
that offers an allowance rather than
The package is offered for sale at 87% off
continually having to update the program
the retail costs of the transportation passes,
to reflect emerging new mobility options.
or for free in exchange for giving up an
on-street parking permit. The program also Design financial incentive programs that
offers Transportation Wallets for free to account for a variety of delivery methods
people who qualify for TriMet’s Low Income to reach the intended audience; this
transit fare, and to frontline workers in the includes considerations for people who
Northwest Parking District. are unbanked or who have limited access
to smartphone applications.
New Housing Transportation Wallet:
Consider sustainable and consistent
This program is funded by a fee developers
funding sources that do not work against
pay when they are issued a building permit,
VMT and mode shift goals.
and goes towards financial transportation
incentives, like transit or bike-share, for new
residents that move into the building.
Transportation Wallet for Afford-
able Housing: This pilot program in 2019
partnered with seven affordable housing
providers to provide a package of trans-
portation options incentives for nearly 500
residents in participating housing develop-
ments. The Transportation Wallet consisted
of a prepaid credit card loaded with $308
that could be used on transportation
services like transit, e-scooter-share, bike-
share, and ride-share.
38As Seen Elsewhere Complementary Strategic
Priority Areas
A study in Boston, MA found that providing
a 50% discount card to low-income travelers Employer Commute
led to them taking more transit trips, including Programs
more trips to health care and social services.
Information +
A study in British Columbia showed
Encouragement
that low-income employees are more likely
to switch to transit if they receive subsidized
Land Use +
transit passes, especially when their employer
Development
does not provide free parking as a benefit.
Boulder, CO, has a “neighborhood eco-
Pricing
pass” program that offers residents access
to bus passes at a discount similar to that
provided by large employers.
Direct Modal Services
The Columbus, OH, Downtown C-pass is a
program that provides free unlimited access to
the bus system for 30,000 eligible downtown
employees. Potential Partnerships
· TriMet
Contra Costa County, CA offers rebates of
· Micromobility companies
$150-300 to individuals who purchase e-bikes,
with 50% of rebate funds reserved for low-in- · Car-share companies
come residents. · Community-based organizations
and service providers
STRATEGIC PRIORITY AREAS 39STRATEGIC PRIORITY AREAS
Direct Modal
Services
We cannot expect people to drive
less if there aren’t sufficient options
available to get people where they
want to go. A variety of transportation
options must be readily available for
people to use to match the trip they
need to take. Therefore increasing the
number, frequency, and reliability of
transportation options like transit,
bike-share, scooter-share, car-share,
and more is essential to decreasing
demand for driving.
40Theory of Change Potential to Reduce
Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT):
People need reliable, available, and afford-
able transportation options near where they
are and where they are going. Ensuring there
are a variety of reliable, available, and afford- Potential to Reduce Structural
Barriers for BIPOC, People with
able transit lines, bike-share bikes, or other
Low-Incomes, and People with
modes may increase the likelihood that Disabilities:
people will use that mode.
People worry about getting stranded when
they consider using a mode other than Direct modal services strategies show
driving. Having multiple available options can potential for reducing structural barriers if
help people worry less and feel more confi- developed and implemented with a focus on
dent that they can get where they need to reducing barriers to signing up for, paying
go, even if something unexpected happens. for, and using the various transportation
services.
Objectives
Increase the offerings, including
frequency, reliability, and hours of
operation, of transportation options
across the entire city
Reduce the barriers to sign-up
and use
Provide accommodations to serve a
variety of ages and abilities
STRATEGIC PRIORITY AREAS 41STRATEGIC PRIORITY AREAS DIRECT MODAL SERVICES
Existing PBOT Work Car-share: After the abrupt closures of
ReachNow and car2go in the late 2019, PBOT
BIKETOWN expansion: In September 2020,
worked to enable the return of free-floating
PBOT and Lyft launched a new fleet of 1,500
car-share to Portland in 2021, increasing
pedal-assist electric bikes for BIKETOWN,
mobility options and reducing car owner-
Portland’s bike-share system. BIKETOWN’s
ship.
service area expanded to 32 square miles,
including its first expansion into East Port- PDX WAV: A program that makes reliable,
land, encompassing the Jade District and safe vehicle-for-hire services more easily
portions of Lents, Powellhurst-Gilbert, and accessible to people using mobility devices.
the Gateway area.
Transportation Network Companies
E-scooters: PBOT has conducted two (TNCs) and Taxis: PBOT regulates the oper-
e-scooter pilot programs, which have shown ation of TNCs, like Lyft and Uber, and Taxi
that e-scooters can help advance city goals companies in Portland. Based on research
for mobility, climate, equity, and safety. PBOT and observed data, the use of TNCs has
is currently setting up a long-term e-scooter increased VMT, especially in the Central
program that will bring one to three City. Therefore, PBOT does not consider
e-scooter providers to our city. the promotion of using TNCs to be a strong
demand management tool; however, the
Streetcar operations and potential
use of TNCs and taxis can provide mobility
expansion: The Portland Streetcar is part of
access for essential trips in areas and at
Portland's public transit system and oper-
times that aren’t well served by transit and
ates in coordination with TriMet.
other transportation options. Addition-
ally, TNCs and taxis can be used in safety
Tram operations: The Portland Aerial Tram
programs, like PBOT’s Safe Ride Home
is part of Portland's public transit system
Program, that offers discounts on taxi and
and operates in coordination with TriMet
TNC rides on certain holidays like New Year’s
and Portland Streetcar (City of Portland).
Eve and St. Patrick’s Day, where we see an
increase in drunk driving, so people can
leave the driving to a safe and sober driver.
42Implementation Complementary Strategic
Recommendations Priority Areas
Develop partnerships with transportation
Employer Commute
service providers to increase the offerings
Programs
of transportation options across the entire
city, especially outside of the central city.
Develop solutions to address barriers Financial Incentives
to accessing and using transportation
options, particularly around app-based
transportation services. Information +
Encouragement
Provide cash options to serve unbanked
and underbanked populations.
Identify ways these modes can contribute Pricing
to city goals, and craft regulations, service
agreements, and/ or contracts to support
Right-Of-Way
those goals. Require data collection and
Management
evaluate their performance, modifying the
regulations to achieve better outcomes
and reduce unintended negative Land Use +
externalities. Development
Infrastructure
Activiation
As Seen Elsewhere
In recent years, King County Metro in Potential Partnerships
Seattle, WA revamped their transit · TriMet
network by focusing on increasing the
· Micromobility companies
frequency of bus routes (to decrease waiting
times) and ensuring various routes worked · Car-share companies
together (to improve transfers and connec-
tions to other routes). The focus on rider
experience and transit reliability are two
contributing factors to an increase in
ridership. STRATEGIC PRIORITY AREAS 43STRATEGIC PRIORITY AREAS
Personal
Security
Time and time again, PBOT staff hear that one of
the primary barriers to using active transporta-
tion and transit is that people, especially those
in Portland’s BIPOC communities, are not safe
in the streets.15,16,17 Nationwide, people of color
are harassed, attacked, arrested, and murdered
just for using space in the street. This consistent
threat looms large in the mind of some BIPOC
Portlanders each time they or a family member
step into our streets. White Portlanders do not
have this experience nearly as often.
44Theory of Change
People need to be and feel safe when
taking transit, biking, walking, and rolling,
or they will feel the need to travel in their
own enclosed vehicle for every trip. For
those without access to a car, they will
avoid taking a trip or switch to other times
of day when there is less risk (e.g., during
the daytime) if they feel unsafe. There is no
one thing that will make everyone be and
Objectives
feel safe. Therefore, it will take a stronger Redefine safety to include
commitment from PBOT to invest in proj- freedom from emotional, psycho-
ects, like street lighting; programs, like logical, and physical harm for
active bystander trainings; and policies, like community members who iden-
removing armed police from traffic enforce- tify as BIPOC, LBGTQIA+, and
ment, to make advancements toward a people with disabilities
more safe environment for people moving
about the city. Center the real-life experience
and voices of BIPOC in strategies
and potential solutions
STRATEGIC PRIORITY AREAS 45STRATEGIC PRIORITY AREAS PERSONAL SECURITY
Existing PBOT Work Implementation
Transportation Justice Framework:
Recommendations
PBOT is developing a Transportation Justice Seek out, compensate, and center the
Framework, which will articulate a shared real-life experiences and voices of BIPOC
definition of transportation justice and in strategies and potential solutions.
include tools to keep the bureau accountable
Understand how other agency partners,
to its goal of becoming an anti-racist
like TriMet, ODOT, and Portland Police
organization.
Bureau affect outcomes in the street.
Beyond Traffic Safety: In the past, PBOT’s Understand the role that policing and
safety work has focused largely on addressing other enforcement plays in violence
collisions between vehicles and people towards BIPOC.
traveling on Portland streets, even though
Invest in flexible funding mechanisms for
solving for traffic violence doesn’t address
community led initiatives.
many threats BIPOC Portlanders encounter
on Portland’s streets, such as discriminatory Multi-sector collaboration with related
policing, hate crimes, or a hostile or fields such as public health, schools,
indifferent traveling public. Beyond Traffic community service organizations, and
Safety looks into the reasons for and impacts others.
of this narrow focus on safety while pointing
the way to the more inclusive approach
Portland needs to adopt to achieve its safety,
climate, and equity targets.
Active Transportation & Safety Division
(ATS) Safety Messaging Campaign: We
know that Portland’s Black, Indigenous,
Latinx, and other communities of color are
disproportionately unsafe from incidents of
violence and harassment in public spaces.
This toolkit is one avenue for ATS staff to
amplify existing community partners and
resources to address some of the most
pressing personal security issues in Portland.
46Complementary Strategic
As Seen Elsewhere Priority Areas
We Walk: Black Walking Initiative
from Oregon Walks: Financial Incentives
https://oregonwalks.org/we-walk/
Transit agencies in Portland, Seattle, Information +
and San Francisco have decriminalized Encouragement
fare evasion; SFMTA (in San Francisco) uses
unarmed inspectors (who have received
Infrastructure
training in de-escalation and anti-bias strate-
Activation
gies) to conduct fare enforcement rather than
contracting with uniformed police officers.
Meanwhile, LA Metro (in Los Angeles) has Land Use +
teams of social workers engaging with home- Development
less people on transit agency property to
connect them to resources.
Right-of-Way
Management
During San Francisco’s Western Addition
Community-Based Action Plan, neighbor-
hood residents were asked where they
wanted to see lighting installed; SFMTA then Potential Partnerships
compared that input with crash reports,
· TriMet
transit night service, and crime reports to
decide where lighting should be prioritized · ODOT
for equity outcomes. · Other City of Portland bureaus
· Community-based organizations
STRATEGIC PRIORITY AREAS 47STRATEGIC PRIORITY AREAS
Right-of-Way
Management
A key to managing demand is managing the
current right-of-way space in an efficient manner
by reallocating space to prioritize sustainable and
safe movement of people and goods. Instead of
building more, we are using our limited resource
more efficiently to move more people, by a variety
of modes, in the same amount of right-of-way
space. Sample strategies include reallocating
vehicle lanes to transit-only lanes and bike lanes,
as well as shared use spaces.
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