Planning for pedestrians
Planning and conservation › Urban development and revitalization › Regional Travel Options › Planning for pedestrians
Regional pedestrian planning focuses on making walking safe, convenient and accessible to all, particularly in downtown areas and along major transit corridors.
Walking is the most basic and reliable form of transportation. Virtually everyone is a pedestrian for at least a part of every trip. Walking accounts for a significant share of travel within neighborhoods, to parks, to jobs and to most trips using transit. Increasing numbers of people walk for exercise and health benefits. In neighborhoods that have good sidewalks and access to transit, more than 20 percent of all travel is by walking.
The Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) envisions a transportation system that makes walking safe, convenient and accessible to all and addresses the need for continuous sidewalks and safe pedestrian crossings. The plan defines key policies to direct regional planning and investment in the walking environment. More about the Regional Transportation Plan
RTP policies focus on providing safe, continuous and direct connections between destinations such as transit, home, schools and shopping areas. In particular, the policies place a priority on improving the walking environment in those parts of the region with high or potentially high pedestrian activity and frequent transit service. The goal is to increase the number of people who walk for short trips and to improve pedestrian safety and access to transit.
Metro's livable streets program provides tools to design safe and healthy streets. Walking for short distances is an attractive option for most people when safe and convenient pedestrian facilities are available. Pedestrian elements such as benches, curb extensions, marked street crossings, landscaping and wide planting strips, combined with adequate sidewalks and curb ramps, make walking an attractive, convenient and safe mode of travel. More about livable streets
Regional sidewalk inventory
In 2001, Metro and TriMet partnered to create a comprehensive inventory of sidewalks, traffic signals and marked crosswalks in the Portland metropolitan region. The inventory can be used in local, regional and state planning efforts to improve access to transit. TriMet and Metro collected sidewalk data from a variety of sources, including jurisdictional records, local transportation system plans, aerial photography and data gathered in the field.
The inventory is available at no charge on Metro’s FTP site. Use your web browser to go to Metro’s FTP site and click on “sidewalks.” The data is available in a table that can be used with GIS software and joined to Metro’s RLIS street centerline file and geographically displayed and analyzed.
TriMet has used the completed inventory to find opportunities to develop partnerships and coordinate with cities, counties and other agencies to construct pedestrian projects throughout the region. TriMet’s five-year Transit Investment Plan is the framework for these partnerships.
Metro is using the inventory to monitor implementation of the Regional Transportaion Plan and to work with cities and counties to identify potential projects for future allocations of Regional Flexible Funds. Updates to the inventory will be tied to periodic updates of the plan. More about Regional Flexible Funds
Need assistance?
Amy Rose
503-797-1776
amy.rose@oregonmetro.gov