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Planning for bikes

Planning and conservation  ›  Urban development and revitalization  ›  Regional Travel Options  ›  Planning for bikes

A network of bicycle routes is one way Metro plans to provide a balanced range of transportation choices.

Bicycling is an important way to get around the region

People in our region value the ability to choose among many transportation options, including the bicycle. Planning for future bicycle use is not only a good idea, it's the law! Regional bicycle planning responds to state and federal directives that require balanced transportation systems. Providing a network of safe and convenient bikeways is one more way the region plans to provide a range of transportation choices.

Whether you're going to work or school, to shop or visit friends, riding your bicycle is a great way to get around your community. Bicycling links people to neighborhoods, parks, jobs and to other modes of travel, while also:

• producing no air or noise pollution
• reducing traffic congestion and parking demand
• saving energy by reducing the consumption of petroleum
• providing mobility for those who are too young or can't afford to drive.

What Metro is doing to promote bicycling in the region

Metro's eighth edition Bike There! map, which shows commuter and recreational bicycling routes in the region, is available for $9 at bike shops, book stores and other retailers. It is printed on durable, waterproof paper. Learn more about Bike There!

The Regional Framework Plan establishes the guidelines for growth management and transportation planning outlined in Metro's 2040 Growth Concept. It includes bicycling as an important component of the regional transportation strategy. In many ways, the bicycle can be considered the "2040 vehicle of choice" because it can be used for short trips to the central city, regional centers and town centers and within those areas. Learn more about 2040

The Regional Transportation Plan is intended to implement the 2040 Growth Concept by providing more and better transportation choices to the diverse mix of destinations throughout the region. There are four key goals pertaining to bicycle use in the plan:

• provide a regional network of safe and convenient bikeways, including bike lanes, multi-use paths and bicycle boulevards
• increase the number of bicycle trips throughout the region
• ensure that transportation projects use appropriate design guidelines to accommodate bicyclists
• encourage bicyclists and motorists to share the road safely.

Bicycles figure prominently in Metro's efforts to plan, fund and implement a regional trail system. For example, 14 miles of the Springwater Corridor have been completed, beginning east of McLoughlin Boulevard near Tideman Johnson Park and continuing east through Gresham to just past the Clackamas County line. This multi-use trail serves hundreds of thousands of commuters and recreational trail users each year. The westernmost portion of the trail, from OMSI to Southeast Umatilla near the Sellwood Bridge, was completed in 2002.

A history of bicycle planning

We're not starting from scratch. The Columbia Region Association of Governments (Metro's predecessor) published "A Bikeway Plan for the Columbia-Willamette Region" in 1974. The Regional Bike Plan has been updated and included within the Regional Transportation Plan, most recently in 2000. For the past 20 years, Metro has produced the Bike There! map, available at bicycle shops and bookstores throughout the region.

Need assistance?

John Mermin
503-797-1747
john.mermin@oregonmetro.gov

Related Links

2035 Regional Transportation Plan

Learn about the adopted update to the region's plan for a safe and reliable transportation system. View ordinances, supporting documents and other publications developed throughout this four-year effort.

Regional trails and greenways system

Find out about the ambitious effort to establish a network of regional trails and greenways that connect the cities, centers, parks, natural areas and neighborhoods of the region.

Regional vision: The 2040 Growth Concept

This region is admired across the nation for its innovative approach to planning for the future. Our enviable quality of life can be attributed in no small measure to our stubborn belief in the importance of thinking ahead.

Related Internet links

• Bicycle Transportation Alliance website

  (http://www.bta4bikes.org/)

• Community Cycling Center

  (http://communitycyclingcenter.org/)

• City of Portland Bike Program

  (http://www.portlandonline.com/transportation/index.cfm?c=34772 )