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Regional Travel Options grants

Planning and conservation  ›  Urban development and revitalization  ›  Expanding transportation choices  ›  RTO grants

Regional Travel Options grants support projects to reduce the number of people driving alone, improve air quality and address community health issues.

The Regional Travel Options grant program provides federal transportation funds to support projects that improve air quality, address community health issues, reduce auto traffic and create more opportunities for walking and biking.

Regional Travel Options is no longer accepting applications. Grants have been awarded for the 2011-2013 cycle.

The 2011-2013 projects were selected through a competitive process. Awarded projects advanced active transportation, improved air quality and showed a strong evaluation component. A total of $533,000 was available. The awarded grants below will begin July 2011 and continue through 2013.

2011-2013 awarded regional projects

Bicycle Transportation Alliance - Bike Commute Challenge, $27,500
The BTA's Bike Commute Challenge is a month-long competition that engages hundreds of workplaces and thousands of individuals across the Metro-area in a competition to see who can get the most people biking to work. The BTA provides outreach to Metro-area workplaces. This project will reach more than 331,822 people in the Metro region.

Regional Travel Options and partner agencies - Cash for Commuters incentive program, $60,000
Cash for Commuters will motivate 435 drive-alone commuters to switch to sustainable modes through a small, daily cash incentive offered for a 60-day period. The project will establish new commute behaviors that continue after the incentive period ends. Each Travel Options partner will be eligible to recruit participants. This model is based on successful projects in Atlanta, Denver and Los Angeles.

TriMet - Open Trip Planner, $75,000
Launch initial beta version of the open source multi-modal trip planner system to increase mode share for bike, walk and transit trips. 

2011-2013 awarded local projects

City of Forest Grove - Forest Grove bicycle parking shelters, $45,000
The project will install covered bicycle parking at three locations in downtown Forest Grove, strategically selected to serve Pacific University, the downtown area, and two busy TriMet bus stops. The facilities will also support bicycle travel to a restricted vehicular parking zone. The shelters will help increase the viability of biking as a travel option in Forest Grove.

City of Tigard - Downtown Tigard walking map and way-finding system, $25,000
This project will develop and implement a comprehensive way-finding system for Downtown Tigard. The project will include way-finding signage for pedestrians around downtown and the Fanno Creek Trail. A walking map of downtown Tigard will also be created. The main objectives are to overcome pedestrian barriers (Highway 99W and Hall Blvd.) and to increase connections from the Tigard Transit Center to other downtown services and activities.

City of Wilsonville/SMART - Wilsonville Sunday Parkways, $53,414
Modeled after the successful "Portland Sunday Parkways" events, Wilsonville Sunday Parkways will focus on connecting neighborhoods and people: bicyclists, walkers, runners, seniors, adults and children will enjoy traffic-free streets. The primary goals are to reduce auto trips and improve air quality, increase the health and activity of residents, increase awareness and to raise acceptability of bicycling and walking as modes of travel. This project will reach about 20,000 people.

Community Cycling Center - Communities in Motion: Increasing Capacity for Active Transportation, $34,086
The Community Cycling Center will continue to work with residents at affordable housing sites and partner agencies to design and deliver new programs that specifically address barriers to bicycling identified in the Understanding Barriers to Bicycling Project assessment. The goal of the project is to foster new champions of active transportation within low-income communities of color by creating distinct avenues for youth and adults to take on leadership roles through bike safety programs in their neighborhoods.

Housing Authority of Portland - Regional Work Source, Transportation Mobility Counseling, $60,000
A regional housing and transportation mobility counselor will provide individualized services to participants who enroll in a collaborative pilot providing rental assistance, case management, and workforce training to low-income households. Assistance will include identification of specific transit, carpool, bicycling and pedestrian options, clear calculations that show the combined cost of housing and transportation under various housing choice scenarios, and assistance locating and securing location-efficient housing.

Lloyd Transportation Management Association - Lloyd Links, $30,000
Lloyd Links is the Lloyd TMA’s individualized marketing and outreach program. The two primary goals of Lloyd Links are to obtain new alternative transportation users and retain existing users. The project will reach about 23,000 in the Lloyd District.

OPAL - East Portland Community Bus Stop Assessment, $63,000
The project will increase the number of transit rides and walking by residents of low-income communities and communities of color in East Portland, while decreasing the number of single-occupancy vehicle trips. The project will identify, assess and prioritize improvements to transit stops along major bus routes serving East Portland; educate East Portland transit riders on issues of connectivity with community assets and positive health outcomes; develop and foster strong partnerships with East Portland Action Plan and community stakeholders.

Tualatin Hills Parks and Recreation - THPRD Trails to Transit and Beyond, Way-finding System, $60,000
THPRD will create a new trail way-finding and signage program that will increase the number of residents who walk, roll, bicycle or combine with public transit instead of taking single occupancy vehicles. The way-finding program will be supplemented by an outreach campaign that will include in-person community outreach, commuting classes, printed maps and a website. This project will reach more than 20,000 people.

2009-11 Regional Travel Options grants

Bicycle Transportation Alliance - $25,000
Support the bike commute challenge, workplace vs. workplace, to see which business, non-profit or public agency can get the most people biking in September.

City of Gresham - $50,000
Install a network of pedestrian and bicycle way-finding signs to aid travelers in finding the locations of local amenities and facilities.

City of Portland Transportation - $50,000
Support the new Sunday Parkways on North and Northeast Portland to provide a car free environment.

City of Tigard - $20,000
Update the outdated Tigard area bike map from 1983.

Community Cycling Center - $78,625
Increase awareness and acceptability of bicycling as a transportation option among minority and low-income participants in North and Northeast Portland by creating a culturally specific program to meet their needs.

Lloyd TMA - $41,445
Lloyd Links program provides Lloyd employees with links form their residence to Lloyd area work sites through personal and direct assistance.

TriMet Bike Park - $50,000
Installation of 22 electronic-access bike lockers at Beaverton Transit Center.

TriMet Trip Planner - $68,930
Test the usability of an open source multi-modal trip planner system to increase mode share for bike, walk and transit trips during peak commute hours and reduce drive alone trips.

Swan Island TMA - $28,000
Reduce vehicle miles traveled by encouraging Swan island employees to relocate to adjacent neighborhoods in North and inner Northeast Portland by helping residents to find job and career opportunities on Swan Island.

Westside Transportation Alliance Carefree Commuter Challenge - $38,000
A metro-wide auto trip reduction program to help workplace transportation coordinators motivate employees to walk, bike, carpool, van pool or take transit.

Westside Transportation Alliance Bike Rack - $15,000
The Bike Racks for Commuters program will make 35 staple racks available to businesses that participate in the Westside Transportation Alliance's Westside Commuter Club.

Wilsonville SMART - $80,000
Expansion of the SMART OPTIONS program by hiring a bike and pedestrian coordinator who will implement priorities set forth by City of Wilsonville's Bicycle and Pedestrian Transit master plan.

2007 to 2009 Regional Travel Options grants

Bicycle Transportation Alliance - $40,000
Expand participation in Bike Commute Challenge in Portland area by 50 percent through website improvements and expanded outreach to large employers.

City of Lake Oswego - $5,000
Study the feasibility of car sharing in downtown Lake Oswego.

City of Portland Transportation Options and City of Milwaukie - $65,000
SmartTrips Milwaukie individualized marketing to 3,400 households in Milwaukie (bounded by city boundary to the north, Southeast Stanley and 45th Avenue to the east, Southeast King and Harrison, Monroe and Washington to the south and Highway 99 to the west).

Clackamas County, Department of Transportation and Development - $35,218
Update and print Clackamas County bike map, collect data on cycling routes in Clackmas County and on suitability of all roadways for cycling.

Gresham Regional Center Transportation Management Association - $11,000
Bike helmet giveaways in conjunction with the Teddy Bear Parade, a family event in downtown Gresham, and installation of additional bike racks in downtown.

Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) Partnership - $10,000
Create walking program toolkit and provide technical assistance to local jurisdictions and non-profit organizations to increase the capacity of these groups to develop and implement walking programs and campaigns.

Portland State University Transportation and Parking Services - $50,000
Long-term secure, enclosed bike parking structure located on the east end of campus

Swan Island Transportation Management Association - $30,000
North Portland Location Efficient Living Project - Promote housing opportunities in North Portland to Swan Island employees and promote job opportunities on Swan Island to North Portland residents to reduce single-person auto trips and commute trip length.

Westside Transportation Alliance - $40,000
Expand Carefree Commuter Challenge outreach in Washington County focused on Beaverton, Hillsboro and Washington Square and support regional implementation of campaign by other Transportation Management Associations (TMAs) in the region.

Westside Transportation Alliance in partnership with Portland Community College Workforce Training - $60,000
Training for Employer Transportation Coordinators to build employer capacity to provide travel options programs to employees.