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Active Transportation Program

Planning and conservation  ›  Regional planning and policy  ›  Regional Transportation Plan  ›  Active transportation

Find out how Metro and partners across the region are working to complete the regional active transportation network.

Active transportation refers to non-motorized transportation modes, such as bicycling and walking, that are well integrated with public transportation. People are more active when they ride a bike, walk or take public transportation.

Metro is working with regional partners to increase the region's effectiveness in development and secure funding for the region's network of on-street and off-street bikeways and walkways integrated with transit and supported by educational programs.

The Active Transportation Program was developed to implement the recommendations of the Blue Ribbon Committee for Trails.

Download the recommendationsDownload the case for active transportationLearn more about the committee

The Intertwine

Active transportation is part of The Intertwine, the region's network of trails, parks and natural areas. Trails and greenways can provide seamless, green and safe experiences for riding a bike or walking, making them an important part of the active transportation network.Visit The Intertwine

A regional plan for active transportation

Metro will begin developing the Active Transportation Plan (ATP) in early 2012. The plan will engage the public and partners across the region to identify the region's principal active transportation network to increase and enhance opportunities for walking, riding a bike and using public transportation. Active transportation connects people to school, work, essential services and other destinations. The plan will include a framework for implementation and funding priorities. 

Members of the Executive Council for Active Transportation Members of the Stakeholder Advisory Committee Download a copy of the ATP organizational chart Download a copy of the scope of work for the ATP Download a draft timeline of tasks for the ATP Download a copy of the active transportation Opt-in poll resultsDownload a fact sheet on the ATP

Metro recently conducted an Opt-In poll on active transportation. This poll provides information on needs and priorities for the region. Click here to see the results.

Active Transportation Council

The Active Transportation Council is a group of business and civic leaders with the mission to champion the completion of the region's active transportation network. The Active Transportation Council was formed to implement the recommendations of the the Blue Ribbon Committee (BRC) for Trails, convened by Metro in May 2008. The BRC was charged with determining whether the region should increase its commitment to active transportation and, if so, to design a strategy for investment that would achieve significant results. The committee found that active transportation offered significant potential for the region and recommended that the region build a set of premier, high performing projects in "urban," "suburban" and "urban to nature settings" as a way to demonstrate the economic, environmental and public health outcomes that can be achieved.

Download a list of members
Download the mission statement

Active Transportation benefits health and saves money

There is a growing body of research that confirms the strong link between the built environment, transportation, physical activity and health. People that bike and walk for daily trips are less likely to be overweight and less likely to suffer from chronic diseases and mental depression. There are also quantifiable cost benefits associated with active transportation – everything from lower health care costs, savings in fuel and other transportation costs and increased property values.

Dr. Lawrence Frank, the Bombardier Chairholder in Sustainable Transportation at the University of British Columbia and Senior Non-resident Fellow of the Brookings Institution, is one of the leading researchers in the field of active transportation and health. He presented at Metro on November 4, 2011.

Download slides of Dr. Frank's Nov. 4 presentation at Metro Click here for a link to Dr. Frank's website for more information

Highlighting partners in active transportation

Local jurisdictions, non-profits and other groups and organizations across the region are completing projects and plans to complete the region's active transportation network. Look here for highlights of these projects that are making the region a more active place.

With the Connecting Clackamas project Clackamas County has worked with its local partners to identify high priority, regional bikeway projects throughout Clackamas County. The purpose of this project is to highlight the connected active transportation network that will be created as these projects are funded. 

Visit the Connecting Clackamas website 

Demonstration projects

Local jurisdictions and partners have identified active transportation demonstration projects that will provide seamless, safe, enjoyable and efficient walking, biking and transit connections across the region.

View the proposed demonstration projects

2009 Transatlantic Active Transportation Workshop

Why do European cities choose to invest in bicycling and walking? What does it take to have 30 percent of trips made by bike? Why do American companies locate their European headquarters in walkable and bikeable cities? These and other questions were examined during a three-day workshop in late 2009. The German Marshall Fund, the Executive Council for Active Transportation and Metro invited experts from Europe in bicycle and pedestrian planning and policy to come review the region's active transportation corridors and discuss what is needed to take the region to the next level of active transportation.

Active transportation application for TIGER funds

The Metro Council requested $98 million in federal stimulus funds in October 2009 to invest in innovative bicycling and walking projects. The first round of TIGER grants were awarded on Feb. 17, 2010. The Metro application was not awarded this round.

Metro's application, the Portland Area Active Transportation Initiative, included projects in the cities of Hillsboro, Portland and Milwaukie and in unincorporated Clackamas County. When completed, the projects will create links to transit service and employment areas, and demonstrate how levels of walking and cycling in urban, suburban and rural areas can be increased through the creation of safe and convenient places to bike and walk. The projects will create family wage jobs and reduce traffic congestion, transportation costs, air and water pollution, global warming and the cost of health care.

The proposal builds on decades of groundwork to achieve breakthrough levels of bicycling and walking and will advance the vision of a regional Active Transportation Partnership, a coalition of organizations working to enhance and protect the region's quality of life and health.

The Transportation Investments to Generate Economic Recovery (TIGER) grants is a program of the U.S. Department of Transportation has $1.5 billion available nationally.

Download the TIGER Grant application

Related Documents

• Active Transportation Corridors pamphlet 949K Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published September 28, 2011
• Call for active transportation demonstration projects 645K Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published September 28, 2011
• Principles for Active Transportation 235K Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published September 28, 2011
• TIGER grant for active transportation 5.7M Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published September 28, 2011
• Blue Ribbon Committee final report and recommendations 1.6M Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published September 29, 2011
• The case for active transportation 1.9M Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published September 29, 2011
• Active Transportation Council mission statement 124K Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published September 29, 2011
• Metro TGM grant application for regional active transportation plan 5.7M Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published October 12, 2011
• Dr. Lawrence Frank Nov. 4 presentation 6.8M Adobe Acrobat PDF
• ATP draft timeline 330K Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published December 22, 2011
• ATP Fact Sheet Jan 2012 323K Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published February 3, 2012
• ATP Scope of Work 503K Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published February 3, 2012
• Stakeholder Advisory Committee for ATP 6K Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published February 3, 2012
• Executive Council for Active Transportation members 6K Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published February 3, 2012
• ATP Organizational Chart and Decision Making Process 247K Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published February 3, 2012
• Active transportation Opt-in poll 695K Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published February 3, 2012

Related Internet links

• The Intertwine

  (http://www.theintertwine.org)

• Connecting Clackamas

  (http://bikewalkclackamas.org/joomla/)

• Bicycle Transportation Alliance

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

• Willamette Pedestrian Coalition

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

• The Community Cycling Center

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

• City of Portland Bike Program

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

• Walkable Communities

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

• NACTO Urban Bikeway Design Guide

  (http://nacto.org/cities-for-cycling/design-guide/)

• TriMet Pedestrian Network Analysis Project

  (http://trimet.org/projects/pedestrian-network.htm)