The Portland metropolitan region is the trade and transportation gateway and economic engine for the state of Oregon.
A regional freight strategy is important because the movement of freight and goods transcends local jurisdictional boundaries, and includes multiple modes, employment and industrial centers, economic clusters and important regional and local freight access and delivery points.
Updating a Regional Freight Plan adopted in 2010, the new strategy will provide a coordinated vision and approach for enhancing freight and goods movement and prioritizing freight investments based on clear priorities.
Project timeline
Phase 1: Project start up – May to December 2015. Describe project purpose, identify partners, develop work plan.
Phase 2: Regional freight trends and challenges – January to March 2016. Document existing system conditions, key trends and challenges, update existing data.
Phase 3: Regional freight vision, policies and needs – April 2016 to February 2017. Update freight vision and supporting policies and tools, update freight needs, update evaluation framework.
Phase 4: Shared regional freight investment strategy – March 2017 to December 2018. Inform project list development for 2018 Regional Transportation Plan, evaluate performance, update freight investment strategy and action plan.
Phase 5: Adoption – 2018. Release draft strategy for public review, adopt final Regional Freight Strategy as part of 2018 Regional Transportation Plan.
Getting involved
A freight strategy work group will be convened in 2016 and 2017 to advise Metro staff and review draft materials and analysis. Work group members include topical experts, Portland Freight Committee members, TPAC and MTAC members or their designees, and staff from the City of Portland, larger cities in the region, Clackamas County, Multnomah County, Washington County, Port of Portland, Port of Vancouver, Regional Transportation Council, Federal Highway Administration and Oregon Department of Transportation.
Additional engagement activities are yet to be scheduled, but will take place throughout 2016 through 2018 as part of the 2018 Regional Transportation Plan update.