Regional Transportation Plan

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As the metropolitan planning organization for the Portland metropolitan area, Metro is authorized by Congress and the State of Oregon to coordinate and plan investments in the transportation system for Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington counties.

2014 Regional Transportation Plan (individual chapters provided below)
Last published: Sept. 11, 2014
Download pdf: 69.99 MB

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Getting there: the 2018 Regional Transportation Plan update

Metro is working with local, regional and state partners and the public to update our region's shared vision and strategy for investing in the transportation system for the next 25 years.

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Every four years, Metro is required to update the Regional Transportation Plan, a guide for future investments in the region's transportation system.

The plan establishes policies and priorities for:

travel by motor vehicle, transit, foot and bicycle
movement of goods and services
street design and the efficient management of the overall system

Each update is shaped by growth forecasts in population, jobs and travel. The plan also evaluates federal, state and local funding for transportation improvements, estimates project costs and proposes funding strategies.

Transportation alternatives such as transit, walking and bicycling are included in the plan, as are commuter rail and vanpools, telecommuting, ridesharing and other programs to reduce demand on the transportation system.

From the Regional Transportation Plan come specific plans and projects and the funding to complete them:

Recent and future updates

In June 2010 the plan was given a major update, termed the 2035 Regional Transportation Plan. In July 2014, it was updated again. This limited update will serve as a springboard for more discussion and updates in 2018.

Amendments

In between full updates the plan can be amended to respond to changing local conditions and newly adopted plans. To be eligible to build a project with federal funds, a project must first be amended into the RTP. In 2013, these proposed projects from local jurisdictions amended the RTP:

City of Beaverton
City of Hillsboro
City of Portland
East Metro Connections Plan
Oregon Department of Transportation
Washington County

The 2014 Regional Transportation Plan update builds on the adopted transportation plans of cities and counties across the region. By including city, county and agency priority projects, safety recommendations, an active transportation plan and freight updates, the region will add to a long tradition of collaborative planning to provide a variety of ways to get around our growing region.

Working together we can provide safe and reliable transportation choices in the places we live, work and play. Through focused investments in our downtowns, main streets and employment areas we can reduce congestion, build new sidewalks and bicycle facilities, improve transit service and maintain freight access.

These limited updates will act as a springboard for more discussion for changes in the 2018 RTP update.

The 2035 Regional Transportation Plan, adopted in 2010, recommends how to invest more than $20 billion in anticipated federal, state and local transportation funding in the Portland metropolitan area between 2010 and 2035.

The plan focuses on outcomes and achieving the shared regional values described in the 2040 Growth Concept – a publicly supported vision for directing growth toward downtowns and main streets, major travel corridors and employment areas.

These outcomes are to:

promote jobs and create wealth in the economy
reduce greenhouse gas emissions
improve safety throughout the transportation system
promote healthy, active living by making walking and bicycling safe and convenient
move freight reliably and make transportation accessible, affordable and reliable for commuting and everyday life
promote vibrant communities while preserving farm and forest land

The 2035 RTP update was completed in two steps:

An RTP that met federal timelines, fiscal requirements and new requirements in the Safe, Accountable, Flexible and Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users. It was approved by the U.S. Department of Transportation on Feb. 29, 2008. 
A final RTP that meets regional, state and federal planning requirements. It was approved in June 2010 and includes:

the first high-capacity transit plan since the early 1980s, outlining priorities for future investments in an expanded light rail network, bus rapid transit and other high capacity transit corridors
a regional freight plan that looks at how freight can move more efficiently through the region's transportation system
the first comprehensive plan for transportation systems management and operations to optimize investments already made
the first climate change action plan to address how integrating transportation investments, land use policies and other strategies can reduce greenhouse gases
performance measures to link transportation investments to reducing the region's carbon footprint, job creation, protecting the urban growth boundary and enhancing travel options.