The year is coming to an end, but the effort to put the Regional Transportation Plan into practice continues as multiple projects move forward. Check out how Metro is working with partners, community members, businesses and governments to work toward a future where no matter where you live or where you’re going, you can have safe, reliable and affordable options to get there.
2023 Regional Transportation Plan published
Adopted by the Joint Policy Advisory Committee on Transportation and the Metro Council last November, the 2023 Regional Transportation Plan and executive summary are now available. Transportation agencies in greater Portland will use the goals and policies in this plan prioritize projects and investments. Visit the website to explore online maps of the projects, regional networks, high injury corridors and equity focus areas and download the full plan or individual chapters and appendices. Check out the final document.
Metro staff have also developed guidance and other resources to support local implementation of the plan. These resources complement other resources being developed by state agencies that aim to support implementation of statewide transportation planning rules adopted by the Land Conservation and Development Commission in 2022.
Share your feedback on actions for reducing climate pollution—now through Jan. 6, 2025
Greater Portland’s natural beauty and quality of life makes it special, and we want to preserve it for future generations. But climate change is threatening people’s health, our communities and our natural areas. Metro is working with governments, businesses and residents in the Portland-Vancouver metropolitan area to chart a wise course for the future. That means protecting the things we love about this place, including combating climate change. You can help!
The region’s Comprehensive Climate Action Plan will identify actions that can combat climate change. The actions in the plan need to be ones that governments, businesses and community organizations can lead—such as making it easier to get around without driving, reducing the amount of energy used by our homes and buildings and making it easier to repair and reuse products. These actions not only fight climate change. They can also create new jobs, save people money, clean the air and improve quality of life for everyone, including the region’s most vulnerable community members, who are disproportionately harmed by pollution and high energy costs.
How: visit the online open house
When: Now through January 6, 2025
Learn more about the Comprehensive Climate Action Plan process.
Share your feedback on Metro’s transportation planning process—now through December 13, 2024
Metro is the federally mandated metropolitan planning organization designated by the governor to develop an overall transportation plan for greater Portland and to allocate federal funds for the region. The Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration are conducting a certification review of Metro’s transportation planning process. These reviews are required at least once every four years. Your input can help shape the future of the MPO planning process.
How: review the online open house materials and send comments to the contact provided
When: until December 13, 2024
$1.1 million federal grant received for safe routes to school
Metro and its partners brought home $1.1 million in funding from the federal Safe Streets for All Grant Program. The grant will support safety investments near schools and provide students with skills and tools to walk and roll to seven schools in North Portland. The schools include five elementary schools, George Middle School and Roosevelt High School. Project partners include Portland Public Schools, City of Portland Bureau of Transportation, Oregon Walks, Community Cycling Center, and Portland State University's Transportation Research and Education Center.
With this grant funding, a variety of activities are planned for the next three years starting in July 2025. Lessons learned from the projects at these schools will be shared through Metro's regional Safe Routes to School network. This collaboration will expand the impact of the grant to safe routes to schools across greater Portland.
Interested in funding safe routes at your school? Read about Metro’s mini-grants and micro-grants that support public schools and parent teacher organizations.
82nd Avenue transit project approved by the Federal Transit Administration
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has officially approved Metro’s 82nd Avenue transit project to enter into the project development phase of the federal Capital Investment Grants (CIG) Small Starts program. This moves the region one step closer to faster, more reliable transit service along 82nd Avenue. In addition to local sources, federal grant funding is a critical piece of funding to complete the project. Metro and TriMet are currently working closely with community and agency partners to develop a locally preferred alternative for bus rapid transit on 82nd Avenue in Portland. With this approval from FTA, project costs are now eligible for a future CIG funding match.
Regional Flexible Fund Allocation – Step 2 application window closes
The time has come to decide how to move our transportation priorities forward through a new round of regional flexible funds – money from the federal government that can be used for a range of transportation projects across the greater Portland region.
The 2028-30 regional flexible fund Step 2 allocation process is underway. Metro accepted applications from regional partners – cities, counties and parks districts – from September 6 to November 22, 2024. The amount available for Step 2 is in a range of $47 to $60 million. Now that the call for projects has come to an end, Metro will evaluate how the projects align with the region's funding priorities and provide risk assessments of the submitted projects.
Stay tuned for more about the 2028-30 Regional Flexible Funds Allocation process.
Metro kicked off the Community Connector Transit Study earlier this summer. During the Regional Transportation Plan update, community members, partners and leaders raised concerns about certain areas in the region lacking access to bus service. Community connector transit is a type of public transportation that typically uses smaller vehicles (think shuttles or vans) to get people to work, school, shops, the doctor or parks.
The study will explore how community connector transit solutions could expand the network and improve transit in areas with limited access. Visit the project website early next year for a survey opportunity to tell us where community connectors would make it easier to get to your destinations!
Regional Emergency Transportation Routes (Phase 2) kicks off
Phase 2 of the Regional Emergency Transportation Routes project, co-led by Metro and the Regional Disaster Preparedness Organization (RDPO), recently launched. RETRs are the routes to be used in the immediate aftermath of an emergency event – the first few days – for rapid damage assessment, debris-clearance and facilitating lifesaving and life-sustaining response activities.
Phase 1 of the project, completed from 2019 to 2021, evaluated potential routes based on connectivity, resilience and equity criteria to establish a regionally accepted network of RETRs for the five-county Portland-Vancouver metropolitan region. Phase 2 will develop a methodology to tier/prioritize the routes defined in phase 1. In the coming year, Metro and RDPO will host workshops to engage with both technical experts and community-based organizations to help develop and refine the tiering methodology.
Learn more about the Regional Emergency Transportation Routes project.
The new MetroMap app is here, with improvements to this trusted tool long used by both professionals and the public. For nearly 25 years, the MetroMap app has been a vital resource for city partners, planners, developers and the public. The new version features enhanced accessibility, better device compatibility, new data layers and improved accessibility.
Explore the new MetroMap.
Safe Streets for All project team brings localized high injury corridor data to partners
The Metro Safe Streets for All project team recently launched the high injury corridors explorer and story map. These tools provide access to high injury corridor GIS (Geographic Information System) data. The tools are supporting jurisdictions and communities working to prioritize systemic, corridor-wide Safe System treatments on high injury corridors.
Check out the story map and explorer.