Portland
can lead in environmentally-friendly transportation
options.
Portlanders think of transportation as an interconnected
system of “multi-modal” methods where people move
from one place to another. They value transportation
because it helps them stay connected to each other and
the places they love in Portland, but they also worry
about the effects of transportation on the environment,
which they cherish. Portlanders imagine a future in
which travel is safe, convenient, stress-free, affordable
and low-impact or even no-impact on the environment.
They therefore advocate for expanding mass transit services
and increasing the use of alternative methods of transportation,
including cycling and walking.
At the same time, many Portlanders recognize that cars
(whether gas-running, bio-fuel or electric) will not
disappear any time soon and that transportation planning
must be realistic in acknowledging this. They advocate
for innovative, “out of the box” thinking and a system-approach
in the pursuit of transportation options that work equally
well for drivers, cyclists, pedestrians and mass transit
users from all sections of the city. When it comes to
transportation, Portlanders are surprisingly passionate;
they interface with transportation every day and its
impact on their lives is enormous. Portlanders see transportation
as a key quality of life issue and expect the City to
address transportation issues proactively, thoughtfully
and creatively.
- Transportation
should be thought of as a single, integrated system.
- Transportation
issues have a direct impact on quality of life.
- Portland should be a leader
in the promotion of environmentally-friendly transportation
options.
- Transportation planning
should be proactive and creative.
- Transportation
should be thought of as a single, integrated
system.
- The majority of people want to see a system
approach taken to solving transportation issues.
- People express frustration over a system
that feels like it has been pieced together,
rather than designed from the start to work
as an integrated whole.
- Frequently-cited system issues include:
- MAX lines that are not connected to
nearby neighborhoods via busses, streetcars
or other forms of public transit (and
that lack parking which would allow neighbors
to drive and park their car);
- Bus routes that work well between neighborhoods
and downtown, but poorly between the suburbs
and downtown or between Northeast and
Southeast neighborhoods; and
- A general lack of integration between
bus routes, streetcar routes, and MAX
lines.
- Improvements in transportation should
not affect just one or two modes, but
rather should have a system-wide effect.
- Transportation
issues have a direct impact on quality of
life.
- People use transportation every day, and
therefore want it to be easy and stress-free.
- People want to spend as much time as possible
doing the things they enjoy and as little
time as possible in their cars or on public
transportation.
- Transportation issues like road conditions,
traffic light synchronization, cleanliness
of the MAX, efficiency of bus routes and the
safety of bike lanes can directly enhance
or detract from people’s quality of life.
| “[In
2030] lots of intelligence and money have
gone into designing and maintaining the
road ways, so a ten minute trip to the
store does not end in road rage and a
commute to work leaves you feeling like
a human being at the end.” |
- Portland
should be a leader in the promotion of environmentally-friendly
transportation options.
- People are worried about peak oil and population
growth and want Portland to prepare by focusing
on transportation infrastructure now and reducing
or eliminating dependence on fossil fuels.
- Portlanders are aware of the adverse effects
of transportation on the environment in the
forms of pollution and the consumption of
fossil fuels.
- Many people appreciate the alternatives
to driving that Portland offers and advocate
for the expansion of these alternatives, especially
mass transit.
- Many people think Portland should lead the
way in promoting environmentally sustainable
forms of transportation such as cycling, walking
and mass transit powered by clean, renewable
forms of energy.
| “I
love that you don’t need a car to live
in Portland. You can bike/streetcar/max/tram
anywhere you need to go in town, including
the airport. It just amazes me.” |
| "[In
2030] we lead the country in creative
ways for people to get from one place
to another in the city.” |
- Many people suggest finding more
ways of educating the public on transportation
options and the effects of these options on
the City and environment.
- Transportation
planning should be proactive and creative.
- Portlanders desire creative ways of addressing
transportation issues and want the City to
embrace innovative technology and planning
approaches.
- Thinking out of the box is vital to building
a stronger, more nimble system of transportation.
- Portlanders want to anticipate and prevent
issues such as traffic, rather than reacting
once the situation has become intolerable.
They point to cities such as Seattle as examples
of what can happen when transportation issues
are neglected for too long.
- Portlanders want the city to promote alternative
methods of transportation while at the same
time planning realistically for the continued
use of automobiles.
| “[In
2030] most people get around by bike and
transit most of the time…When you need
to drive, the roads aren’t clogged.” |
 | 
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
