Recent Streetsblog CHICAGO posts about Portland

Portland's plan would give high ridership bus routes dedicated lanes, signal priority at intersections, and other features that will speed service. Photo: City of Portland

Portland Has a Plan to Do for Buses What It Did for Cycling

By Angie Schmitt | Jun 23, 2017 | No Comments

Portland officials are developing a plan for a network of "Enhanced Transit Corridors," carving out space in the street for buses so vehicles with 30 passengers aren't stuck in a quagmire of vehicles carrying just one.

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Is Portland Losing Its Resolve Against Highway Expansions?

By Angie Schmitt | Apr 5, 2017 | No Comments

In the 1970s, some American cities revolted against highway expansion and kept the worst excesses of the interstate construction spree in check. Those cities tend to be the most walkable and transit-oriented places in the nation today. But in Portland that legacy is in jeopardy.

Even Portland still pours most of its regional transportation money into highways. But a new advocacy coalition is calling for change. Photo: Bike Portland

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Portland Advocates Won’t Settle for Business-as-Usual Highway Spending

By Angie Schmitt | Mar 23, 2017 | No Comments

Advocates in Portland are challenging the region's business-as-usual approach to transportation planning. They're sick of roads getting most of the funding pie, while transit, biking, and walking get crumbs.

Former Active Trans director Rob Sadowsky, who was let go yesterday from Portland's Bicycle Transportation Alliance. Photo courtesy of Sadowsky

Rob Sadowsky Discusses Why He Left Street Trust, Isn’t Returning to Chicago

By John Greenfield | Jan 11, 2017 | 3 Comments

Former Active Transportation ALliance director Rob Sadowsky was let go from his post leading the Bicycle Transportation Alliance. Contrary to a tip we received, Sadowsky is not returning to Active Trans.

Portland's new Mayor, Ted Wheeler, rode his bike to work Tuesday despite the 25 degree weather.
Starting the day off with a bike ride will put a smile on your face, even in 25 degree weather. Photo: Ted Wheeler via Twitter

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Despite Cold, Portland’s New Mayor Biked to Work on First Day

By Angie Schmitt | Jan 4, 2017 | No Comments

It was 25 degrees, and it wasn't a photo op.

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Portland Wants to Rethink Speed Limits By Factoring in Walkers and Bikers

By Angie Schmitt | Aug 25, 2016 | No Comments

For cities trying to get a handle on traffic fatalities, dangerous motor vehicle speeds are an enormous problem. Once drivers exceed 20 mph, the chances that someone outside the vehicle will survive a collision plummet. But even on city streets where many people walk and bike, streets with 35 or 40 mph traffic are common. Cities looking […]

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The Key Human Factors That Can Lead Any City to Transform Its Streets

By Tanya Snyder | Aug 4, 2015 | No Comments

How did Portland get to be a national model for sustainable transportation and walkable development? Yes, Mayor Neil Goldschmidt stopped the Mount Hood Freeway from being built in 1974 and began negotiations that eventually led to the implementation of the urban growth boundary. But Goldschmidt didn’t do it alone. Grassroots activists from a group called […]

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Transit Can Cut Car Traffic Much More Than Ridership Alone Suggests

By Angie Schmitt | Oct 1, 2014 | No Comments

How much traffic does a transit line keep off the streets? Looking at ridership alone only tells part of the story, according a new study published in the Journal of the American Planning Association. The full impact of a transit line on motor vehicle traffic can far exceed the direct effect of substituting rail or bus […]

Does Chicago Deserve to Be Ranked the Nation’s Second Best Bike City?

By John Greenfield | Sep 5, 2014 | 8 Comments

When I heard that Bicycling Magazine gave Chicago second place in its “America’s Best Bike Cities” ratings, just behind New York and two slots above Portland, I was puzzled. However, I’m starting to warm up to the idea that our city and NYC deserve credit for taking bold action to improve cycling. Few people would […]

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Portland Tackled Disabled Parking Placard Abuse, and It’s Working

By Angie Schmitt | Aug 6, 2014 | No Comments

Disabled parking placards used to be ubiquitous in Portland. Until very recently, the city provided unlimited free street parking to placard holders, estimated at a $2,000 annual value. Many cars bearing these placards would remain in prime spots for weeks or months without moving. In some parts of the city, cars with placards would occupy […]

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Study: Drivers Less Likely to Yield for Black Pedestrians

By Angie Schmitt | May 23, 2014 | No Comments

You’ve heard the expression “driving while black?” Perhaps “walking while black” is a thing, too. A new study, by researchers from Portland State University and the University of Arizona, indicates racial biases play a role in how pedestrians are treated on the roadway. The researchers observed as six subjects — three white men and three […]

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