After years of signaling its intent, it appears as though the City of Portland is getting serious about ditching its auto-centric level-of-service (LOS) metric with one that evaluates multiple modes, reports Jonathan Maus.
Last week the City of Portland issued a request for proposals [PDF] for a consultant to update the city's transportation performance standards. Why is this significant? Like most cities around the country, Portland is burdened by performance standards that rely on an automobile-oriented level-of-service evaluation as the basis for, "determining the adequacy of transportation services in
development review applications and volume-to- capacity (v/c) measures
that are used in project and system planning."
According to the RFP, "The existing LOS standards and measures, which focus only on
motor vehicle levels of service, do not reflect the City of Portland's
current practice which emphasizes and promotes a multimodal approach to
transportation planning and providing transportation services." And with the city seeking to encourage alternative modes in its transportation policies and land use decisions, the current standards have become an obstacle.
So after years of "grumblings" about the need for this momentous policy change, why is it being undertaken now? Maus believe the reason is, "because the City is beginning the
process of updating the Comprehensive Plan and the Transportation System
Plan (TSP) which lives within it."
"The RFP deadline is August 17th and work on the $100,000 project is expected to proceed by mid-September."
Read the full story: City of Portland looks to go beyond auto-centric 'level of service' standards
In two U.S. cities, new technology is rewarding slower driving with a quicker commute
Albuquerque, New Mexico and Portland, Oregon have introduced traffic lights that are red by default, and turn green faster if drivers approach while going at or below the speed limit.
Portland unveils Maine’s first affordable housing complex for LGBTQ+ seniors
The building earmarks 11 units for people with disabilities or living with HIV/AIDS.
TriMet will eliminate 'Hand-to-Hand' paratransit service for half of its users
Roughly 300 Portland-area paratransit riders will lose access to a program that lets drivers escort them into their destination.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Amtrak, CN end decades-long dispute with eight-year agreement
The new operating agreement establishes an updated framework for the companies to work together, including processes to resolve disputes.
Northwest rail fans eager for Sept. 30 debut of Amtrak’s Airo fleet
Get ready for that new train smell and more seats. But they won’t go faster or run more frequently on the Cascades route in Washington and Oregon.
St. Louis Metro to test if single-car trains can reduce operating costs, maintain rider satisfaction
The pilot program will run from October to spring 2027, and begin with one single-car train operating on Metrolink’s Red and Blue lines.
Pennsylvania is building data centers in abandoned mines
Housing data centers in mines provides an alternative to destroying local forests and may spare residents from data centers’ noise and air pollution.
If Corpus Christi can’t revive desalination plant project, it may owe Texas $235 million
Earlier this month, city officials declined to pursue developing the plant for the second time in a year.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Thousand Oaks
City of Wisconsin Rapids
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello