Portland planners are picking up and dusting off an idea that's been around since the 1990s: a subway in Downtown Portland.
"Portland-area transportation planners are looking underground for a potential big-ticket project: a subway that runs beneath the downtown core and across the Willamette River," reports Elliot Njus.
Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) planners included the idea Tuesday in a presentation before the Portland Planning and Sustainability Commission on the "Enhanced Transit Corridors Plan," which will inform an updated Regional Transportation Plan expected in 2018. The 30- to 4-year timeline for the plan reflects the speculative status of any subway project that might move forward, despite the fact that the idea has been floated in one for another since the 1990s.
According to Njus, current versions of the plan include "more concrete proposals for speeding up the region's transit system," such as "pilots of transit-only lanes, priority traffic signals, bus stop consolidation and other low-cost changes designed to help frequent-service buses move faster in the city's resurgent traffic congestion."
Read the full story: City planners float idea of subway tunnel through downtown Portland
Federal Approval Clears Way for Bus-Only Lanes in Portland
Portland will soon be spreading out the red carpet for buses.
Transit Planners Studying a Tunnel Under Portland
Oregon Metro and TriMet are studying the feasibility of a subway tunnel under Portland that would cross under the Willamette River to speed up MAX trains through the city.
Portland Looking for Ways to Speed Up Buses, Protect Pedestrians
Freeing buses from congestion and protecting pedestrians from speeding cars are two of the goals expressed by the Central City in Motion planning process.
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.
Judges permit Denver to divert 77,000 acre feet from the Colorado River for reservoir expansion
Overuse and climate change have caused the Colorado River’s water levels to plummet.
Philadelphia to invest $2 billion into upgrading city airports as PHL places last in customer satisfaction
Modernizations to Philadelphia's airports will include baggage system upgrades and a new automated parking garage guidance system.
The LA housing policies making developers turn away from the city
Despite LA’s housing shortage, developers say the city’s "mansion-tax" and pandemic-era policies make it an unappealing place to build housing.
New density bill would require 7 California cities to establish regional transit hubs
The bill would also require major cities in California to permit high-rise residential buildings.
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 Wisconsin Rapids
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
KFH Group Inc.
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello