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."
FULL STORY: City planners float idea of subway tunnel through downtown Portland

Amtrak Ramping Up Infrastructure Projects
Thanks to federal funding from the 2021 infrastructure act, the agency plans to triple its investment in infrastructure improvements and new routes in the next two years.

The Unceremonious Death of a Freeway Expansion Project
The end of an Oregon freeway project didn't get much fanfare, but the victory is worth celebrating.

Ending Downtown San Francisco’s ‘Doom Loop’
A new public space project offers an ambitious vision—so why is the city implementing it at such a small scale?

Kaua’i County Uses Long-Range Models to Mandate Resiliency Standards
The county requires builders to assess potential flood risks using models that account for sea level rise projected as far out as 2100.

California Governor Vetoes Autonomous Truck Ban
Gov. Newsom called the new law unnecessary, citing existing efforts by state regulators to develop new rules around autonomous trucking.

Low-Barrier Motel Shelter Is a Success—But Not an Easy One
Many guests at Motels4Now are on their second or third stays—but staff say that's doesn't equal failure, and the numbers bear that out.
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Washington University
Mpact: Mobility, Community, Possibility
Lassen County Planning and Building Services
City of San Carlos
National Capital Planning Commission
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.