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Oregon Transportation Plan
Adopted by the Oregon Transportation Commission July 13, 2023
Oregon Transportation Plan
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
1 Introduction1
2
3
4
1.1
Welcome to the Oregon Transportation Plan
1
1.2
Significance of the Oregon Transportation Plan
2
1.3
Oregon Transportation Plan Development
4
Key Drivers of Change6
2.1 Equity
7
2.2
Climate Change
7
2.3
Population and Labor Force Changes
8
2.4
Emerging Transportation Technology Trends
9
2.5
Resiliency and Disaster Planning
10
2.6
Other Major Disrupters
10
Oregon’s Transportation System12
3.1 Aviation
13
3.2
13
Bicycle and Pedestrian Infrastructure
3.3 Freight
14
3.4
State Highways and Local Streets
15
3.5
Public Transportation
16
3.6
Passenger Rail
17
3.7
Transportation Safety
18
3.8
Transportation Options
20
3.9
Transportation Funding
20
Vision and Values 22
4.1
Vision and Values Statement
22
July 13, 2023 | i
Oregon Transportation Plan
5
Policy Framework 26
5.1
6
7
Oregon Transportation Plan Policy Framework
26
Goals, Objectives, Policies, and Strategies30
6.1
Economic and Community Vitality
31
6.2
Social Equity
37
6.3 Mobility
44
6.4
53
Stewardship of Public Resources
6.5 Safety
66
6.6
72
Sustainability and Climate Action
Implementation and Investment Strategies80
7.1
Implementation and Investment Strategies Overview
80
7.2
Cross-Sector Coordination
81
7.3
Coordinated Statewide Transportation Planning
83
7.4
Making Transportation Investments
85
7.5
Oregon Transportation Plan Implementation Actions
97
7.6
Transportation Performance Monitoring
99
Conclusion103
Appendices
Appendix A: Glossary, Key Terms, Abbreviations
Appendix B: Oregon Transportation Plan Indicators and Example Metrics
Appendix C: Policy Coordinating Committee and Work Group Members
Appendix D: Findings of Compliance with Oregon Statewide Planning Goals
July 13, 2023 | ii
*
Acknowledgments
The Oregon Transportation Plan (OTP) was prepared by the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) in
coordination with many different individuals and groups including local, regional, and state agencies, Oregon’s
nine federally recognized Tribes, community leaders and organizations, and the public. This project was funded
in part by the Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation.
ODOT would like to thank the Oregon Transportation Commission (OTC), OTP Policy Coordinating Committee
and Work Groups for their time and guidance during the development of the OTP. Please see Appendix C for a
complete list of the Policy Coordinating Committee and Work Group members. Additionally, ODOT would like
to thank members of the public who provided their opinions and feedback, your input was truly valuable.
Produced by:
Oregon Transportation Commission
Julie Brown, Commission Chair
Lee Beyer, Commission Vice Chair
Sharon Smith, Commissioner
Jeff Baker, Commissioner
Alicia Chapman, Commissioner
*Bob Van Brocklin, Former Commission Chair and OTP Policy Coordinating Committee Member
ODOT Project Management Team
Amanda Pietz, Policy, Data, and Analysis Division Administrator
Adam Argo, Agency Project Manager
Stacey Goldstein, Agency Deputy Project Manager
Erik Havig, Planning Section Manager
Michael Rock, Statewide Transportation Planning Unit Manager
Additional support by staff from the Transportation Planning Unit and Transportation Planning Analysis Unit
Consultant Team (lead: HDR Engineering, Inc.)
Andrew Johnson, Consultant Project Manager
Camille Alexander
Stacy Thomas
Additional support by HDR staff and staff with
Nelson Nygaard
Alta Planning and Design
WSP
PKS International
KLP Consulting
Hart Crowser
Jacobs
Resource Systems Group
Stanton Global Communications
Additional Information:
Copies of the Oregon Transportation Plan and supporting materials can be found at the project website:
https://www.oregon.gov/odot/Planning/Pages/Oregon-Transportation-Plan-Update.aspx
To obtain additional hard copies of this document contact:
Oregon Department of Transportation
Policy, Data, and Analysis Division
555 13th St NE
Salem, OR 97301-3871
1. Introduction to the Oregon
Transportation Plan
1
Introduction
1.1
Welcome to the Oregon Transportation Plan
The purpose of the OTP is to define the long-range transportation policy for the movement
of people and goods across the state and set the framework for policies and strategies from
the present-day to 2050. The OTP is the overarching transportation plan for Oregon’s entire
transportation system that supports people biking, walking or rolling, driving, or riding in cars,
buses, trains, or planes to their destinations. The OTP also supports the movement of goods by
freight on roads, railways, waterways, and by air. It recognizes that the transportation system is
grossly underfunded today but also strives to achieve a
better tomorrow with actions that balance the realities of
what can be done with the needs for what should be done.
The first three chapters of the Plan are intended to inform
KEY THEMES
•
Safety
•
Climate and Weather
•
State of Good Repair
remainder of the Plan is intended to inform the work of
•
Seismic Resiliency
transportation providers in how to plan for, invest in,
•
Widening Social Inequities
•
Changing Technologies
•
Transportation Revenue Challenge
the Oregon Legislature, partners, and the public about
the importance of the Plan and the challenges facing the
transportation system today and into the future. The
build, manage, and maintain the multimodal system,
working together to achieve key goals and shared
outcomes. The Plan is adopted by the OTC that directs
the work and decisions of ODOT. Other state agencies,
regional and local governments, and transportation providers’ plans must be consistent with
the OTP. All of these entities have a role to play in implementing the OTP, and it will only be
through collective efforts that the Vision laid out in the Plan can be achieved. In addition, public
and private investments, private sector actions, and choices in how Oregonians and visitors
travel will play a role in achieving the Plan’s outcomes.
As a plan that looks out further than 25 years, the OTP seeks to be resilient in the face of change.
From climate and extreme weather to technology, the transportation system must be flexible and
adaptive to change in order to keep Oregon on track to achieve the OTP Vision. Early chapters
in the Plan explore several themes and help shape its policies and strategies. The Plan will be
updated as needed when new challenges are encountered that require different solutions.
July 13, 2023 | 1
Oregon Transportation Plan
Oregon is a diverse state with many differing and competing needs. The Plan acknowledges
contrasting challenges faced by Oregon travelers while aiming for safe and comfortable
movement of people and goods across the state.
Planning for the future of transportation involves making decisions and compromises. The
OTP reflects informed choices made in recognition of the tradeoffs needed to achieve the Plan’s
goals. While the OTP does not identify specific transportation projects, it contains policies and
strategies to guide the prioritization and balancing of investments and considers sustainable
funding options to meet the diverse needs of people using the transportation system.
1.2
Significance of the Oregon Transportation Plan
The OTP is connected to many key aspects of Oregonians’ lives. Access to safe, reliable and
convenient transportation enables access to jobs, education, healthcare, childcare, food, housing,
leisure activities, and more. Managing and operating Oregon’s entire transportation system has
major implications for social equity, economic health, and the state’s ability to bounce back from
natural disasters.
The needs across the transportation system are vast,
including disconnected sidewalks, potholed streets,
deteriorating bridges, congested roads, transit service
gaps, and more. A fully functioning transportation
system must address these issues, but today’s
KEY TRANSPORTATION
CHALLENGES
•
Increase in Fatalities and Serious
Injuries
funding is not adequate to support those needs. With
insufficient resources the OTP becomes more important
•
Disrepair of Transportation Assets
than ever to help ensure that what little money is
•
Lack of Funding
•
Increasing Greenhouse Gas Emissions
•
Historic Underinvestment in
available is directed in ways that can best support the
movement of people and goods. Unprecedentedly
difficult tradeoffs lay in front of Oregonians. The
Disadvantaged Communities
long-term impacts of deferred maintenance are now
no longer avoidable and Oregon is in a current state
•
Supply Chain Disruptions
of disinvestment in its transportation system. What
•
Growing Urban Congestion
•
Incomplete Bike and Pedestrian
this means in the upcoming years and throughout the
OTP’s planning horizon is that, while there will be
some gains and investment in some areas, there will
Network
also be nearly impossible trade-off discussions which
will have significant impacts on people’s lives,
communities, and the economy.
July 13, 2023 | 2
Oregon Transportation Plan
The update to the OTP comes at a critical time. Oregon has experienced increased climaterelated concerns, natural hazards, economic downturns, and major disruptions that have
affected the way we live, work, and travel. Oregon has also seen dramatic leaps in technology,
changes in societal values and preferences, shifts in demand, and an increasing need for
seamless mobility.
Overall, the OTP addresses many key transportation challenges facing Oregonians.
Transportation has a significant impact on climate change; today, it is estimated that 35 percent
of Oregon’s total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions — the largest percentage from any sector
— comes from transportation. Fatalities and serious injuries continue to rise on Oregon roads.
Transportation revenue is declining while infrastructure prices are increasing. Economic
and demographic shifts have also changed the way people obtain goods and services, which
presents significant challenges to meeting the different needs of the transportation system.
These changes require a new way to plan and manage the transportation system, and the OTP
provides the direction to navigate the rapidly changing world of transportation in Oregon.
Transportation shapes the lives of people in Oregon, and the Plan guides transportation.
Planning for a better transportation future is a complex challenge that requires collaboration,
adequate and sustainable funding, compromise, and creativity on local and statewide levels.
The Plan provides the policy to inform the development of investments in the Statewide
Transportation Improvement Program and programs that support transportation across
Oregon. The Plan also represents a chance to create a more sustainable and equitable
transportation system that gets all Oregonians where they are going safely and efficiently.
July 13, 2023 | 3
Oregon Transportation Plan
1.3
Oregon Transportation Plan Development
The development of the OTP involved many diverse individuals and groups, including local,
regional, and state agencies, Oregon’s nine federally recognized Tribes, ODOT staff, community
leaders and organizations, and other people with varied lived experiences.
The OTC is the top decision-making body and directs and adopts OTP policies on behalf of the
State of Oregon. The OTC ultimately adopts the OTP under Oregon Revised Statute 184.617 (c).
A key advisory group, the OTP Policy Coordinating Committee (comprised of government
officials, industry leaders, advocates, and Oregon residents from different
communities), convened throughout the project to review and advise on the
development of OTP goals, objectives, policies, and strategies.
Subject matter experts in transportation policy and implementation
collaborated to develop and draft policy by participating in OTP Work
Groups with a focus on:
Social
Equity
Climate Change,
Environment, and
Resiliency
Safety
Modeling
and
Scenarios
Mobility and
Accessibility
Electrification
and
Technology
Economic and
Community
Vitality
July 13, 2023 | 4
2. Key Drivers of Change
2
Key Drivers of Change
This section identifies “key drivers” that are influencing, and will continue to influence,
Oregon’s transportation system users in the coming years. Although the future is uncertain,
each of these elements will affect the transportation infrastructure Oregon builds and how
Oregonians use the system. Understanding these drivers of change will in turn help to ensure
resilient policies are created that weather these changes and promote desired outcomes. Some
key takeaways include:
Oregon’s population is growing, with more people in urban areas.
Many rural areas are experiencing outward migration or slower population growth, which reduces overall
transportation demand, but connections to goods and services remain important. Urban areas, on the other
hand, are experiencing population growth, which strains the transportation system with dramatic increases in
mobility demand statewide.
The transportation sector is the biggest GHG polluter and the transportation
system is increasingly vulnerable to climate change and extreme weather
events.
Reducing GHG emissions through mitigation actions is necessary to help achieve Oregon’s climate goals
and decarbonize the transportation system. As the climate changes and there are more wildfires, floods, and
landslides, efforts are needed to adapt the transportation system to be able to better withstand or recover
quickly from these events.
New technologies can save lives, increase system efficiency, and support
advancements toward other goals.
Oregon must keep pace with technology trends and understand how these trends will impact the
transportation system (especially with regard to mode choice) and how they can be leveraged to improve
user experience and address concerns such as traffic congestion and climate change.
Declining transportation funding and increasing costs leave Oregon’s multimodal
system grossly underfunded.
Transportation revenue in Oregon has not kept pace with costs. Fees do not fully cover the cost of wear and
tear on the transportation system nor the needs identified throughout this Plan. In addition, the gas tax is one
of the primary sources of transportation funding in Oregon and with more fuel efficient and electric vehicles,
revenues are declining. This is compounded by the rapidly rising costs of materials, fuels, and labor to build,
manage, and maintain the transportation system, resulting in a growing maintenance backlog and limited
options to improve the system for current and future needs.
July 13, 2023 | 6
Oregon Transportation Plan
2.1
Equity
Entrenched disparities in laws, public policies, and public and
private institutions have often denied equal opportunity to
individuals and communities. In the transportation sector, these
disparities have resulted in a system that does not serve all users and
disproportionately and negatively impacts historically and currently
excluded and underserved communities. As these communities
grow and change in Oregon and as the focus on equity grows,
transportation decision-making must adapt to incorporate additional
equity considerations, influencing decisions in two ways: process and
outcomes.
At the state level, ODOT has outlined equity goals that focus on
workforce diversity and opportunities for advancement, expanding
economic opportunities for minority groups, climate equity, and
creating more representative public engagement processes.
A focus on equity in transportation planning and engineering is
also driving change at the federal level, promoting a comprehensive
approach to advancing equity for all — including people of color and
others who have been historically underserved, marginalized, and
adversely affected by persistent poverty and inequality.
2.2
Climate Change
Transportation accounts for one-third of national carbon dioxide
emissions that contribute to global climate change. In Oregon, a 2022
Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) report indicates GHG from the transportation
sector, including the movement of people and goods on all modes (car, truck, rail, and air),
make up around 35 percent of total emissions. Climate change has wide-reaching impacts on
wildlife habitat, ecology, and community health.
In turn, climate change implications in Oregon also include more frequent and severe wildfires,
extreme weather events, flooding, landslides, property damage, and loss of life. Road closures
resulting from extreme weather events impact freight, the economy, and provision of critical
services. Oregonians need safe routes to use when catastrophic events require evacuation
and potential relocation. While these and other efforts have made strides, and emissions are
projected to be reduced long-term, there is still work to be done. Without mitigation, climate
and extreme weather impacts will worsen, costing the state billions and leading to loss of life.
July 13, 2023 | 7
Oregon Transportation Plan
2.3
Population and Labor Force Changes
Demographic trends, including population and labor force changes, have influenced and will
continue to influence the transportation system use and needs within Oregon.
•
Population Change. Oregon’s population has increased rapidly, growing by about 24
percent (around 815,000 people) since 2000. Much of this growth has been clustered in
regions along the statewide I-5 corridor and Central Oregon, and this trend is projected
to continue into the future. This projected long-term growth will add further demands
to the transportation system.
•
Aging Population. While Oregon’s population grows it is also getting older, which
has implications on medical transportation, regional labor force, and mobility needs
(including mobility aids and devices that help people with disabilities get around).
Outward migration has left many rural areas of the state with an aging population and
slower expected growth in the labor force. This segment of the population relies on
efficient transportation, and often public transportation, to access essential services.
•
Urbanization. In urban areas, urbanization has strained transportation systems and
resulted in severe traffic congestion conditions that impact communities statewide
by constraining the movement of goods and services, leading to higher costs for
all Oregonians. Additionally, rapid population growth is exacerbating housing
affordability issues which further worsens congestion as people are forced to commute
farther from more affordable locations.
July 13, 2023 | 8
Oregon Transportation Plan
2.4
Emerging Transportation Technology Trends
Technological advancements provide safety, mobility, and environmental benefits to users
of Oregon’s transportation system. These technological advancements — termed emerging
transportation technologies — encompass a broad range of applications. Spurred by
improvements in computing power and miniaturization, communications and networking,
and an increase of available data, these emerging technologies are advancing rapidly and could
significantly change transportation over the coming decades.
The emerging transportation technologies that are considered primary drivers of change are
organized into four categories:
Vehicle technology as a driver of change includes:
•
Connected and autonomous vehicles.
•
Other electric vehicles.
Mobility services as a driver of change include:
•
Active transportation options.
•
Shared mobility services.
•
Ride-hailing services.
•
Integration of transportation services into a single trip planning and payment platform, known
as Mobility as a Service.
Emerging Personal Technology as a driver of change includes:
•
Augmented reality.
•
Virtual transportation.
•
Single occupancy vehicle technology.
Freight logistics and local delivery applications as a driver of change include:
•
Freight vehicle platooning.
•
Efficiencies in distribution networks.
•
On-demand delivery services.
The development, implementation, and extent of adoption or market penetration of these
options will vary. The most significant impacts are likely to occur beyond the next 20 years and
will require the convergence of multiple technological advancements. However, over the next
20 years Oregon will have a substantive mixed fleet of connected vehicles, automated vehicles,
and electric vehicles that are not connected and have low levels of automation operating on the
transportation system. While safety benefits can be realized, varying levels of automation may
present challenges for Oregon.
July 13, 2023 | 9
Oregon Transportation Plan
2.5
Resiliency and Disaster Planning
Oregon is seeing an increase in the number and severity of wildfires, floods, ice, and snow
storms significantly impacting the transportation system. The additional looming threat of a
large-scale Cascadia subduction zone earthquake further threatens Oregon’s transportation
infrastructure and the state must better prepare.
Given limited resources, Oregon must start with a strategic approach to this significant need,
with investments planned over multiple decades to prioritize seismic deficiencies on key lifeline
routes, coastal erosion mitigation, culvert replacements needed for increasingly severe flooding
events, landslide mitigation, and emergency service access for wildland firefighting efforts.
2.6
Other Major Disrupters
Over the horizon of the OTP there will be other disruptive events that will have major impacts
to the state and travel. For example, the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic extensively impacted
the transportation system. Traffic volumes on the roadways initially dropped dramatically, then
quickly rebounded. Transit ridership and aviation enplanements are still recovering to prepandemic levels and logistical supply chain disruptions are still occurring. Some impacts from
the pandemic, such as remote working and more on-demand delivery, are likely to continue
into the future and affect how the transportation system is used.
Each of these drivers of change will continue to place pressure on the existing transportation
infrastructure in Oregon and change the needs of travelers utilizing the transportation system
summarized in Chapter 3.
July 13, 2023 | 10
3. Oregon’s Transportation System
3
Oregon’s Transportation System
As Oregon looks to the future, planning for transportation services in support of Oregon’s
increasing population and growing economy only becomes more critical. Through its
maintenance and enhancement of the many facilities that transportation agencies manage,
transportation plays a key role in the economic, social, and environmental health of the entire
state.
Oregon’s transportation system is complex and consists of many different modes for all
types of users. Preserving and maintaining these assets as the basic foundation of Oregon’s
transportation system is critical. The following chapter summarizes key elements of
transportation in Oregon. The OTP’s goals, objectives, policies, and strategies provide direction
as Oregon manages these critical assets in the face of challenges, trends, and other drivers of
change.
July 13, 2023 | 12
Oregon Transportation Plan
3.1
Aviation
Oregon’s 97 public-use airports are vital to the state’s economy and
public safety. These airports range from international passenger
airports connecting Oregon to the world and providing key business
and freight-air services to rural airstrips supporting critical resource
management. Key takeaways include:
•
Aviation infrastructure and services have seen challenges in recovering commercial
enplanements from the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to revenue reductions and less
service, reflecting the changing demand.
•
Airports provide a critical role in emergency management. For example, the Redmond
Airport will play a key role in recovery in the event of a major seismic event as the
primary aviation hub in Central Oregon.
•
Rural airstrips play a critical role in wildfire response and are facing challenges with
aging infrastructure and inadequate funding to make necessary improvements and
preserve facilities.
3.2
Bicycle and Pedestrian Infrastructure
Active transportation relies on safe and connected bicycle and
pedestrian infrastructure tailored to Oregon’s diverse communities.
Key takeaways include:
•
In areas outside of established communities and when
facilities are missing, people often use roadway shoulders as walkways and bikeways.
•
Shared use paths serve non-motorized travelers in both urban and rural areas for
commute and recreational purposes.
•
Successful biking and walking options support reducing vehicle miles traveled (VMT)
and GHGs.
•
Walkways are crucial for meeting Americans with Disabilities Act obligations and
remain a focus of state and local transportation providers alike.
•
Many new micro-mobility options are now available including e-bikes, bikeshare and
e-scooters.
July 13, 2023 | 13
Oregon Transportation Plan
•
Bicyclists and pedestrians face system gaps on key routes and are missing features
designed to improve safety when traveling along Oregon roadways and crossing roads
and streets.
•
Bicyclists and pedestrians are particularly vulnerable users of the transportation
system and experience disproportionate risk of being killed or seriously injured when
using the system.
3.3
Freight
Oregonians depend heavily on the transportation system to get needed
goods and services to market and enhance economic prosperity.
Freight mobility in Oregon is provided by a multimodal network
that includes highways, local roads, rail, air, marine, and pipeline
operations. The majority of Oregon’s freight (70 percent) is transported
on Oregon’s roads and congestion from major impediments to moving people and goods has a
direct impact on Oregon’s economy. Key takeaways include:
•
Studies of existing freight highway conditions in Oregon identified congestion in
urban areas that impedes the movement of people and goods as a major issue, affecting
Oregon’s economy with variations in travel-time reliability and rising travel costs.
•
Oregon has struggled with competitiveness in international air freight due to limited
direct services to the Pacific Rim and Europe.
•
Oregon’s marine freight facilities have aging infrastructure that requires substantial
investments and presents challenges to efficient marine-roadway connectivity.
•
Oregon’s rail infrastructure is served primarily by two major rail lines that have
constrained speeds due to tight curves and height constraints. Short-line railroads
provide other key connections in Oregon, but preservation and maintenance remain
key issues.
July 13, 2023 | 14
Oregon Transportation Plan
3.4
State Highways and Local Streets
State highways and local roads and streets play a critical role in Oregon
transportation, facilitating the movement of freight, passenger vehicles,
public transportation, and bicycle and pedestrian travel within and
along the right of way. These elements of complex infrastructure often
serve different purposes such as long distance travel and local traffic
connections to jobs and schools. Key takeaways include:
•
While state highways are just a share (18 percent) of the total miles of roads within the
state, travel on these roads accounted for 59 percent of total VMT. Highways account
for the majority of heavy vehicle VMT.
•
Roadways across the state are increasingly falling into a state of disrepair. Many
bridges are structurally deficient and seismically at risk. Drainage systems are
undersized to current streamflows and changing weather.
State roads account for 59% of total vehicle miles traveled but only 18% of
lane miles due to longer trip lengths. Local roads account for 41% of total
vehicle miles traveled, but 82% of lane miles in Oregon. The state system
accounts for over 78% of heavy vehicle miles traveled.
July 13, 2023 | 15
Oregon Transportation Plan
3.5
Public Transportation
Public transportation is an essential element of Oregon’s
transportation system. Oregonians take over 100 million public
transportation trips each year. Key takeaways include:
•
There are three primary forms of public transportation in
Oregon: intra-urban fixed-route public transit (transit within
cities), inter-urban fixed-route transit (transit between cities), and demand responsive
(dial-a-ride) services, particularly for those with special transportation needs.
•
The public transportation system suffered significant setbacks in ridership and
financial challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic and has yet to fully recover.
•
Frequency and reliability are important to transit users, including communities with
populations that have been historically underserved and systemically excluded. These
communities are especially vulnerable to impacts related to reliability.
•
Safety and security have become substantial concerns for public transportation users in
urban areas, disproportionately affecting communities of color.
•
Some Oregonians rely on public transportation to travel within their own urban and
rural communities, while others rely on it to make important connections between
communities such as needed medical services.
•
Robust public transit is a key component to reducing VMT and GHGs.
July 13, 2023 | 16
Oregon Transportation Plan
3.6
Passenger Rail
Railroads in Oregon serve both freight shippers and travelers. Unlike
highway or public transit systems, the Oregon passenger and freight rail
network is predominantly owned by private industry. This ownership
structure requires unique public and private sector collaboration to
proactively plan and explore the best mix of transportation investments
to ensure a safe, efficient, and reliable rail network for the benefit of Oregon’s residents and
businesses. While ODOT does not own significant rail infrastructure, it does fund the Amtrak
Cascades intercity passenger rail serving the Pacific Northwest Rail Corridor that links Eugene
to Vancouver, British Columbia. Key takeaways for passenger rail travel include:
•
Passenger rail service in Oregon uses the national rail network owned by Union Pacific
and Burlington Northern Santa Fe, which consists of long-distance intercity service that
links metropolitan regions along the U.S. West Coast, with connections to other U.S.
regions.
•
Passenger service is offered on freight railroads, which can lead to delays for
passengers when freight rail services take priority on the railroad tracks.
•
ODOT funds Amtrak Cascades in partnership with Washington State Department of
Transportation. As a state government agency, ODOT participates in investment and
modernization programming decisions with rail partners because it recognizes the
public benefit of a highly functioning rail system.
•
TriMet’s Westside Express Service commuter rail service operates through an
agreement with Portland and Western Railroad and serves stations in Beaverton,
Tigard, Tualatin, and Wilsonville.
•
Most of the recent funding in Oregon for operation of passenger rail and match for
federal grants for capital improvement projects has come from state sources. State
funding sources include the Transportation Operating Fund, General Fund, and
custom license plate revenue.
July 13, 2023 | 17
Oregon Transportation Plan
3.7
Transportation Safety
Traffic fatalities and serious injuries have been increasing for a decade,
with especially sharp increases in recent years. Different areas of Oregon
experience diverse types of safety challenges; roadway departures are
much more common in rural areas where medical services may be long
distances from the crash location; while intersection crashes, often with
vulnerable users such as bicyclists and pedestrians involved, account for the majority of fatal
and serious crashes in urban areas. Key takeaways from 2021 data include:
FATAL AND SERIOUS INJURY FINDINGS:
57%
occur in
Urban Areas
43%
occur in
Rural Areas
The four largest
attributes of fatal and
serious injury include:
40%
roadway
departures
Older drivers
(over 65 of years of age)
+
37%
intersection
crashes
29%
speed-related
crashes
23%
alcohol and/or
drugs involved
Young drivers
(15-20 years of age) and motorcycles
Approximately 57% of fatal and serious injury crashes occur in urban areas, while 43% occur in rural
areas. 40% of fatal and serious injury crashes involve roadway departures, 37% involve intersection
crashes, 29% are speed-related, and 23% involve alcohol and/or drugs. The highest proportion of fatal
and serious crashes involve older drivers, young drivers, and motorcycles.
are involved in the highest proportion of fatal and serious crashes
2021in Oregon:
52% of crashes occurred
32 year high
48
25
in fatalities
on state highways
Oregon’s 2021
increase
in
in Oregon: Oregon’s increase in fatalities and serious injuries is consistent
with national
trends 52% of crashes occurred on state highways and 48% of crashes
fatalities and
serious
occurred on city and county roads. 2021 saw a 32 year high in fatalities and a 25
year high
% of crashes occurred
high in serious injuries.
injuries isyear
consistent
in
serious
injuries
on
city
and
county
roads
with national trends:
July 13, 2023 | 18
Oregon Transportation Plan
Several key emphasis areas outlined in the Transportation Safety Action Plan that arise from
detailed analysis of trends and factors provide focus for key actions to work toward eliminating
fatal or life changing injuries.
Risky behaviors include:
•
Training and education.
•
Impaired driving.
•
Enforcement.
•
Unbelted occupants.
•
Emergency medical
services.
•
Speeding.
•
Commercial vehicles.
•
Distracted driving.
Infrastructure includes:
•
Intersections.
•
Roadway departures.
Improved systems include:
•
Vulnerable users include:
•
Pedestrians.
•
Bicyclists.
•
Motorcyclists.
•
Aging road users.
Improved data.
July 13, 2023 | 19
Oregon Transportation Plan
3.8
Transportation Options
Transportation options programs connect people to transportation
choices, allowing them to bike, walk, take transit, drive, share rides, and
telecommute, among other things. Key takeaways include:
•
Advancements in technology have provided many new options
for travelers looking for alternative ways to get around or
connect multiple modes where those options exist.
•
Local transportation option providers supply individualized and custom connections
to enable all people to get to their required destinations.
•
The creation of transportation options programs has made progress in connecting
people to transportation services in Oregon. The “Get There Oregon” ride matching
program has grown by over 20 percent per year since 2019.
3.9
•
Transportation Funding
Funding for transportation investments is heavily reliant on
the gas tax, a source in decline. State gas tax revenues also have
constitutional limitations as to how they can be used.
•
Almost 75 percent of federal funds are tied to specific purposes,
while 25 percent are discretionary, often through competitive
grants programs.
•
The inflexibility of funding sources poses challenges to adapting to the changing
transportation needs and policy.
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4. Vision and Values
4
Vision and Values
The OTP Vision describes the overarching intention of the state’s transportation system and a
common purpose that all of Oregon can work toward.
4.1
Vision and Values Statement
Oregon’s transportation system supports all Oregonians by connecting people and goods to
places in the most climate-friendly, equitable, and safe way.
Each piece of this Vision statement has significance as it:
•
Defines the purpose of the transportation system: “connecting people and goods to
places.”
•
Describes who the system serves: “supports all Oregonians,” which means enabling
travel for everyone regardless of age, ability, race, gender, and income.
•
Identifies the lenses for making transportation decisions: “in the most climate-friendly,
equitable, and safe way.” When a decision is made, consider how safety, equity, and
climate will be impacted and work to maximize positive outcomes and minimize
negative consequences.
People can get where they need and want to go safely. User needs and facility
design are aligned based on the context of the surrounding built environment.
This allows agencies to design and manage the transportation system in a way
that emphasizes safety over comfort or speed, while enabling technological
Safety
solutions to mitigate effects of distracted driving and other safety challenges. No
loss of life is acceptable, and efforts are focused on saving lives and preventing
serious injuries.
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Oregon Transportation Plan
An inclusive transportation system supports the movement of people
regardless of age, ability, race, gender, or income. Existing disparities are
recognized and addressed. The users of the transportation system have a
voice in making decisions that impact them. Historically underserved and
Equity
systemically excluded populations help make decisions and benefit directly
from transportation projects and programs.
Oregon recognizes the climate crisis and makes systemic changes to reduce
emissions caused by travel. Every mile driven in Oregon is powered by a clean
source of fuel. Construction and maintenance operations are carbon neutral
and investments in mobility support travel by low and no emission modes.
Climate
While every project may not result in a reduction in emissions, transportation
investments overall support emission reductions to achieve state goals. The
transportation system is resilient in the face of seismic and climate events
and impacts to the degradation of the natural environment are reduced.
Transportation infrastructure is built in a way that avoids impacts on key
habitat and results in better environmental conditions for wildlife and native
vegetation.
Safety, equity, and climate lenses will be applied to transportation decisions that must advance
other important outcomes and be balanced overall. The future state of other important outcomes
within the horizon of the Plan include these three additional OTP goal areas:
A multimodal transportation system enables a diverse population with
different transportation needs to travel in the state safely and with minimal
adverse impacts on the natural and cultural environment. Key routes in the
Mobility
state are well-maintained and reliable. The transportation system incorporates
emerging transportation technologies into a multimodal transportation
network so people experience seamless integration of Oregon’s public
transportation system with priority active transportation connections. The
most critical multimodal connections are complete, making it easier and safer
for people to get around, especially near schools and commercial centers.
Oregon has a fully connected, efficient, and safe transportation network.
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Oregon Transportation Plan
Transportation is not an end in itself; rather, it enables people to connect
with one another, make a living, visit beautiful places, and share goods. The
transportation system provides opportunities for community and economic
Economic and
Community
Vitality
prosperity for everyone. Moving goods and materials is efficient and
reliable, supporting commerce and creating jobs while keeping communities
safe and clean. Tourism to Oregon’s towns, cities, and beautiful natural
wonders enriches lives and supports economies across the state.
Decision making and transportation investments reflect the values of open
decision making, environmental stewardship, public health, safety, and
thoughtful management of the transportation system. Public assets are
Stewardship
of Public
Resources
preserved and investments are well-managed. Funding streams are reliable
and have broad public support. Federal, state, and local transportation
agencies effectively collaborate and resources are adaptively managed in the
face of uncertainty.
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5. Policy Framework
5
Policy Framework
5.1
Oregon Transportation Plan Policy Framework
The OTP is designed to help Oregon meet the challenges facing the state today and during the
coming decades. Oregonians want a transportation system that connects people and delivers
goods to places in the most climate-friendly, equitable, and safe way. The policies in the OTP
touch on many goals, objectives, and ways to accomplish these outcomes. Collectively, they
are designed to realize the OTP Vision, recognizing the many and diverse needs of people
and businesses today and in the future. In an ideal world, all needs would be met. However,
some goals are conflicting and must therefore be balanced. With limited resources, tough
choices involving tradeoffs must be made about allocating finite resources. In support of these
challenges, this section outlines the direction and focus areas across policies in the OTP.
Save Lives
The transportation system must support the ability of people to travel safely to all their
destinations. The priority is to prevent people from being killed or severely injured on Oregon’s
roads and across the transportation system. Recent trends show fatalities and serious injuries
are on the rise and people who walk, bike, or roll are most at risk. Research also shows that
Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and Tribal communities have a higher
likelihood of being killed or severely injured than do other populations. Working to eliminate
fatalities and serious injuries requires special attention to these concerns. The OTP calls for a
Safe System approach, such as designing the transportation system to safely accommodate all
users and uses of the system, reducing potential safety conflicts between modes, embracing
vehicle and infrastructure technology to help correct driver error or distraction, and conducting
education and outreach.
When solutions are identified that can save lives but may conflict with other goals, such as
freight mobility or decreasing emissions, safety takes precedence.
Center Equity
Transportation decisions have disproportionally impacted certain communities and
populations, leading to disparities in access to and the safety of the transportation system.
These decisions have also affected neighborhoods, economic development, and air quality for
generations. The OTP identifies these issues and sheds light on the need to address disparities.
OTP policies focus on creating a more equitable transportation system and outcomes, such as
increasing access to travel options and reducing travel costs. The OTP calls for the removal of
July 13, 2023 | 26
Oregon Transportation Plan
barriers to access and participation in making decisions, ensuring that diverse voices and broad
perspectives are engaged in each phase of decision making. The Plan also recognizes the need to
have a diverse transportation workforce with direct decision-making ability.
Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Transportation is the largest GHG polluting sector. Climate change and extreme weather
are impacting the state’s economy and people’s lives. The transportation system must
rapidly decarbonize to achieve GHG reduction goals. The OTP focuses on transitioning to
cleaner vehicles and fuels, especially electric, to make every mile driven clean. Policies for
transportation electrification go beyond just cars and trucks and include electrification of bikes,
scooters, transit buses and freight trucks. The Plan also calls for getting more people biking,
walking, or taking transit; implementing land use patterns that support use of those modes;
and fairly pricing the transportation system. These and other actions support the goal in the
Plan to reduce per capita passenger VMT – which will help with emission reductions in the
short term and enable more efficient use of existing capacity across modes while promoting
healthy lifestyles. Along those lines, the Plan limits roadway expansion to occur only after
pricing, options for shifting modes, use of demand management strategies, and operational
improvements are explored and projected to be insufficient at reducing congestion.
Secure Sustainable and Reliable Transportation Funding
Today’s transportation funding is sufficient to finance only a portion of long-term investment
needs. Current funding is also largely dependent on a carbon-based revenue form, the gas tax.
As the transportation system decarbonizes, such funding becomes less reliable and produces
less revenue. The OTP recognizes the need to diversify Oregon’s transportation revenue sources
and ultimately shift to a VMT fee, such as the OReGO pay-per-mile system. It calls on pricing
programs (such as tolling, congestion pricing, parking pricing, and carbon charges) to raise
revenue and support overall OTP objectives. The Plan also identifies the need to sustain and
enhance alternative funding sources, such as the employee payroll tax for public transportation.
Overall policies must ultimately rely on true cost pricing, which more fully recovers the cost
to build, operate, maintain, and manage the multimodal transportation system. There is also
direction in the OTP to index revenue sources for inflation to help make those funding sources
more sustainable.
Maintain the Existing System and Complete Critical Connections
The OTP calls for increasing transportation funding due to woefully insufficient funding
available today. A system reliant on limited and insufficient funds fails and will continue to fail
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Oregon Transportation Plan
to address deteriorated roads and bridges, disconnected walkways and bikeways, inadequate
transit service, and overall hardships for people trying to connect to critical destinations.
With limited resources, Oregon must strategically invest in the transportation system. The Plan
identifies the need to focus dollars on eliminating fatalities and serious injuries; maintaining
lifeline routes and key corridors; sustaining transit service; and adding critical connections for
biking, walking, and rolling. As additional funds become available, focus can expand to broader
maintenance and heightened transportation system resilience, increasing active transportation
connections, and improving overall safety.
Enable the Efficient Movement of Goods and Services
Efficient movement of freight is essential for a robust Oregon economy. Freight travel times
must be reliable to keep Oregon competitive. The ability to move goods by truck, on rail,
by water, or in the air depends on the commodity that is being shipped and the efficiency
of those modes. Major impediments to moving people and goods disrupt and impede the
free flow of commerce. Many policies in the OTP are designed to address these issues and
enable multimodal freight connections and deliveries. On-road freight efficiency, for example,
should benefit from passenger VMT reduction with more people biking, walking, or taking
transit. However, there will still likely be areas of severe congestion where strategic roadway
enhancements will be needed to improve timeliness and reliability for freight. Overall, the
OTP envisions a system to keep freight moving from origin to destination with easy transfers
between modes, services, and systems.
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6. Goals, Objectives, Policies, and
Strategies
6
Goals, Objectives, Policies, and
Strategies
The OTP Vision and Values statement presented in Chapter 4 describes the overarching
intention of the state’s transportation system and a common purpose that all of Oregon can
work toward. This chapter expands on the OTP Vision and Values through the OTP goals,
objectives, policies, and strategies. Goals identify specific areas of focus to realize the future
set forth in the Vision. Objectives establish outcomes and provide guardrails for determining
how to take action that is consistent and strategic. Policies set the course of action and describe
different lenses that will be important to consider as agencies work to meet the objectives.
Strategies are specific actions that need to happen to make progress toward those outcomes
outlined in the objectives. The Big Ideas included on the first page for each goal capture a
snapshot of what Oregon needs to do to achieve each goal. While these Big Ideas are not policies
(or strategies) in themselves, they are intentionally linked to the actions described within the
polices (and strategies).
These goals, objectives, policies, and strategies inform not only ODOT but also other state and
local agencies, as well as Oregon businesses and residents. This chapter recognizes Oregon’s
distinct geographical areas and the unique needs of the state’s urban, suburban, exurban, and
rural communities. While the OTP is a long-term plan, the policies and strategies outlined
here serve as a road map for immediate and ongoing work and decision making as agencies,
organizations, and individuals work together to meet the urgent needs related to safety, equity,
climate action, and Oregon’s economy.
Vision & Values
(Why)
Goals
(What/Who)
Objectives
(How)
Policies
& Strategies
This statement is a way to describe Oregon’s ideal future
and the values that will shape policy.
These are specific areas where Oregon can take actions and
adopt policies to realize the overall Vision.
These define the desired outcomes that the goals can achieve.
These are specific actions that state what needs to happen to make
progress toward those outcomes outlined in the objectives.
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Oregon Transportation Plan
6.1
Economic and Community Vitality
Goals (What/Who)
Goals
(What/Who)
Improve prosperity, opportunity, and livability for all
people who live, work, and recreate in Oregon.
Objectives (How)
Objectives
(How)
•
EC.1: Link transportation and land use decisions, recognizing the impact both
have on how, where, and the distance people travel.
•
EC.2: Provide safe and reliable movement of goods and services.
•
EC.3: Provide transportation systems to promote healthy, prosperous, and
cohesive communities.
•
EC.4: Provide, maintain, and enable multimodal intercity connections that
support access to Oregon’s natural, cultural, and heritage destinations.
THE BIG IDEAS
•
Provide multimodal access to places around the state for recreation, tourism,
and commerce.
•
Move goods and provide access to services in an innovative way to help
Oregon’s economy thrive.
•
Ensure the transportation system is a means for supporting public health and
community life.
•
Increase affordable, convenient, and efficient transportation options available to
neighborhoods and communities.
•
Provide access to community places and destinations.
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Oregon Transportation Plan
Objective EC.1
Link transportation and land use decisions, recognizing the impact both have
on how, where, and the distance people travel.
Policy EC.1.1
Encourage development of compact communities and mixed-use neighborhoods to support
multimodal trip choices and efficient public investments.
•
Strategy EC.1.1.1: Invest in transportation projects and programs that connect
areas of compact development (or planned for compact development) with
walking, rolling, biking, and transit facilities and services.
Policy EC.1.2
Facilitate the creation of places where residents, workers, and visitors can meet most of their
daily needs without driving. These will be mixed-use communities that contain a combination
of housing, jobs, businesses, and services, and that are served by safe transportation options
for all modes, including high-quality infrastructure for people to walk, roll, bike, and take
transit.
•
Strategy EC.1.2.1: Emphasize multimodal connections to areas that include
affordable housing to help those households reduce combined total
transportation and housing costs.
•
Strategy EC.1.2.2: Support the development of downtowns with coordinated
transportation and economic development strategies and system
improvements.
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Oregon Transportation Plan
Objective EC.2
Provide safe and reliable movement of goods and materials.
Policy EC.2.1
Promote freight system integration and efficiency for a competitive advantage in regional,
national, and international markets.
•
Strategy EC.2.1.1: Support a diversified freight system through planning,
integration, and targeted funding for non-highway freight modes, such as rail,
port, intermodal, and air cargo facilities.
•
Strategy EC.2.1.2: Maintain and enable access for general commercial vehicles
to key freight origins, destinations, and intermodal facilities.
Policy EC.2.2
Support efficient movement of freight to help keep delivery costs from increasing.
•
Strategy EC.2.2.1: Study commodity flow in Oregon and identify and improve
current and potential major impediments to moving people and goods,
seeking solutions that address needs.
Policy EC.2.3
Fund innovative technology, management, and information sharing that will facilitate resilient
and efficient goods movement and economic strategies.
•
Strategy EC.2.3.1: Emphasize use of less-polluting freight vehicles (e.g.,
cargo e-bikes, vans, and medium-duty trucks) to move goods within urban
environments while supporting larger and heavier freight activity at the
periphery of urban environments and for intercity travel.
•
Strategy EC.2.3.2: Where large trucks are needed for urban deliveries, support
them with sufficient technology-enabled parking and curbside regulation,
including shared loading zones with freight prioritized at certain times of day,
to reduce idling and increase fuel efficiency.
•
Strategy EC.2.3.3: Transition to clean freight vehicles (trucks, trains, planes,
etc.) powered by electric, hydrogen, or low-carbon fuel.
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Oregon Transportation Plan
Objective EC.3
Provide transportation systems to promote healthy, prosperous, and cohesive
communities.
Policy EC.3.1
Provide a transportation system that expands connectivity, flexibility, and resiliency while
allowing all segments of the economy (industries, communities, and individuals) to thrive.
•
Strategy EC.3.1.1: Promote the ability of people to access essential
destinations, such as employment, education, and health care, with and
without access to a private vehicle.
•
Strategy EC.3.1.2: Provide options for intercity commuting and work travel
that do not require access to a private vehicle, such as passenger rail and
regional transit.
•
Strategy EC.3.1.3: Address economic inequity by prioritizing mobility
connections between low-income households and economic opportunities,
including education and job centers.
Policy EC.3.2
Reduce transportation cost burdens on businesses and residents.
•
Strategy EC.3.2.1: Reduce business transportation cost burdens (e.g., parking,
long commutes, and fuel) by encouraging transportation option programs and
reduced energy cost per mile.
•
Strategy EC.3.2.2: Reduce household transportation cost burdens by investing
in programs that expand the availability, accessibility, and convenience of
transportation options that do not require vehicle ownership.
•
Strategy EC.3.2.3: Advance access to digital infrastructure, automation, and
support systems (e.g., intelligent traffic systems and electric vehicle charging)
to reduce barriers to transportation information, enable efficient travel choices,
and reduce travel costs.
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Oregon Transportation Plan
Policy EC.3.3
Emphasize public health outcomes and maintain and restore community cohesion through
system design and investments.
•
Strategy EC.3.3.1: Work with roadway owners to provide opportunities to
use transportation right of way as an enhancement to community livability,
such as through street plazas, demonstration projects, open street events, and
similar events and programs.
•
Strategy EC.3.3.2: Coordinate private and public resources to provide flexible
and responsive transportation improvements and services to help stimulate
active and vital downtowns, economic centers, and main streets.
•
Strategy EC.3.3.3: Maintain and improve community members’ ability to walk,
roll, and bike safely where they live as part of routine recreation, exercise, and
social activities.
•
Strategy EC.3.3.4: Promote modes of transportation that increase physical
activity and invest in the infrastructure that enables them (e.g., sidewalks,
bikeways, off-street paths, and safe arterial crossings).
Policy EC.3.4
When designing new or replacement transportation infrastructure, use the latest design
guidance and approved standards appropriate to the context to enhance the comfort and
quality of the space for the benefit of the surrounding community.
•
Strategy EC.3.4.1: Incorporate trees, bioswales, and vegetation within project
areas to enhance the attractiveness of communities and transportation
systems, ensuring that plantings maintain the visibility and safety of
transportation system users and are appropriate for the environment (e.g., are
drought resistant or do not increase wildfire danger).
•
Strategy EC.3.4.2: Create welcoming, visible, and well-lit spaces that reinforce
personal security while naturally deterring illegal or dangerous activity.
•
Strategy EC.3.4.3: Reduce or avoid negative air quality, noise, and visual
impacts from the transportation system on adjacent communities.
•
Strategy EC.3.4.4: Design transportation infrastructure for climate change and
extreme weather resilience.
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Oregon Transportation Plan
Policy EC.3.5
Recognize the unique needs of rural communities and areas, and enable transportation that
supports longer trip distances, more sparsely populated areas, farm, forest, and agricultural
uses as well as tourism.
•
Strategy EC.3.5.1: Design and maintain roadways that support the movement
of large and sometimes oversize farm equipment and vehicles.
•
Strategy EC.3.5.2: Identify key roadway and multimodal connection points
between communities and give higher priority to accessibility needs over
accommodating higher volumes of vehicles/trips.
•
Strategy EC.3.5.3: Deploy safety countermeasures to prevent run-off-the-road
crashes, address speeding, and consider unique rural issues.
•
Strategy EC.3.5.4: Support and promote designation and use of scenic byways
and bikeways.
Objective EC.4
Provide, maintain, and enable multimodal intercity connections that support
access to Oregon’s natural, cultural, and heritage destinations.
Policy EC.4.1
Support tourism by coordinating transportation investments and operations with the tourist
industry and affected communities.
•
Strategy EC.4.1.1: Plan for travel related to tourism throughout the state as a
critical economic tool for both urban and rural communities and a meaningful,
affordable option for families to enjoy Oregon’s many natural and urban areas.
•
Strategy EC.4.1.2: Designate priority routes for recreational trails, scenic
byways, and multimodal activities such as cycle tourism, and support the safe
use of these designated routes through investments in programs and system
improvements.
•
Strategy EC.4.1.3: Increase opportunities for tourists to use shuttles, public
transportation, mobility wallets, interoperable bikeshare, and other nondriving modes.
July 13, 2023 | 36
Oregon Transportation Plan
6.2
Social Equity
Goals
(What/Who)
Goals
(What/Who)
Objectives (How)
Objectives
(How)
Improve access to safe and affordable transportation
for all, recognizing the unmet mobility needs of people
who have been systemically excluded and underserved.
Create an equitable and transparent engagement and
communications decision-making structure that builds
public trust.
•
SE.1: Recognize past harms and remove barriers to inclusion and opportunity.
•
SE.2: Make decisions through processes that are transparent, inclusive, and
engaging to all people affected by the transportation system.
•
SE.3: Improve access to and convenience of a range of high-quality, safe, and
affordable mobility options for excluded or underserved populations.
•
SE.4: Expand access to essential services and economic opportunities through
programs and investments.
THE BIG IDEAS
•
Acknowledge and account for existing inequalities and harm caused by
transportation decisions.
•
Strive to prevent historically excluded and underserved communities from
further bearing the burden of negative effects related to transportation decisions.
•
Embed social equity in all programs, processes, and policies.
•
Implement open and inclusive processes that build trust.
•
Welcome, serve, and empower members of marginalized, oppressed, and
underserved communities.
•
Reduce household transportation costs for those disproportionately burdened.
•
Recognize that Tribal governments are independent sovereign nations and work
with them through the government-to-government process.
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Oregon Transportation Plan
Objective SE.1
Recognize past harms and remove barriers to inclusion and opportunity.
Policy SE.1.1
Acknowledge the role of Oregon’s history in altering the landscape, traditions, communities,
and trajectory-of-prosperity for Indigenous people, federally recognized Tribes, and nations,
and — through collaboration — elevate the quality of transportation for Indigenous people and
Tribal governments.
•
Strategy SE.1.1.1: Consult with all of Oregon’s nine federally recognized
Tribes to develop formal agreements to explicitly address benefits and
burdens of transportation policies and investment priorities upon Tribal
communities. Do this in coordination with established engagement channels.
•
Strategy SE.1.1.2: Ensure emerging technology issues, in particular, are
understood and addressed when consulting with Oregon’s federally
recognized Tribes.
Policy SE.1.2
Document the impact of past decisions on current inequities and develop restorative
strategies to shape future investments.
•
Strategy SE.1.2.1: Identify partnerships and resources to document harm that
resulted from past transportation decisions.
•
Strategy SE.1.2.2: Develop a statewide approach to equity mapping as a
resource for prioritizing transportation decisions.
•
Strategy SE.1.2.3: Use data to craft strategies that address harm for
communities negatively impacted by past decisions.
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Oregon Transportation Plan
Policy SE.1.3
Understand and reflect the perspectives and diversity of Oregon within decision-making
structures.
•
Strategy SE.1.3.1: Seek direct input regarding each community’s unique
cultural experiences and acknowledge how they impact their transportation
needs, access, and options.
•
Strategy SE.1.3.2: Recruit and manage transportation agencies’ employees,
advisory committees, review boards, task forces, and other decision-making
entities so that they reflect the intersecting identities and diversity of the
communities they serve.
Policy SE.1.4
Improve access for transportation-vulnerable people with a focus on systemically excluded or
underserved populations (populations with high numbers of BIPOC, Oregon’s nine federally
recognized Tribes, people experiencing low income, people living with one or more disabilities,
seniors, youth, and rural residents).
•
Strategy SE.1.4.1: Identify communities underserved by walking, rolling,
biking, transit, and micromobility travel options and areas where transit
service levels are low.
•
Strategy SE.1.4.2: Prioritize investments for systemically excluded and
underserved populations to reduce disparities in access to economic,
recreation, and social destinations.
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Oregon Transportation Plan
Objective SE.2
Make decisions through processes that are transparent, inclusive, and
engaging to all people affected by the transportation system.
Policy SE.2.1
Ensure the voices of all people are heard in decision-making processes.
•
Strategy SE.2.1.1: Build trust and relationships with systemically excluded or
underserved populations. For example, agencies can work with community
organizations over time to strengthen relationships that outlive individual
projects.
•
Strategy SE.2.1.2: Increase (and provide resources for) ways systemically
excluded and underserved people can participate throughout decision-making
processes. Recognize and address distinct barriers to participation, including
cost and access obstacles to joining an in-person or online meeting, scheduleand time-related limitations, language barriers, and cognitive differences.
•
Strategy SE.2.1.3: Use affinity groups and other local resources to elevate the
voices and perspectives of systemically excluded or underserved populations
so they are central to the framing and execution of the project planning
process.
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Oregon Transportation Plan
Policy SE.2.2
Inform and empower partners, particularly communities who have been systemically excluded
or underserved, about opportunities and actions to influence open decision making.
•
Strategy SE.2.2.1: Communicate information and impacts to the public and
partners in a clear and timely manner.
•
Strategy SE.2.2.2: Provide equitable access to information for communities
across the state, considering communication platforms and information
sources that are culturally responsive and accessible to all.
•
Strategy SE.2.2.3: Be inclusive, transparent, and clear about how equity
tools (e.g., equity indices, frameworks, and processes) change decisions and
influence outcomes.
Objective SE.3
Improve access to and convenience of a range of high-quality, safe, and
affordable mobility options for systemically excluded or underserved
populations.
Policy SE.3.1
Help all Oregonians thrive through inclusion and consideration of equity in transportation
decision making and investments.
•
Strategy SE.3.1.1: Invest in projects that would clearly benefit the safety,
climate resilience, and public health outcomes of systemically excluded or
underserved populations.
•
Strategy SE.3.1.2: In response to the higher rates of roadway fatalities for
people walking and biking in areas that are comprised of low income and
BIPOC community members, make multimodal safety investments in
areas with a high concentration of systemically excluded or underserved
populations.
•
Strategy SE.3.1.3: At all phases of planning and project development,
recognize the role of public transit as a lifeline resource for people
experiencing low income, people living with one or more disabilities, seniors,
and youth.
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Oregon Transportation Plan
Policy SE.3.2
Address barriers to accessing and using vehicles and tools that feature emerging technology
(e.g., electric vehicles, trip planning services and information, and shared micromobility
vehicles).
•
Strategy SE.3.2.1: Invest in electric vehicle systems and charging stations
throughout the state.
•
Strategy SE.3.2.2: Support development of shared use transportation resources
that minimize up-front costs and are designed to be accessible to people of all
income levels.
•
Strategy SE.3.2.3: Leverage resources that are focused on technology
investments to maximize equitable outcomes. Ensure all partnership
agreements between transportation agencies and other state agencies,
investor-owned utilities, community-owned utilities, local governments, and
local community-based entities address equitable processes and outcomes.
•
Strategy SE.3.2.4: Approach autonomous and connected vehicle travel
and refueling in a manner that improves health, safety, accessibility,
environmental, and livability outcomes in communities that have been
systemically excluded and underserved.
Policy SE.3.3
Consider household budgets and proportional household income spent on transportation
costs in transportation system design and implementation. Balance costs for all users to
ensure none are overly burdened, including both households and businesses.
•
Strategy SE.3.3.1: Partner with private and nonprofit sector mobility providers
to implement equitable and accessible services.
•
Strategy SE.3.3.2: Support affordable financing of electric vehicles of all types,
including e-bikes, for personal ownership among underserved communities.
•
Strategy SE.3.3.3: Invest in the infrastructure and levels of service that make
existing low cost modes of travel — such as walking, rolling, biking, and
transit — more convenient and available.
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Oregon Transportation Plan
Objective SE.4
Expand access to essential services and economic opportunities through
programs and investments.
Policy SE.4.1
Ensure the needs of the most transportation-vulnerable people and systemically excluded
or underserved populations are meaningfully addressed and that policies produce improved
outcomes.
•
Strategy SE.4.1.1: Conduct and apply lessons from studies and analysis to
understand transportation disparities that exist among systemically excluded
or underserved populations.
•
Strategy SE.4.1.2: Increase transportation investments that benefit systemically
excluded or underserved populations.
Policy SE.4.2
Invest equitably in the Oregon economy by increasing contracting opportunities for Oregon
BIPOC-, Tribal-, and women-owned businesses, with the intent of creating wealth, building
capital, expanding networks, and building new skills within these communities.
•
Strategy SE.4.2.1: Establish and continue to evaluate and improve aspirational
contracting goals for Oregon BIPOC-, Tribal-, and women-owned businesses.
•
Strategy SE.4.2.2: Identify and reduce burdens associated with contracting for
Oregon BIPOC-, Tribal-, and women-owned businesses.
•
Strategy SE.4.2.3: Provide technical assistance, trainings, and networking
opportunities for Oregon BIPOC-, Tribal-, and women-owned businesses.
July 13, 2023 | 43
Oregon Transportation Plan
6.3
Mobility
Goals
Goals
(What/Who)
(What/Who)
Objectives Objectives
(How)
(How)
•
Create a resilient multimodal transportation system that
enables the diverse range of community members and
businesses with different needs to get where they need
to go safely, reliably, affordably, and with minimal
environmental impact.
MO.1: Complete, maintain, and improve multimodal transportation facilities
and services that are essential to Oregonians’ prosperity and quality of life.
•
MO.2: Reduce the per capita VMT for passenger vehicles.
•
MO.3: Create a transportation system that is fully accessible to people of all
ages, abilities, races, ethnicities, and income levels, regardless of geographic
context.
•
MO.4: Maintain or improve travel reliability for movement of goods and access
to services.
•
MO.5: Tailor transportation solutions to the local context, allowing for different
solutions to achieve OTP goals in rural, suburban, and urban communities.
•
MO.6: Integrate emerging transportation technologies into transportation
services and facilities.
THE BIG IDEAS
•
Put people first.
•
Get people and goods from point A to point B safely.
•
Complete the critical connections in Oregon’s transportation networks.
•
Ensure low-carbon transportation options are available and easy to use.
•
Leverage technology; anticipate the future.
•
Provide a robust transportation system so people have options and can make
choices.
•
Design roads to fit their context and intended function.
July 13, 2023 | 44
Oregon Transportation Plan
Objective MO.1
Complete, maintain, and improve multimodal transportation facilities and
services that are essential to Oregonians’ prosperity and quality of life.
Policy MO.1.1
Provide a well-connected and seamless multimodal transportation system that promotes the
safe movement of people and goods.
•
Strategy MO.1.1.1: Complete the most critical multimodal connections.
Define priority networks for all modes based on connectivity and access to
destinations; integrate these networks into plans and investment decisions at
the state, regional, and local levels.
•
Strategy MO.1.1.2: Improve the affordability, reliability, safety, comfort,
and time efficiency of walking, rolling, biking, and transit so they are at least
competitive with auto travel.
•
Strategy MO.1.1.3: Increase public transit ridership by enhancing network
coverage, frequency, span of service, and passenger safety through approaches
tailored to the local context as funding is available.
•
Strategy MO.1.1.4: Complete critical bicycle and pedestrian connections to
areas with a high proportion of transportation-disadvantaged people and
surrounding schools, shopping, employment centers, medical services,
connections to transit, and downtowns.
•
Strategy MO.1.1.5: Ensure children can access education through safe and
connected bikeways and walkways by providing funding and building
capacity for Safe Routes to School infrastructure and education programs.
•
Strategy MO.1.1.6: Develop and promote intercity passenger rail as a lowemission approach to efficient long-distance travel.
July 13, 2023 | 45
Oregon Transportation Plan
Objective MO.2
Reduce the per capita VMT for passenger vehicles.
Policy MO.2.1
Prior to adding new motor vehicle capacity, assess whether the capacity or other needs can
be reasonably addressed by a cooperative approach among agencies to carry out one or a
combination of the following:
» Multimodal investments (e.g., increased transit service and
passenger safety, multimodal network completion, and connectivity
improvements that are non-auto),
» Transportation options programs (e.g., education and outreach,
transportation options information, trip planning, or rideshare
support),
» Transportation system management improvements (e.g., ramp
metering, signal coordination, or roadway lane reconfiguration), or
» Context-appropriate pricing strategies (e.g., roadway tolling,
charging for parking, or incentives).
•
Strategy MO.2.1.1: Establish an investment prioritization process to
emphasize throughput of individuals and freight (e.g., multimodal freightand people-movement capacity) rather than the quantity of vehicles (e.g.,
volume-to-capacity ratio of a roadway).
•
Strategy MO.2.1.2: Implement metrics to ensure multimodal improvements
that benefit more than just vehicle movement are identified in development
review and traffic impact assessment processes.
•
Strategy MO.2.1.3: Consider the costs and benefits of mode investment choices
when making major funding decisions by using cost effectiveness tools.
•
Strategy MO.2.1.4: Evaluate the potential for latent and induced demand
for projects that add motor vehicle capacity, such as through lanes. Use
information in the overall assessment of project merits and scope, working to
mitigate any increased demand with partners.
July 13, 2023 | 46
Oregon Transportation Plan
Objective MO.3
Create a transportation system that is fully accessible to people of all ages,
abilities, races, ethnicities, and income levels regardless of geographic
context.
Policy MO.3.1
Design and maintain a transportation system that allows people of all ages, abilities, and
income levels to safely reach destinations (e.g., for employment, education, shopping,
recreation, parks and natural areas, health care, and social opportunities) via active and lowcarbon transportation modes of travel.
•
Strategy MO.3.1.1: Prepare a State of Oregon Transition Plan consistent with
Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act to establish actions and funding
priorities that provide transportation facilities which are accessible to all users.
•
Strategy MO.3.1.2: Meet or exceed Americans with Disabilities Act standards.
Design for universal access whenever feasible.
•
Strategy MO.3.1.3: Develop and maintain pedestrian and off-street path
networks, including addressing missing sidewalks, curb ramps, and accessible
pedestrian signals on arterial crossings.
•
Strategy MO.3.1.4: Document, plan for, and identify opportunities to address
maintenance needs specific to people walking, rolling, and biking so that
multimodal connections remain usable.
Policy MO.3.2
Create a robust transportation system that allows people to choose between many reliable
and accessible transportation options instead of needing to rely on a single option.
•
Strategy MO.3.2.1: Provide safe and reliable access to transit throughout the
day, not just during peak travel times.
•
Strategy MO.3.2.2: Provide safe, easy, and comfortable connections between
transportation providers, both public and private.
•
Strategy MO.3.2.3: Create programs that help to increase the use of walking,
rolling, biking, and transit to spread demand across the system.
July 13, 2023 | 47
Oregon Transportation Plan
Objective MO.4
Maintain or improve travel reliability for movement of goods and access to
services.
Policy MO.4.1
Plan and develop an integrated transportation system that allows businesses to choose
among affordable and reliable transportation options to connect goods and services with
people and other businesses.
•
Strategy MO.4.1.1: Establish freight networks and facilities, user fees, and
incentives so carriers and shippers are able to choose the safest, most reliable,
and lowest-impact modes and achieve reliable deliveries in urban and rural
areas, including by use of truck, rail, marine, and air freight options.
•
Strategy MO.4.1.2: Make investments that enable safe movement and delivery
of goods by improving appropriate access for freight vehicles, availability of
truck parking, and driver amenities.
Policy MO.4.2
Advance transportation solutions that improve reliable movement along intercity corridors
(e.g., intelligent transportation systems (ITS), and bus and freight vehicle priority).
•
Strategy MO.4.2.1: In urban areas, implement context-sensitive solutions
such as shared transit- and freight-only lanes to help freight move through
congested areas and support transport of goods to market. Implement
curbside management strategies and timed access when warranted to
minimize conflicts.
•
Strategy MO.4.2.2: Enable freight to move by the least polluting means
whenever possible by supporting transfer and transloading facilities when
appropriate, the use of rail facilities, and links to marine freight travel.
•
Strategy MO.4.2.3: Reserve space within existing rights of way for future
high-capacity intra-city and intercity transit per locally and regionally adopted
plans.
July 13, 2023 | 48
Oregon Transportation Plan
Policy MO.4.3
Systematically address barriers to efficient freight movement on roads and highways and at
intermodal connections.
•
Strategy MO.4.3.1: Identify major impediments to moving people and
goods and identify solutions that support improved freight travel times and
reliability, while minimizing the potential for increased passenger VMT.
•
Strategy MO.4.3.2: Address freight barriers through innovative solutions that
result in safe access for people and freight.
•
Strategy MO.4.3.3: Coordinate convenient and reliable intermodal connections
and interoperability among carriers so goods can easily move between modes
and places.
Objective MO.5
Tailor transportation solutions to the local context, allowing for different
solutions to achieve OTP goals in rural, suburban, and urban communities.
Policy MO.5.1
Apply a context- and performance-based approach to planning and designing roadways to
integrate flexibility, enhance intermodal connections, and improve user experience and safety.
•
Strategy MO.5.1.1: Establish transportation design standards appropriate for
the following planned land use contexts:
- Traditional Downtown/Central Business District
- Urban Mix
- Commercial Corridor
- Residential Corridor
- Suburban Fringe
- Rural Community
- Rural
July 13, 2023 | 49
Oregon Transportation Plan
•
Strategy MO.5.1.2: Apply roadway design elements appropriate to the
planned land use context, with dimensional standards addressing the
pedestrian and transition realms (including bicycle lanes, shoulders, and onstreet parking).
•
Strategy MO.5.1.3: Preserve the multimodal people- and freight-moving
capacity of transportation corridors while making enhancements and
accommodations that, above all else, prevent fatalities and serious injuries.
•
Strategy MO.5.1.4: Invest in off-street walking and biking regional paths to
enable more safe, comfortable, and direct connections between destinations.
Policy MO.5.2
Plan for and implement transportation investments that are consistent with and supportive of
local, regional, Tribal, and state transportation and land use plans.
•
Strategy MO.5.2.1: In urban areas, support compact development and climatefriendly areas to ensure safe, affordable, reliable, and equitable access to
destinations including jobs, education, healthy food, services, health care, and
recreation.
•
Strategy MO.5.2.2: Consider planned land use context, modal function,
roadway classification, and anticipated users to determine modal priorities
and anticipated users on a project-by-project basis.
•
Strategy MO.5.2.3: Determine roadway design by responding to the planned
land use context to better understand the anticipated users and identify
appropriate consideration for each of them. The figure on page 51 shows the
relative need of each user type to influence planning and design decisions in
the different land use contexts.
•
Strategy MO.5.2.4: Use special districts and appropriate design guidelines to
support local goals and to ensure that travel for people walking, rolling, and
biking is safe and encouraged within cities and towns.
•
Strategy MO.5.2.5: Use modal classifications and appropriate design
guidelines to enable long-distance and freight trips in support of state and
regional goals.
July 13, 2023 | 50
Oregon Transportation Plan
Relative need for a road user type to influence planning and design decisions for different land use contexts.
Relative need for a road user type to influence planning and design decisions for each land use context.
Land Use
Context
Motorist
Freight
Movement
Transit Rider
Person Biking
Person Walking
Traditional
downtown /
commercial
business district
context.
Low.
Low.
High.
High.
High.
Urban mix
context.
Medium.
Low.
High.
High.
High.
Commercial
corridor
context.
High.
High.
High.
Medium.
Medium.
Residential
corridor
context.
Medium.
Medium.
Low.
Medium.
Medium.
Suburban
fringe context. High.
High.
Varies.
Low.
Low.
Rural
community
context.
Medium.
Medium.
Varies.
High.
High.
Rural context.
High.
High.
Low.
Medium.
Low.
July 13, 2023 | 51
Oregon Transportation Plan
Objective MO.6
Integrate emerging transportation technologies into transportation services
and facilities.
Policy MO.6.1
Advance ITS and related technologies to improve safety and reliability and manage congestion
in all areas of the state.
Policy MO.6.2
Leverage shared mobility services and technology solutions to affect mode choice and travel
behavior.
•
Strategy MO.6.2.1: Promote shared electric mobility services (e.g., electric
vehicle, carshare, and e-bikeshare).
•
Strategy MO.6.2.2: Assess, plan for, enable, incentivize, and support the
transition of vehicles to electric or other low- or zero-emission options across
all modes so that every mile traveled is clean.
•
Strategy MO.6.2.3: Provide traveler information and support software
that enables people to understand and explore multimodal travel options,
including sharing rides through tools such as Get There Oregon.
•
Strategy MO.6.2.4: Foster development of mobility hubs, which are
strategically co-located spots that enable people to access multiple integrated
travel options (including transit, micromobility, and shared travel modes).
•
Strategy MO.6.2.5: Maximize deployment of shared use vehicles as an
alternative to personal car ownership and in ways designed to reduce per
capita VMT.
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Oregon Transportation Plan
6.4
Stewardship of Public Resources
Goals (What/Who)
Goals
(What/Who)
Objectives
(How)
Objectives
(How)
•
Guided by open, data-driven decision-making processes,
secure sufficient and reliable revenue for transportation
funding and invest public resources to achieve a resilient
and sustainable multimodal transportation system.
SP.1: Create sufficient, reliable, and sustainable revenue for transportation
funding to meet the goals of the Plan.
•
SP.2: Strategically align program, capital, and operational investments with
OTP goals.
•
SP.3: Collaborate and plan across and between agencies and service providers.
•
SP.4: Manage and deliver projects and programs with an approach that is
adaptive and effective.
•
SP.5: Conduct decision making and public involvement in a transparent and
open manner.
•
SP.6: Increase the resiliency of the transportation system to better withstand
and recover from the anticipated impacts of climate change, extreme weather,
seismic and other natural disasters, and adapt to changing needs.
THE BIG IDEAS
•
Secure sustainable and reliable
•
funding.
•
Align investments and disaster
through partnerships.
•
recovery with OTP goals.
•
Deliver results.
•
Collaborate and break down silos.
•
Emphasize open, data-driven
Leverage limited public resources
Prepare for the effects of a
warming climate.
•
Plan for resiliency to recover from
disasters and disruption.
decision making.
July 13, 2023 | 53
Oregon Transportation Plan
Objective SP.1
Create sufficient, reliable, and sustainable revenue for transportation funding
to meet the goals of the Plan.
Policy SP.1.1
Develop a reliable funding structure that addresses transportation needs and closes funding
shortfalls for all modes of the transportation system by regularly updating and adjusting
funding sources and strategies to respond to inflation, need, future trends, and technological
and societal change.
•
Strategy SP.1.1.1: Index transportation fees and administrative costs for
inflation.
•
Strategy SP.1.1.2: Regularly reevaluate all transportation fees based on
performance measures for sufficiency of system and services.
Policy SP.1.2
Pursue road user revenue streams that help to cover costs and are sustainable, resilient, and
reliable in supporting the multimodal transportation system.
•
Strategy SP.1.2.1: Establish a set of road user fees that represents a fair,
transparent, user-based roadway pricing system and encourages efficient use
of the system by reflecting both drivers’ use and the cost they impose on the
transportation system. The set of fees should include, but is not limited to, the
following components:
- Road usage charges will charge people driving vehicles for each
mile driven, ensuring all vehicle users pay for their actual use of the
roads, regardless of whether they pay fuels tax.
- Weight-based charges ensure that people driving medium and
heavy vehicles pay their fair share for their disproportionate wear
and tear on the transportation system.
- Tolls should be implemented to charge users for their use of
specific infrastructure to manage congestion and to pay for projects,
particularly those that are high cost and include elements that
improve the roadway consistent with the State’s Tolling Policy.
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Oregon Transportation Plan
- Congestion charges will charge people higher prices for highly used
portions of the system at peak times to pay for projects, reduce travel
and congestion, and incentivize use of other modes or travel at less
congested times when prices would be lower. Implement congestion
charges in a manner that does not disproportionally burden people
experiencing low income.
- Carbon charges will charge people for emitting carbon and other
pollution.
Policy SP.1.3
Pursue new and expand current revenue resources to create an integrated multimodal
transportation system.
•
Strategy SP.1.3.1: Increase rates and fees to more fully cover costs of building,
maintaining, and managing the transportation system, including transit and
other non-roadway modal investments and operating costs.
•
Strategy SP.1.3.2: Ensure administrative costs are fully covered by revenuegenerating programs.
•
Strategy SP.1.3.3: Work with the Oregon Legislature to expand revenue
options and flexibility for multimodal transportation systems and services,
creating a larger and more diverse portfolio of revenue.
•
Strategy SP.1.3.4: Create a statewide task force to develop new, creative, and
equitable transportation revenue to close the gap between available revenue
and future needs, and to provide the predictability Oregon needs to make
long-term investments for all modes, systems, and services.
•
Strategy SP.1.3.5: Provide local governments additional options to generate
revenue for local system improvements.
•
Strategy SP.1.3.6: Retain, simplify, and increase existing revenue-generating
programs from driver and motor vehicle fees and motor carrier taxes and fees
while developing new ones.
July 13, 2023 | 55
Oregon Transportation Plan
•
Strategy SP.1.3.7: Develop partnerships that monetize or otherwise leverage
transportation assets such as mobility data and public right of way to
generate revenue, services, and other benefits. This can include partnerships
that use right of way for broadband deployment, energy production, and
environmental services.
•
Strategy SP.1.3.8: Build upon private sector, national or regional government
programs, and academic institutions as project partners to explore new and
innovative financing mechanisms, especially for efforts that harness new
technology or address a pressing societal change.
•
Strategy SP.1.3.9: Develop and promote value capture strategies (e.g., tax
increment financing, special assessments, and joint development) to recoup
the value added by public investments in the transportation system.
•
Strategy SP.1.3.10: Identify revenue sources to support public transportation
options, decarbonize the transportation system, and create an integrated
multimodal system.
•
Strategy SP.1.3.11: Structure revenue-generating programs to be consistent
with the goals of the Plan by increasing or decreasing rates, or providing
subsidies that support equity, access, climate, or other outcomes.
Policy SP.1.4
Be intentional and inclusive when engaging communities in revenue-generating programs
to gain better outcomes, public acceptance, and understanding, and to advance equity
priorities.
•
Strategy SP.1.4.1: Prioritize fair and equitable payment by, and/or other
mitigations for, low- and middle-income Oregonians and those who do not
have any feasible alternatives to multimodal travel options — whether at the
state, local, or regional level.
•
Strategy SP.1.4.2: Consider the impacts of roadway pricing on freight and
delivery vehicles when developing a user-based roadway pricing program.
Increasing the cost of goods movement can increase costs for consumers, and
truck freight carriers typically do not have feasible alternatives.
July 13, 2023 | 56
Oregon Transportation Plan
•
Strategy SP.1.4.3: Ensure user-based pricing programs consider the impacts on
rural communities throughout the state, who typically travel longer distances
and have limited access to non-auto transportation options.
•
Strategy SP.1.4.4: Develop a user-based system accompanied with a
comprehensive customer service program to understand customer needs,
improve customer awareness, and provide efficient and reliable information to
the public.
•
Strategy SP.1.4.5: Include statutory protections and user choices in any road
user fee system to address privacy and data security concerns and ensure the
system does not expose personal information.
•
Strategy SP.1.4.6: Provide ongoing public information and education about
transportation needs and funding alternatives. Enhance public understanding
about the benefits of transportation investments and the adverse consequences
disinvestment has on the economy, livability, congestion, and overall
attractiveness of the state.
July 13, 2023 | 57
Oregon Transportation Plan
Objective SP.2
Strategically align program, capital, and operational investments with OTP
goals.
Policy SP.2.1
Support the movement of goods and people through strategic investment of limited resources
that benefit the distribution of travelers and equitable access, and support transportation
options that meet the needs of the users of the transportation system.
•
Strategy SP.2.1.1: Develop transportation plans and investments to focus on
the most cost-effective, resilient, equitable, and carbon-responsible modes and
solutions over the long term. Utilize the following considerations when setting
priorities and making decisions to balance how needs are addressed across all
tiers, emphasizing the top needs on down:[1]
-
Top tier:
- Address fatalities and serious injuries.
- Maintain and preserve critical assets, key corridors, and critical
lifeline routes.
- Add critical bikeway and walkway connections in “high need
locations” (e.g., transportation-disadvantaged areas and surrounding
schools, shopping, employment centers, medical services,
connections to transit, and downtowns).
- Preserve current public transportation service levels and maintain a
state of good repair for vehicles and facilities.
-
Second tier:
- Address contributing factors and reduce the severity of crashes and
safety incidents.
- Maintain the broader transportation system and assets.
- Complete the active transportation network.
1. The tiers are designed to recognize that, for example, not all safety needs can be met at the same time and emphasis
should be placed on addressing fatalities and serious injuries. This does not preclude investments or projects that focus
on other safety issues (second tier) or comfort features (third tier) that will still be needed based on individual project
context and needs. The tiers help to signal the areas to emphasize most, but not at the exclusion of investments in lowerlevel tiers.
July 13, 2023 | 58
Oregon Transportation Plan
- Improve the efficiency, frequency, and reliability of public
transportation services.
- Improve the efficiency and capacity of existing transportation
infrastructure and facilities through operational improvements,
exclusive of adding new through lanes, for the movement of
people and goods.
-
Third tier:
- Increase users’ sense of safety and comfort.
- Expand public transportation services and fleet.
- Add new facilities, identified and prioritized at the regional level,
that are consistent with the policies of this Plan.
•
Strategy SP.2.1.2: Regularly assess transportation assets that are
underperforming (relative to cost of operations) to identify facilities and
services that could be disinvested in, or have ownership transferred, as a
way to reduce maintenance costs and focus investment funds in new ways,
respectively.
•
Strategy SP.2.1.3: Implement a funding allocation framework and project
prioritization process that evaluates the impact of investments on climate,
equity, and safety and results in total spending that helps meet OTP
performance targets.
Policy SP.2.2
Maximize the useful life and minimize the life-cycle cost of transportation assets — including
roads, bridges, tunnels, signals, sidewalks, fleet vehicles, and transit vehicles and facilities.
•
Strategy SP.2.2.1: Responsibly manage and maintain transportation assets
to keep the transportation networks safe and reliable over the long term,
including in periods of disruption.
•
Strategy SP.2.2.2: Design, construct, and/or repair facilities so that system
vulnerabilities are reduced and life-cycle costs are managed.
July 13, 2023 | 59
Oregon Transportation Plan
•
Strategy SP.2.2.3: Incorporate asset management principles into planning,
investment, capital construction, maintenance, and operations decisions.
•
Strategy SP.2.2.4: Adopt redundant, secure, and open-source technology (e.g.,
electric vehicle charging stations) to avoid the technology becoming obsolete
long-term.
Objective SP.3
Collaborate and plan across and between agencies and service providers.
Policy SP.3.1
Collaborate with Tribal governments, federal and state agencies, regional and local
governments, and private entities to remove barriers to transportation system performance
and facilitate seamless multimodal travel across jurisdictional boundaries.
•
Strategy SP.3.1.1: Collaborate with agencies (beyond the traditional
transportation agencies) that are involved in and affected by transportation,
such as Oregon’s nine federally recognized Tribes, Veterans Affairs, and
school districts.
•
Strategy SP.3.1.2: Coordinate across agencies to align Tribal, federal, state,
regional, and local transportation goals and priorities.
Policy SP.3.2
Establish partnerships among transportation service providers and private entities to improve
transportation facilities and service delivery.
•
Strategy SP.3.2.1: Foster public-private partnerships to support development
of vehicle charging and fueling infrastructure for electric and other zeroemission fuels, shared micromobility programs, and statewide broadband
access.
•
Strategy SP.3.2.2: Plan to manage risks to public investments associated with
turnover in the transportation technology sector.
July 13, 2023 | 60
Oregon Transportation Plan
Policy SP.3.3
Break down silos among transportation, housing, economic development, public health, and
other public-focused fields.
•
Strategy SP.3.3.1: Coordinate across state agencies (including the Department
of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD), DEQ, Oregon Health
Authority, and others), and with local and regional agencies, to leverage
shared investments to achieve the state’s goals.
•
Strategy SP.3.3.2: Collaborate among governmental agencies and private
partners to maintain public access to, and safety on, transportation facilities
while supporting the dignity and safety of houseless people when relocation is
necessary.
Objective SP.4
Manage and deliver projects and programs with an approach that is adaptive
and effective.
Policy SP.4.1
Develop, train, and retain the skilled transportation workforce required to meet the long-term
needs and challenges facing transportation.
•
Strategy SP.4.1.1: Build a diverse workforce that mirrors the diversity of the
people served by Oregon’s transportation system.
•
Strategy SP.4.1.2: Support the diverse workforce with equitable operations
and policies, and establish an informed culture that delivers authentic
inclusivity.
•
Strategy SP.4.1.3: Support training, apprenticeship, technical skills
development, and career growth opportunities to develop and retain a skilled
workforce.
July 13, 2023 | 61
Oregon Transportation Plan
Policy SP.4.2
Apply a practical design engineering approach to transportation problems to address
community needs and ensure system reliability and resiliency.
•
Strategy SP.4.2.1: Apply adopted roadway design standards in a way that
acknowledges the unique characteristics of each situation.
•
Strategy SP.4.2.2: Encourage incremental, flexible, and sustainable investment
decisions by focusing on identified performance needs and engaging partners.
•
Strategy SP.4.2.3: Determine needs and develop investment strategies to
manage system assets to appropriate service levels.
Policy SP.4.3
Support the ongoing transactions and customer services that impact the ability of people and
businesses to travel or do work on the transportation system, including issuance of licenses,
registrations, and permits, as well as maintenance services.
•
Strategy SP.4.3.1: Align provision of transportation customer service functions
with funding and resource constraints, prioritizing access and support for the
greatest number of users and in critical locations.
•
Strategy SP.4.3.2: Communicate with the public on anticipated transportation
service levels to help set customer expectations and experiences.
July 13, 2023 | 62
Oregon Transportation Plan
Objective SP.5
Conduct decision making and public involvement in a transparent and open
manner.
Policy SP.5.1
Make decisions through transparent processes that are inclusive, engaging, and supported by
data and analysis.
•
Strategy SP.5.1.1: Promote open data policies that enhance transparency and
public trust.
•
Strategy SP.5.1.2: Use both demographic analysis and partner input to aid
decision making.
•
Strategy SP.5.1.3: Systematically collect up-to-date transportation data that
can be reasonably and appropriately acquired and managed for data-driven
evaluation of programs and investments and support decision making.
•
Strategy SP.5.1.4: Provide data and project information to partners and the
public in a usable and easily accessible way.
Policy SP.5.2
Define an open decision-making process based on accountability, transparency, and
communication, and make clear how public input influences decision making.
•
Strategy SP.5.2.1: For each decision-making process, define the appropriate
level of public involvement (e.g., inform, consult, involve, collaborate, or
empower).
•
Strategy SP.5.2.2: Build capacity for public engagement within communities
by building relationships with and investing in community-based
organizations.
•
Strategy SP.5.2.3: Offer compensation to participants in public engagement
processes to add the perspectives and voices of those who are otherwise
unable to participate.
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Oregon Transportation Plan
Objective SP.6
Increase the resiliency of the transportation system to better withstand and
recover from the anticipated impacts of climate change, extreme weather,
seismic and other natural disasters, and adapt to changing needs.
Policy SP.6.1
Leverage transportation investments to support community health and increase community
resilience to chronic climate change impacts.
•
Strategy SP.6.1.1: Reinforce community cohesion and the resulting ability to
respond to and recover from challenges to their transportation system.
•
Strategy SP.6.1.2: Mitigate the transportation system’s role in the social,
economic, public health, and other adverse effects of climate change on people
throughout the state, particularly for systemically excluded or underserved
populations who are likely to face the worst effects of climate change. For
example, seek to reduce exposure of people traveling by walking, rolling,
biking, or taking transit to heat-related illness, and prioritize investment
in lifeline routes that intersect with systemically excluded or underserved
populations.
•
Strategy SP.6.1.3: Identify opportunities to address the public health hazards
of social isolation and poor air quality.
Policy SP.6.2
Identify modal and multimodal lifeline routes to facilitate evacuation and recovery during and
after a disaster, as well as to proactively prepare routes as best as possible to reduce possible
hazards from an event before it occurs.
•
Strategy SP.6.2.1: Map and assess multi-hazard threats to the transportation
system, including extreme precipitation, sea level rise, wildfires, extreme heat,
and seismic events.
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Oregon Transportation Plan
•
Strategy SP.6.2.2: Identify route redundancies and detour options across the
state and in local transportation systems.
•
Strategy SP.6.2.3: Implement the Climate Adaptation and Resilience
Roadmap and results from the Seismic Lifeline Study to enhance
transportation system resilience. The Climate Adaptation and Resilience
Roadmap, accepted by the OTC in January 2023, is incorporated herein by
reference and also serves as the Department’s Resilience Improvement Plan
(as defined in Section 11405 of the Federal Infrastructure Investment and
Jobs Act [2021]).
•
Strategy SP.6.2.4: Ensure sufficient alternative fuel station resilience, supply,
and density to support emergency evacuation scenarios and routes.
Policy SP.6.3
Incorporate pre-disaster mitigation to improve the resilience of Oregon’s transportation
system, prepare for long-term recovery and reconstruction efforts, mitigate future hazards,
and adapt to changing climate conditions.
•
Strategy SP.6.3.1: Seek federal authorization to use metropolitan planning
organizations for disaster/resiliency planning at a regional level.
•
Strategy SP.6.3.2: Ensure transportation provider operations and
communications are prepared for future disruptions due to climate change,
extreme weather, and seismic events.
•
Strategy SP.6.3.3: Integrate natural lands, cultural resources, ecosystem
protection, and nature-based strategies into resilience planning.
•
Strategy SP.6.3.4: Incorporate statewide seismic risk assessments, resilience
corridors, and climate hazard risk maps into project planning, prioritization,
and implementation.
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Oregon Transportation Plan
6.5
Safety
Goals
Goals
(What/Who)
(What/Who)
Enable safe travel for all people, regardless
of their age, ability, race, income, or mode of
transportation.
Objectives
(How)
Objectives
(How)
•
SA.1: Implement a holistic, proactive approach to system safety that eliminates
the occurrence of people being killed or seriously injured on the transportation
system by anticipating human mistakes and recognizing the vulnerability of
people on the road.
•
SA.2: Provide transportation systems and facilities that are safe and secure for
people to use, maintain, and operate.
•
SA.3: Leverage data and technology to document and eliminate fatal and
serious injury crashes.
THE BIG IDEAS
•
All decisions place a high priority on the safety of people and saving lives.
•
Safety measures achieve equitable outcomes.
•
All people feel the same level of safety, security, and belonging on Oregon’s
transportation system.
•
Technology and data are leveraged to identify and prioritize safety needs, and
enhance roadway safety.
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Oregon Transportation Plan
Objective SA.1
Implement a holistic, proactive approach to system safety that eliminates the
occurrence of people being killed or seriously injured on the transportation
system by anticipating human mistakes and recognizing the vulnerability of
people on the road.
Policy SA.1.1
Identify safety solutions that eliminate fatalities and serious injuries while curbing vehicle
emissions and leading to equitable outcomes.
•
Strategy SA.1.1.1: Give primacy to safety solutions that address fatalities and
serious injuries while:
-
Not increasing vehicle emissions, except when no other safety
countermeasure is determined to be effective.
-
Identifying safety solutions that maintain access for all modes when
possible.
•
Strategy SA.1.1.2: Implement safety solutions and prioritize investments
that eliminate fatalities and serious injuries across Oregon, recognizing
the disproportionate risk faced by systemically excluded or underserved
populations, as well as those who walk, roll, or bike.
Policy SA.1.2
Plan, design, construct, operate, and maintain the transportation system to reduce speed
differentials on roadways; provide context-appropriate physical and temporal separation
between different modes of travel.
•
Strategy SA.1.2.1: Reduce the potential severity of crashes in the event of
user error by applying proven countermeasures, including lighting, physical
separation, staggered signal phasing, and context-specific speed management
techniques.
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Oregon Transportation Plan
•
Strategy SA.1.2.2: Implement safety programs that address impacts related
to disruptions (e.g., construction, maintenance, and utility work). Programs
include addressing worker safety in work zones; providing safe pedestrian,
bike, and motor vehicle detours; and freight access routes.
•
Strategy SA.1.2.3: Maintain signal and signage systems so those elements
continue to be effective in reducing crash severity.
Policy SA.1.3
Develop and implement safety education, enforcement, and emergency service programs,
policies, and projects, with a primary goal of eliminating the occurrence of people being
killed or seriously injured.
•
Strategy SA.1.3.1: Develop programs that promote safe driver behavior
throughout people’s lives.
•
Strategy SA.1.3.2: Adopt safety messaging across all agencies to reflect
human fragility and the principles of a Safe System approach so that
transportation safety is integrated into everyday decision making for the
public (individual drivers, passengers, and people walking, rolling, and
biking).
•
Strategy SA.1.3.3: Support training for first responders so they are able to
respond to transportation-related crashes and other medical emergencies
fully equipped and in a timely manner.
•
Strategy SA.1.3.4: Implement equitable and evidence-based enforcement
of rules and laws (e.g., traffic laws, truck weight restrictions, and railroad
laws) intended to eliminate the occurrence of people being killed or seriously
injured while using the transportation system.
•
Strategy SA.1.3.5: Recognize that inherent bias exists in the enforcement
process and contributes to additional risk to BIPOC and Tribal individuals.
Support training programs to mitigate bias.
•
Strategy SA.1.3.6: Develop programs to help people transition as travelers
through all phases of life safely. For example, the transition from being an
able-bodied driver to a transit-dependent rider.
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Oregon Transportation Plan
Objective SA.2
Provide transportation systems and facilities that are safe and secure for
people to use, maintain, and operate.
Policy SA.2.1
Minimize risk of personal harm to people using outdoor transportation facilities in the
public realm (e.g., off-street trails; mobility hubs; park-and-rides; transit centers, stops,
and stations; rest areas; charging stations; and bike parking) and to vulnerable people by
providing personal security measures (e.g., lighting, sanitation, cameras, and emergency call
boxes).
•
Strategy SA.2.1.1: Develop best practices that improve security for bikes,
e-scooters, and e-bikes parked or charged in the public realm.
•
Strategy SA.2.1.2: Ensure trail safety by encouraging trail use and keeping
trails well maintained and designed for good visibility.
Policy SA.2.2
Develop and implement strategies to make public transportation safe and free of violence.
This includes the ability to ride transit without having to worry about one’s physical safety, and
without being threatened or harassed.
•
Strategy SA.2.2.1: Increase transit agency presence to help create a sense of
community and safety on transit systems.
•
Strategy SA.2.2.2: Evaluate the effects of enforcement responses to fare
evasion, homelessness, and mental health crises.
•
Strategy SA.2.2.3: Collect and share data on use of force within the transit
system, with the intent of ensuring that best efforts are being made to reduce
the need for such incidents, and ensure systemic biases are not negatively
impacting certain riders.
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Oregon Transportation Plan
Objective SA.3
Leverage data and technology to document and reduce fatal and serious injury
crashes.
Policy SA.3.1
Make strategic investments in analytics and data science capacity to support safety
improvements for transportation-vulnerable people (paying particular attention to
systemically excluded or underserved populations), improve overall safety outcomes, and
enhance reporting processes.
•
Strategy SA.3.1.1: Use data to proactively identify high-risk locations,
situations, and conflict points so agencies can implement safety measures
before people get hurt.
•
Strategy SA.3.1.2: Develop and maintain state-of-the-practice safety equity
metrics.
•
Strategy SA.3.1.3: Collect, share, and use crash data to understand and reduce
the risks and demonstrate the benefits of low-carbon modes of travel.
•
Strategy SA.3.1.4: Develop a process to ensure more accurate and thorough
reporting of crashes and injuries involving people walking, rolling, and biking.
Policy SA.3.2
Explore opportunities to deploy and promote emerging technologies that support safety of all
people traveling.
•
Strategy SA.3.2.1: Develop best practices to address technical innovations in
emergency management in a scalable way.
Policy SA.3.3
Support integration and linkage of data sources across multiple domains, programs, and data
systems hosting safety-relevant data.
•
Strategy SA.3.3.1: Source and provide technical support to ensure
cybersecurity and data privacy throughout the system.
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Oregon Transportation Plan
Policy SA.3.4
Support a managed approach to the adoption and safe use of connected and automated
vehicles.
•
Strategy SA.3.4.1: Develop operational plans that reduce the risk of people
making mistakes by supporting deployment of vehicle-to-infrastructure
technologies with compatible communications and system platforms used for
vehicle-to-vehicle communications.
•
Strategy SA.3.4.2: Regulate automated vehicles (automated driving functions)
by requiring special driver license endorsements or certifications to increase
their safe operation.
•
Strategy SA.3.4.3: Seek and secure public-private partnerships that enable
sharing of proprietary, anonymized, real-time operations and travel behavior
data to inform investments that will improve connected/automated driving
safety.
•
Strategy SA.3.4.4: Ensure automated vehicle behavior and supporting
infrastructure makes streets safer, and feel safer, for people walking and
rolling, and other vulnerable road users.
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Oregon Transportation Plan
6.6
Sustainability and Climate Action
Goals
Goals (What/Who)
(What/Who)
Minimize transportation’s negative role in climate change
by reducing GHG emissions for all sectors of transportation,
while also reducing air toxics, noise and light pollution,
water toxics, and habitat loss.
Objectives (How)
Objectives
(How)
•
SC.1: Achieve state goals for reducing GHG emissions.
•
SC.2: Preserve and improve the quality of Oregon’s water, air, and natural
ecosystems.
THE BIG IDEAS
•
Achieve statewide GHG emissions reduction targets.
•
Reduce per capita VMT for passenger vehicles.
•
Transition to cleaner vehicles and fuels.
•
Increase energy efficiency.
•
Protect the natural and cultural environment.
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Oregon Transportation Plan
Objective SC.1
Achieve state goals for reducing GHG emissions.
Policy SC.1.1
Implement the Oregon Statewide Transportation Strategy (STS) to realize statewide GHG
emissions reduction targets.
•
Strategy SC.1.1.1: Close the gap in existing plans, trends, policies, and
investments to achieve the STS vision, working across federally recognized
Tribes, state agencies, local jurisdictions, and the private sector to:
-
Transition to low- and no-emission vehicles and fuels, with a focus on
transportation electrification for all types of passenger and other light
vehicles, and alternative fuels for public transportation buses, freight
trucks, rail, and air.
-
Expand availability and use of low- and no-emission transportation
options such as walking, rolling, biking, and public transportation,
and implement transportation demand management strategies such as
employer programs, teleworking, and carpooling.
-
Price the transportation system to manage demand across modes,
supporting greater use of no-emission travel choices and providing
sustainable funding to support needed investments aligned with the
STS.
-
Improve systems operations and performance to reduce stops-and-starts
and idling, while limiting road expansion.
-
Use land more efficiently by controlling urban growth and creating more
compact and mixed-use development, such as climate-friendly areas that
support jobs and amenities closer to residences which therefore enable
shorter trips that can be made by walking, rolling, biking, or public
transportation.
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Oregon Transportation Plan
•
Strategy SC.1.1.2: Work toward zero emissions from the freight sector by
reducing idling, transitioning to low- and no-emission fuels, enhancing
the availability and efficiency of lower-carbon freight modes, and locating
distribution centers near interstates and highways to enable local mediumduty electric vehicle delivery of goods.
•
Strategy SC.1.1.3: Develop systems to continuously monitor and regularly
report on STS progress, and update and adjust STS strategies and trajectories
to mirror the pace of change in new technologies, scientific findings, and
data availability.
Policy SC.1.2
Enable broad electrification of the transportation system.
•
Strategy SC.1.2.1: Support transportation electrification of all modes,
including micromobility (electric bikes and scooters), light vehicles (cars and
trucks), medium- and heavy-duty vehicles (delivery and commercial freight
trucks, and school and transit buses), and rail, including all electric and
hydrogen technology.
•
Strategy SC.1.2.2: Identify charging and refueling infrastructure needs to meet
state goals and Advanced Clean Car regulations, and develop deployment
strategies.
•
Strategy SC.1.2.3: Designate and build out an alternative fuel corridor of
electric vehicle charging stations comprising a backbone north-south and eastwest network across major routes in Oregon.
•
Strategy SC.1.2.4: Ensure equitable access to charging infrastructure with
focused investments in rural areas, adjacent to multi-unit dwellings, enabling
on-street access, and in communities of systemically excluded or underserved
populations.
•
Strategy SC.1.2.5: Partner with federally recognized Tribes, state agencies,
local governments, utilities, electric vehicle service providers, and the private
sector on the planning, development, and maintenance of charging stations
across Oregon.
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Oregon Transportation Plan
Policy SC.1.3
Support transition to low-carbon fuels for fleets and sectors that are slower to or cannot yet
electrify.
•
Strategy SC.1.3.1: Develop a finance and implementation plan to create
an interstate network of alternative fuel stations through cross-agency
coordination and collaboration at the interstate, state, regional, and local
levels.
•
Strategy SC.1.3.2: Make alternative fuel infrastructure investments in areas
without access to alternative fuels, beginning with systemically excluded or
underserved populations.
•
Strategy SC.1.3.3: Partner with the freight sector to determine likely
alternative fuel paths (e.g., electric or hydrogen) and develop refueling
infrastructure accordingly and in support of achieving state Clean Truck
regulations.
•
Strategy SC.1.3.4: Rapidly transition public transportation fleets to electric
sources or other low-emission fuels.
•
Strategy SC.1.3.5: Reduce the emissions related to intercity travel and
interstate trips by supporting passenger rail operations and advancements in
low-emission air travel.
Policy SC.1.4
Meaningfully incorporate GHG emissions reduction in transportation decision making on a
regular basis.
•
Strategy SC.1.4.1: Update project cost-benefit analysis methodologies to
apply innovative and consistent tools for evaluating life-cycle costs; the social
cost of carbon (an estimate of the economic costs, or damages, of emitting one
additional ton of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere); embodied carbon and
climate change impacts and benefits; cost of maintenance, including damage
and repair due to expected natural disasters; anticipated future conditions
in a warming world (e.g., consider future anticipated precipitation, not just
historical trends); and benefits to the public when less maintenance and repair
is required.
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Oregon Transportation Plan
•
Strategy SC.1.4.2: Reduce emissions in the provision and operations of
transportation services including lighting, energy use, buildings, and fleet
vehicles.
•
Strategy SC.1.4.3: Transition to low-carbon materials and fuels in project
construction and maintenance.
•
Strategy SC.1.4.4: Evaluate the impacts of climate change on BIPOC
communities, federally recognized Tribes, people experiencing low income, and
rural environments in programmatic and project-level decisions.
Policy SC.1.5
Develop and implement a long-range plan for increasing energy efficiency and moving toward
a diversified and decarbonized energy supply in collaboration with federal, state, regional,
and local jurisdictions and agencies, as well as transportation providers, shippers, and the
general public.
•
Strategy SC.1.5.1: Identify and implement opportunities for businesses to use
transportation modes that are energy efficient.
•
Strategy SC.1.5.2: Identify and implement energy-efficient construction and
maintenance practices.
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Oregon Transportation Plan
Objective SC.2
Preserve and improve the quality of Oregon’s water, air, and natural
ecosystems.
Policy SC.2.1
Require siting, design, and development of new and reconstructed transportation
infrastructure to reduce the impact on environmentally and culturally sensitive areas;
enhance and avoid the degradation of the natural and cultural environment; and protect
water, air, and wildlife.
•
Strategy SC.2.1.1: Plant trees and vegetation in public rights of way, applying
practical solutions and context-sensitive strategies that effectively integrate
climate goals while ensuring that plantings maintain the visibility and safety
of transportation system users and are appropriate for the environment and
future hazard risks (e.g., are drought resistant or do not increase wildfire
danger).
•
Strategy SC.2.1.2: Reduce the consumption of nonrenewable materials in the
construction and maintenance of transportation infrastructure and facilities.
•
Strategy SC.2.1.3: Identify and implement water- and energy-efficient
construction and maintenance practices.
•
Strategy SC.2.1.4: Minimize and mitigate harms to sensitive fish and wildlife
species, for example, by providing space for terrestrial animal movement
along habitat corridors.
•
Strategy SC.2.1.5: Consider the environmental impacts of transportation
infrastructure, including lighting, and work to minimize negative effects for
animals and humans.
•
Strategy SC.2.1.6: Work with federally recognized Tribes, indigenous peoples,
and other partners to find ways to minimize and mitigate harms to important
cultural resources.
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Oregon Transportation Plan
Policy SC.2.2
Provide a transportation system that is environmentally responsible and encourages
conservation and protection of natural and cultural resources.
•
Strategy SC.2.2.1: Create transportation systems that are compatible with
native habitats and species, support wildlife corridors, and help restore
ecological processes.
•
Strategy SC.2.2.2: Where adverse impacts cannot reasonably be avoided,
minimize or mitigate their effects on the environment.
•
Strategy SC.2.2.3: Create transportation systems which take into account and
enhance cultural resources.
Policy SC.2.3
Minimize transportation contributions to local airshed quality, prioritizing the most affected
low-income communities.
•
Strategy SC.2.3.1: Ensure that the impacts of pollution are not
disproportionately borne by systemically excluded or underserved
populations.
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7. Implementation and Investments
7
Implementation and Investment
Strategies
7.1
Implementation and Investment Strategies Overview
The OTP is the highest-level policy document for transportation planning in the State of Oregon.
Implementation of the Plan affects statewide, regional, and local plans and influences programs,
investments, and ODOT as well as other agencies’ management of the transportation system.
The OTP outcomes are built on three primary means of implementation: policy, programs, and
investments.
Oregonians must work together to develop and fund a transportation system that meets future
challenges the state will face in the coming decades. The OTP Vision is for an equitable, climatefriendly, and safe transportation system that supports Oregon’s communities, economy, and
environment. The OTP lays out the framework for making the hard choices through the Vision,
goals, objectives, policies, and strategies.
The OTP used exploratory scenario planning to better understand how effectively the
investment packages address the desired policy outcomes described in Chapter 6. This
Implementation and Investment Strategies Chapter summarizes roles and responsibilities; key
coordination activities; transportation planning consistency actions; and investment and policy
outcomes to implement the OTP.
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Oregon Transportation Plan
7.2
Cross-Sector Coordination
As the OTP addresses the interconnected transportation network across Oregon, it is critical for
transportation agencies and other entities to coordinate to achieve the desired OTP outcomes.
Below is a summary of key coordination opportunities across state and other agencies:
•
Land Use – Transportation Coordination – The integration of land use and
transportation is critical to achieving effective reductions in GHG emissions and
increasing transportation options. Understanding the roles of DLCD, Oregon’s
metropolitan planning organizations, and county and city governments (charged
with implementing statewide planning goals through comprehensive plans, zoning,
and other regulations) is important in strengthening the inter-dependent relationship
between land use planning and transportation investments. As DLCD works with
Oregon cities and counties on land-use needs, DLCD and ODOT provide planning
guidance and technical assistance to help local and regional entities prepare for their
future. An increasingly diverse mixture of land uses and density fosters higher transit
and active transportation use, reduces carbon emissions, and provides more equitable
transportation system access for users of all income levels and abilities. Promoting
affordable housing options near transit routes is an important component of providing
an equitable transportation system. Similarly, Oregon businesses and industry require
a reliable system to continue to provide education, job opportunities, and wealth
creation across the state. Strengthening this transportation-land use connection
will require significant coordination among the multiple state, regional, and local
government agencies to promote strong ties between land use and transportation
planning while encouraging collaboration between private developers and government
agencies.
•
Energy – Transportation Coordination – As transportation continues to innovate
toward less energy- and emissions-intensive technologies, the source of energy to
support transportation modes and infrastructure becomes more important. Finding
sustainable energy sources will require regular coordination between the Oregon
Department of Energy, Public Utility Commission, investor- and consumer-owned
utilities, and ODOT to consider how to support zero-emission freight, transit, and
personal vehicles. This coordination must also continue at the local and regional levels
through cooperation among public utility providers, business organizations, and
local governments. Opportunities will likely vary and depend on the extent to which
climate-friendly energy sources are available across Oregon.
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Oregon Transportation Plan
•
Resiliency and Climate – Transportation Coordination – Passenger vehicle emissions
are one of the major contributors to GHG globally. In addition to more sustainable land
use and transportation planning and investment choices, meeting climate goals will
require changes to transportation technologies and driving behavior. Coordination
and collaboration is needed at all levels of government and with the private sector,
collectively implementing the climate policies in this Plan. Personal and individual
action is also needed, such as in making choices to drive less and buy cleaner or
electric vehicles. Additionally, climate change and the need for better resiliency impact
infrastructure investments, with added emphasis on emergency access to combat forest
fires and maintain the movement of people and goods; and the increased frequency of
landslides, major flooding events, culvert washouts, and bridge repairs. Partnerships
among the Oregon Department of State Lands, Oregon Department of Forestry, DEQ,
and ODOT will help address the impacts of climate change in a unified manner at the
state level, but must also include regional disaster preparedness organizations, cities,
counties, emergency service providers, and civic organizations to properly integrate
the transportation system.
•
Economy and Tourism – Transportation Coordination – Transportation infrastructure
supports Oregon’s business owners, employees, and customers across all modes. A
thriving economy requires an intermodal connected system to serve diverse needs
including the movement of freight, and commuter and customer access. Oregon’s
economy also relies on connecting visitors to the state’s many attractions. Regular
coordination between Travel Oregon, Business Oregon, and ODOT will maximize
economic potential and wealth creation while providing a positive experience for
visitors. This coordination should also include shipper and carrier companies, major
businesses, and recreational organizations that depend on the transportation system.
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Oregon Transportation Plan
7.3
Coordinated Statewide Transportation Planning
Statewide Land Use Goal 12: Transportation and the Transportation
Planning Rule (OAR 660-012) guide transportation planning by public
agencies at different levels throughout the State of Oregon. The OTC
The O
adopts a set of state plans that consists of the OTP, modal and topic
plans, and transportation facility plans. These plans inform, but are
different from, standalone long-range regional and local transportation
system plans in Oregon.
7.3.1
Statewide Modal and Topic Plans
As the long-range transportation system plan for the state, the OTP
functions as the “umbrella plan” over statewide modal and topic plans
such as the Oregon Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan, the Oregon Public
Transportation Plan, and the Oregon Transportation Safety Action
Plan. These statewide plans refine and apply OTP policy to specific
modes or topics and guide state, regional, and local investment
decisions for the parts of the transportation system that they address.
Many statewide modal and topic plans have been updated in recent
years. ODOT will evaluate the most effective way to incorporate OTP
policies as future modal and topic plans are considered for updates.
Similarly, ODOT will update these plans as federal requirements
necessitate amendments. The development of statewide plans must
provide opportunities for public engagement in accordance with the
State Agency Coordination Program and federal requirements.
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Oregon Transportation Plan
7.3.2
Facility Plans
The O
are in
plans
prog
Oreg
Facility plans provide information for individual transportation
facilities, including identification of needs, an overall plan for
improving the system, and policies for operating the facility. Facility
plans are often state highway-oriented and include specific area
refinement plans, interchange area management plans, and corridor
plans. In coordination with Area Commissions on Transportation
and applicable local governments, ODOT initiates facility plans
and the OTC adopts these plans into the Oregon Highway Plan or
other applicable statewide plan. ODOT facility plans are expected to
implement OTP and applicable modal and topic plan goals, policies,
implementation, and broad investment scenarios. State facility plan
development must provide opportunities for public engagement in
accordance with the State Agency Coordination Program and federal
requirements.
7.3.3
Regional and Local Transportation System Plans
Oregon Administrative Rule 660-012, known as the Transportation
Planning Rule, implements Statewide Land Use Goal 12:
Transportation, including defining requirements for regional and local
transportation system plans. DLCD administers the Transportation
Planning Rule and issued updated rules in 2022 to address statewide mandates for reducing
GHG emissions. This set of rules, known as the Climate Friendly and Equitable Communities
Program, outlines the requirements for major transportation system plan updates in Oregon’s
recognized metropolitan areas. Changes resulting from this work are also supportive of the
OTP’s findings. As communities create a path to achieve regional GHG reduction targets
and update their transportation system plans, OTP policies can be incorporated at the same
time as the rulemaking updates issued by DLCD. In rural areas and small communities, local
transportation system plans can use the OTP to help achieve consistency between the OTP,
modal and topic plans, and transportation facility plans. Transportation system plans also help
identify investment priorities for communities across Oregon.
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Oregon Transportation Plan
7.4
Making Transportation Investments
The OTP outlines how investments in the transportation system can influence desired policy
outcomes. An exploratory scenario planning process was used to test over 4,000 different
combinations of investments and policies to identify the mix that best advances the goals of the
OTP. This is especially important given the many needs of transportation infrastructure, the
limited funding to address those needs, and the many drivers of change affecting transportation.
Today’s transportation system is funded by federal, state and
local dollars. Oregon’s state funding sources, such as vehicle
registration fees, the weight-mile tax, and gas tax, go into the
State Highway Fund. Money in this fund is constitutionally
restricted to be spent within the public road right of way.
Needed investments not eligible for State Highway Funds must
use other sources like federal dollars or the state’s employee
payroll tax for public transportation. Federal dollars can help
to supplement some state funding programs but have usage
restrictions for transit operations, passenger rail, operations,
maintenance, and administration. In both federal and state
programs, most dollars are mandated to fund specific activities
such as safety or bridges. There is less flexibility than one
might think for how transportation dollars are allocated; for
example, approximately three-fourths of ODOT’s budget must
be directed at specific activities and is not flexible.
Not only does the inflexibility of funding present challenges
to transportation agencies in meeting the immense needs
described in the OTP, the total amount of funding available
is woefully insufficient. Lack of funding has resulted in
disinvestments across the multimodal transportation system,
moving further away from desired goals. To fully realize the
OTP Vision, twice as much funding is needed, which would be roughly a four-times increase if
paid by user fees. The investment scenarios described below outline how funds can best be spent.
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Oregon Transportation Plan
7.4.1
Oregon Funding Context and Funding Scenarios
The state’s transportation network receives funding from many diverse sources. There are three
primary user fees that currently fund the state’s transportation budget:
•
fuel taxes (potential electricity taxes, gasoline taxes, etc.),
•
vehicle ownership fees (registrations, inspections, etc.), and
•
road user fees (VMT taxes, weight and mileage fees, etc.).
As the way people choose to travel evolves, the revenue supporting those systems must be
adapted. The growing adoption of hybrid and electric vehicles for personal and commercial
use increases the demand for electrical charging infrastructure in homes, businesses, and public
areas. Road usage fees, utility fees, roadway tolling, and vehicle emissions fees represent new or
evolving ways of capturing revenues to support the transportation system while encouraging
the transition to low-carbon transportation methods. A statewide employee payroll tax helps to
support transit operation funding, which is not eligible for the sources described above.
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Oregon Transportation Plan
Coordination and cooperation between agencies is critical in order to implement and manage
funding mechanisms that help achieve desirable outcomes for Oregon’s communities and users
of the state’s transportation system. The OTP provides a roadmap of investment scenarios for
partners to illustrate the forward-looking options for fulfilling the strategies described in the
previous section.
The OTP considered four different funding scenarios to understand how transportation
investments can lead to different outcomes and address known needs. The four funding
levels below were evaluated for different user costs using a cost per mile equivalent basis.
The four funding scenarios range from the current ~1.9 cents per mile to a high of ‘Blue Sky
funding’ at 7.6 cents per mile. Because of the improved travel options, the ‘Blue Sky funding’
scenario, which is four times the current user fees, results in only roughly double the overall
transportation budget. The total budget does account for some of federal, state, and local
revenue sources, not just the user fees. The funding levels provide a wide range of funding
scenarios to inform different policy outcomes.
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Oregon Transportation Plan
Oregon drivers pay 38 cents per gallon in state gas
tax in 2023. Assuming an average fuel economy of 20
miles per gallon, most vehicles would pay around 2
cents per mile. To support the Blue Sky funding level,
•
The Blue Sky scenario generates
$10 billion, where additional
funding addresses broad needs of a
more robust resilient and equitable
system.
•
The Major Increase scenario
generates $7.2 billion, additional
funding increases travel and transit
options to invest in policy goals.
•
The Incremental scenario generates
$6 billion with minor investments
in ITS, fleet electrification, land use
and travel options investments to
best achieve policy outcomes.
•
In the Current scenario, $5.2 billion
addresses only critical needs and
infrastructure gaps remain.
users would pay closer to $1.14 per gallon, 7.6 cents per
mile, or a combination of equivalent fees through other
sources.
The Blue Sky funding scenario, which would double
the existing revenue, is the only investment level that
addresses the many needs of the transportation system.
Given the current gap between needs and available
funding, careful consideration of policy trade-offs,
potential co-benefits to multiple policy areas, and
clear prioritization is needed to optimize the balance
of policy outcomes. At any particular level of funding,
Oregon needs to keep the existing system operating
while also making strategic improvements and
enhancements to adequately serve Oregonians in the
future.
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Oregon Transportation Plan
7.4.2
Policy Emphasis Areas of Investment Scenarios
The OTP examines outcomes from thousands of possible futures to understand what led to
results that support the Plan’s Vision and goals. The OTP examined 16 scenarios and four
different policy emphasis areas, each with four different funding levels. The scenarios evaluated
have different outcomes given the particular set of funding and policy goals emphasized. The
OTP evaluated four different policy goal emphasis areas, each of which focuses on a different
combination of goals:
•
GHG and Equity Priority. Maximize sustainability goals and equitable outcomes
through reducing total GHG emissions and reducing transportation costs for
households with lower incomes.
•
Travel Time Reliability
and Stewardship of
Public Resources Priority.
Achieve a reliable
transportation system and
prioritize maintenance
and resiliency of the
transportation system.
•
Multimodal Travel with
Reduced Per Capita
VMT Priority. Maximize
travel options and reduce
VMT per capita through
increased walking, biking,
and transit investment.
•
Balanced Outcomes. Achieve an optimized outcome across all policy goal areas.
Given the policy direction of the OTP, all future scenarios reduce GHG emissions, reduce
VMT per capita, and reduce vehicle transportation costs for lower income households. They all
also increase the amount of funding for preservation and adaptation, and increase transit and
multimodal trip making relative to today. Higher levels of funding increase the availability of
funds for both transit and preservation and adaptation which would lead to improvements in
other outcomes.
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Oregon Transportation Plan
7.4.3
Investment Scenarios
In crafting the following investment scenarios, the ways to achieve different types of outcomes
were assessed. Different types of investments were found to help further some of these
outcomes more than others, as shown in the table below.
Desired
Outcomes
Investment Categories That Best Support Each Outcome
GHG Reduction
and Improved
Equity
•
•
•
•
Transportation Electrification
Active Transportation
Transportation Options
Land Use Strategies [2]
Reliable Travel
Times and State of
Good Repair
• ITS and Operations
• Transportation Options
• Preservation and Adaptation
Increased MultiModal Travel and
Decreased VMT Per
Capita
•
•
•
•
Active Transportation
Transportation Options
Transit
Land Use Strategies
2. Land Use Strategies are supportive policy levers interconnected with increased investments in the associated categories
(e.g., Active Transportation, Transit) to support the desired outcomes.
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Oregon Transportation Plan
In addition, different strategies provide opportunities to advance multiple outcome areas
simultaneously. The scenarios described starting at page 93 identify the mixes of funding that
advance the OTP Vision overall, within the fiscal realities of different funding levels. There are
some overall key findings and differences worth noting across the different funding levels. At
low funding levels, limited transit and significant deficits associated with system preservation
and adaptation suggest investing in higher levels of transportation demand management and
transportation electrification to best meet OTP goals. However, when funding increases and
can be more widely available in concert with more investments in system preservation and
adaptation, the reliance on lower-cost investments to achieve the OTP goals decreases.
This is not to diminish the importance
of lower-cost investments, but rather
to emphasize that the OTP goals can
be met through a variety of means. The
OTP provides an approach to optimize
investment choices at each budget level.
The significant costs associated with
sustainably preserving and adapting
the transportation system are the most
significant underlying challenge for
Oregon. Transportation’s resiliency is
directly affected by decisions on how to manage and adapt Oregon’s transportation system to
change. Climate-induced risks (wildfires, flooding, landslides) are increasing and other natural
events such as earthquakes pose risks to the operation and use of the transportation system.
These risks can be reduced by limiting the exposure to potential events and reducing the
consequences of any one event. Adequate funding for preservation and adaptation of the system
is essential to reduce these risks and achieve the goals of the OTP.
The scenarios illuminate regional differences in travel and how urban areas may experience
the future differently than more rural areas of the state. Multimodal travel options will be more
widely available in more dense locations; walking and biking are more feasible given shorter
trip lengths; and transit is financially more viable with a larger user base. If one roadway is
closed due to flooding or another event, often there is more than one alternative route. Rural
areas have less redundancy with fewer roads connecting communities and are more susceptible
to impacts from closures and other events. Travel distances are longer, creating limited
opportunities for walking and biking, and typical lower density and lower populations mean a
much smaller user base for transit.
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Oregon Transportation Plan
To help guide current and future investments, the following four funding scenarios were
crafted. These will form the basis for funding decisions by the OTC, with adjustments made to
consider current data and needs utilizing the investment framework considerations and tiers
outlined in Strategy SP.2.1.1 of the Plan and repeated below. These funding scenarios should
also serve as a guide to all whom deliver and manage transportation systems and services, to
ensure all are leveraging and capitalizing on investments in coordination to collectively achieve
the OTP Vision.
TOP TIER
•
Address fatalities and serious injuries.
•
Maintain and preserve critical assets, key corridors, and critical lifeline
routes.
•
Add critical bikeway and walkway connections in “high need locations”
(e.g., transportation-disadvantaged areas and surrounding schools,
shopping, employment centers, medical services, connections to transit,
and downtowns).
•
Preserve current public transportation service levels and maintain a state
of good repair for vehicles and facilities.
SECOND TIER
•
Address contributing factors and reduce the severity of crashes and
safety incidents.
•
Maintain the broader transportation system and assets.
•
Complete the active transportation network.
•
Improve the efficiency, frequency, and reliability of public transportation
services.
•
Improve the efficiency and capacity of existing transportation
infrastructure and facilities through operational improvements, exclusive
of adding new through lanes, for the movement of people and goods.
THIRD TIER
•
Increase users’ sense of safety and comfort.
•
Expand public transportation services and fleet.
•
Add new facilities, identified and prioritized at the regional level, that
are consistent with the policies of this Plan.
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Oregon Transportation Plan
Current Funding Level
Under current funding levels, system preservation and adaptation investments fall further
behind in addressing the needs of the system and climate resiliency; which results in more
safety issues, impediments to the movement of people and goods, and reliability issues.
Walkways and bikeways remain disconnected and limited progress is made even to close
the most critical gaps, such as around schools. Limited to no progress is made toward
accomplishing the desired policy outcomes in all investment areas. Nearly 300 aging bridges are
likely to be weight restricted to prevent collapse. These restrictions force trucks to make long
detours, increasing transportation costs and GHG emissions. There is a $7 billion backlog in
bridge maintenance and a $4 billion backlog in pavement preservation.
Different parts of the state have different experiences using the transportation system. Seismic
retrofits slow in this funding option, creating challenges to east-west travel to and from the
critical I-5 corridor during seismic events. The current funding levels fail to keep pace with
inflation, limiting preservation of bridges and culverts and preparations for natural events.
Rural areas are more likely to see road closures due to flooding and other extreme weather
events.
Urban areas have moderate transit service, with areas disconnected. Oregonians continue to be
more comfortable driving to certain destinations because of remaining gaps in the walking and
biking network. Areas of the state with fewer travel routes are at greater risk of being isolated
and travel may be temporarily affected by a range of events. Urbanized areas have more travel
options and opportunities to meet daily needs through various modes or alternative routes.
Despite some minor benefits of optimizing the allocation of investments, the state continues
to fall further behind in maintaining current transportation infrastructure, leaving the state’s
communities and economy prone to disruptions.
Incremental Increase
This funding scenario increases funding for preservation and adaptation, with minor increases
for ITS, fleet electrification, land use densification and diversification, and travel options
investments to best achieve policy outcomes. The modest change in overall funding prioritizes
funding in more urban areas to maximize the per capita impact per dollar of spending. Moving
some trips to active travel modes is supported by changes in the delivery of Transportation
Options programs and completing the priority gaps in the walking and biking network. ITS,
operations, and safety investments are focused on spot improvements. The backlog for bridges
and pavement preservation remains significant.
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Oregon Transportation Plan
Although more funding goes toward preservation and adaptation activities, a sizable gap
remains in addressing the need. Rural and coastal communities are more likely to experience
delays or detours than funding scenarios with larger increases as compared to today. The costs
associated with insufficient funding for system preservation continue to grow and begin to
affect the system performance, putting the system at greater risk in the face of climate, seismic,
and other events. Overall, only modest progress toward achieving the OTP goals is attained.
Major Increase
The major increase funding scenario (two times the user fees) begins to make progress on
substantially achieving policy goal outcomes. This funding scenario focuses on increases for
preservation and adaptation, transit, and active transportation. It moves toward addressing
the investment needs for system preservation and adaptation and transit relative to lower
funding scenarios. Significant advancements are made toward increasing travel options and
transit receives funds at a higher level, benefiting equity and climate change policy goal areas.
Communities enjoy stronger connections and fewer gaps in the bike and pedestrian network,
including improving the active transportation connections between schools and residential
communities across the state. Similarly, additional investments in transit reinforce higherdensity land uses in urban areas, which in turn provide more opportunities for climate-friendly
travel options. Backlogs in bridge and pavement preservation are cut in half from today’s
funding levels but still amount to several billion dollars.
The benefits of greater funding levels start to have noticeable effects geographically across
the state in this scenario. Bridges are being replaced. Adaptation efforts reduce the impact
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Oregon Transportation Plan
of climate-driven weather events, including faster response to wildfires, improved stability
of slopes along roads, and less frequent culvert washouts. Improvements to the roadway
pavement condition provide more reliable and comfortable travel, in particular to cars, trucks,
and bikes. The overall efficiency of pavement programs is achieved by limiting costly deferred
maintenance. This scenario allows progress to be made toward achieving the policy goals of the
OTP.
Blue Sky
The Blue Sky scenario provides the highest level of funding for investments in transportation.
The funding would likely come from higher user fees for the system, potentially increasing
the average household cost for transportation. However, due to improved travel options
and reduced wear and tear on the system, many users will have cost-effective and efficient
travel options. The improved resilience of the network will reduce costly detours. Funding
is increased substantially for preservation and adaptation, and notably for transit, active
transportation, electrification, and ITS and operations.
The benefits of the increased funding include a more resilient system less affected by climate
and natural events, a more reliable system, and a system with more travel options for everyone.
All areas of the state benefit from improved travel options with reduced disruptions and
improved resiliency for travel around Oregon’s communities. This is the only scenario that
projects no bridge or preservation backlog and no bridges are projected to be weight restricted.
This scenario also can fully address the needs for active travel networks and travel options;
full funding of EV chargers and electric vehicle incentives; implementation of a strategic
transportation demand management program; and enhanced ITS and operations infrastructure;
all leading to improved reliability and safety.
This funding level best addresses transit and system preservation, as those two investment areas
have the greatest gap between the current level of funding and the funding needed to attain the
OTP goals. This funding scenario provides upgraded bridges, culverts, and improved mobility
when wildfires occur. The preservation of the current roadways is substantially improved over
today’s investment levels, leading to fewer potholes or ruts in the road. Rural and coastal areas
of the state have a system that is less subject to disruptions and provides a variety of reliable
travel options. Urban areas have benefited from significant increases in transit, improved flood
management, and updated complete streets to provide a diverse set of travel options. The Blue
Sky scenario best addresses the future and changing needs of the transportation system for
travelers and freight movement in Oregon.
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Oregon Transportation Plan
OTP scenarios and investment mixes across the four funding scenarios
Current funding level $5.2 Billion
Incremental $6.3 Billion
Major Increase $7.2 Billion
Blue Sky $10.1 Billion
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Oregon Transportation Plan
7.5
Oregon Transportation Plan Implementation Actions
Oregon will need to implement actions and initiatives that concurrently address multiple
goals to create equitable, healthy, and thriving communities; meet GHG reduction targets;
and be resilient in the face of climate change, seismic events, and other emergencies. The
following implementation actions are not the only means to implement the OTP, but serve as
a starting point by providing the most cross-cutting benefits being within control of Oregon’s
transportation agencies. Together, these priority implementation initiatives will ensure Oregon’s
transportation agencies are collaborating to achieve the most urgent goals and objectives.
Near-term implementation of the OTP should focus on program-level policy and funding
decisions that are most likely to “move the needle” on achieving OTP goals. All of the OTP
goals, objectives, policies, and strategies will be important to achieving the OTP Vision.
Focusing implementation on the Top 10 actions will direct energy and resources toward changes
that will affect multiple types of projects and programs, and/or have trickle-down effects that
influence multiple aspects of the transportation system. While these top cross-cutting actions
are intended to apply across all agencies, they also fit under ODOT’s 2021–2023 Strategic Action
Plan pillars — Equity, Modern Transportation System, and Sufficient and Reliable Funding —
and should be considered in the next update of short-term Strategic Action Plan actions. The
Top 10 implementation actions are outlined below.
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Oregon Transportation Plan
Secure sustainable,
resilient, and reliable
transportation funding
streams.
Maximize the life cycle
of existing assets and
incorporate resiliency
and prioritization into
maintenance, repairs,
and replacement.
Support compact development and reduce
trip lengths by investing in priority active
transportation and transit networks and
facilities to connect people with destinations
(jobs, schools, retail, etc.).
Adopt Safe System, Americans with Disabilities
Act compliant, and performance-based
roadway design approaches and operation of all
projects, with a focus on reducing fatalities and
serious injuries.
Plan, invest in, and construct the infrastructure to electrify the multimodal
transportation system and transition fuels and materials to low- and no-carbon
sources.
Invest in resilient, efficient, and sustainable
movement of commodities and people through
comprehensive congestion management.
Complete and maintain data and mapping
of crashes, social equity indices, multimodal
networks, and environmental risks for use in
identifying priority investments and solutions.
Create and
practice
equitable
processes
and ensure
decisions
lead to more
equitable
outcomes.
Update planning and
funding decisionmaking processes to
reduce GHG emissions
and passenger VMT
per capita.
Leverage emerging data
and technology through
strategic partnerships
and targeted investments
that advance road user
charging, electric vehicle
charging and sustainable
fuels infrastructure,
vehicle-to-infrastructure
and vehicle-to-vehicle,
broadband, on-demand
transportation option
platforms (e.g., Mobility
as a Service, and mobility
hubs), and open data
standards (e.g., General
Transit Feed Specification).
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Oregon Transportation Plan
7.6
Transportation Performance Monitoring
7.6.1
Purpose of Key Performance Indicators
For a transportation plan to be impactful, it must be implemented. The performance indicators
in this section are designed to help track the progress of OTP implementation by monitoring
progress toward key outcomes.
Indicators track progress toward statewide goals and inform strategic decision making by
focusing on the outcomes that the State wants to achieve. The ability to make progress is
dependent on many factors within and outside the direct authority of transportation agencies.
Furthermore, progress is greatly impacted by how far state, regional, local, and federal
transportation agencies go individually and together.
The OTP’s indicators serve as a complement to existing federal and state performance measures,
rather than as a replacement or duplication. Federal legislation (established through
MAP-21) requires the Federal Highway Administration to set performance measures in safety,
pavement and bridge conditions, and system performance. ODOT monitors and reports on
those performance measures for the state. ODOT also adheres to a legislatively approved
set of performance measures, as well as metrics adopted through state transportation plans.
Additionally, each transportation agency in Oregon has agency-specific performance measures
used to benchmark progress toward local or narrowly defined goals.
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Oregon Transportation Plan
7.6.2
Key Performance Targets for the OTP
The Vision statement for the OTP identifies three main lenses by which decisions should be
made: safety, equity, and climate. These three central objectives need to be tracked to ensure
they are being integrated in decision-making and target-setting in order to ensure that sufficient
progress is made. The Key Performance Targets below are set to 2050, the planning horizon for
the OTP.
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Oregon Transportation Plan
7.6.3
Supplemental Performance Indicators for the OTP
In addition to the Key Performance Targets, indicators have been identified to further track
implementation progress for the OTP. Overall, the OTP goals and objectives establish
measurable systemwide outcomes that will be critical to achieving the OTP’s Vision for the
future transportation system.
The table on the following page identifies the proposed indicators, the associated OTP goal(s),
and the desired direction of improvement (i.e., measuring an upward or downward trend). The
last two columns identify which proposed indicators:
•
draw from metrics already
documented through federal or state
performance monitoring
•
can be further analyzed to compare
outcomes for people who have been
historically harmed and excluded
from our transportation system
Transportation system performance may
involve disproportionate impacts for
historically marginalized communities.
These disparities can be documented by
disaggregating data by race, income, or
disability status, where relevant. In much
of the United States, policies that lead
to residential segregation and unequal
distribution of resources have resulted in many
people of color and people with low incomes
living in communities with poor transportation
facilities and amenities. This often leads to
higher fatality rates, VMT, and levels of air
pollution. Tracking OTP indicators for different sub-populations in Oregon helps to determine
whether or not two groups are experiencing unequal outcomes. In most cases, this will be done
at the community level, for example, analyzing pollution in a BIPOC community compared
to a mostly white community. In other cases, it may be reasonable to compare outcomes on a
household or individual level, such as the race of victims of traffic deaths or the amount spent
on transportation by a household where someone has a disability.
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Oregon Transportation Plan
Effective indicators must be grounded in available sources of consistent and reliable data and be
able to provide meaningful pictures of future outcomes (unbiased, as completely representative
as possible, etc.). Each OTP indicator that overlaps with existing performance monitoring
benefits from existing available data sources and added efficiency of the monitoring process.
Nexus with
OTP Goals
Desired
Direction
Reflected
in Existing
Federal and
Oregon
Performance
Measures
Multimodal Travel
Mobility and
Economic and
Community Vitality
Increase
Both
Yes
Travel Time
Reliability
Mobility and
Economic and
Community Vitality
Increase
Both
Yes
Social Equity
Reduce
Neither
Yes
Stewardship of
Public Resources
Increase
Both
Yes
OTP
Indicators
Transportation Cost
Burden
Funding for
Operations,
Preservation, and
Adaptation of the
Transportation
System
Additional
Analysis for
Social Equity
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Oregon Transportation Plan
Conclusion
Transportation is vital for a thriving Oregon. People living in, doing business in, and visiting
Oregon rely on the transportation system every day. How Oregon envisions and manages the
collective transportation system will help address some of the most pressing opportunities
and challenges that are being faced as a society, such as population and labor force changes,
entrenched equity disparities, climate change, emerging transportation technology, resiliency
and disaster recovery, continuing impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic, and funding stability.
From the Pacific coast to the high desert, from the forested mountains to the river valleys,
from rural communities to cities and towns, Oregon’s collective transportation future requires
collaboration, adaptability, and innovation.
The Plan has enumerated the funding gap that Oregon’s transportation system faces and the
need to secure more sustainable and reliable funding. While additional dollars are needed to
achieve the OTP Vision, the policies in the Plan are designed to focus investments that are made
to highest priority activities, and in the most climate-friendly, equitable, and safe ways. This
alone will shift Oregon’s transportation system in a better direction.
This is not a static plan. Oregonians are resilient and dynamic, and this Plan must also be
adaptable to changing conditions and uncertainties that affect transportation and the broader
social, economic, and environmental health of the state. Amendments will be made as needed
prior to the next full Plan update. Planning for a better transportation future is a complex
challenge that requires partnership, adequate and sustainable funding, compromise, and
creativity on local, regional, and statewide levels. By working together, the people of Oregon
can take strategic actions in the short and long term to create a multimodal transportation
system that serves present and future generations.
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Appendix A: Glossary, Key Terms,
Abbreviations
Accessibility/Access:
•
Travel: The ability to reach desired destinations with relative ease, within a reasonable
time, at a reasonable cost, and with reasonable choices.
•
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): The extent to which facilities are barrier free
and useable by persons with disabilities, including wheelchair users.
Access Management: The regulation of median openings, driveways, intersections, and
interchanges. This process is intended to enable access to land uses while maintaining roadway
safety and mobility.
Active Transportation: Walking, biking, and other means of transportation by human-powered
vehicles, such as wheelchairs and scooters.
ADA Transition Plan: Required by the Rehabilitation Act (1973) and the ADA (1990), which
mandates self-evaluation by agencies to assess barriers to accessibility for people with
disabilities traveling within the public right of way. Such a plan is a living document that
identifies obstacles, describes methods to make facilities accessible, specifies costs, includes a
schedule for completing modifications, and designates a staff member responsible for tracking
project status and progress.
Adaptation: Adjustment in natural or human systems in anticipation of or response to a
changing environment in a way that effectively uses beneficial opportunities or reduces negative
effects.
Alternative Fuels: Vehicle engine fuels other than standard gasoline or diesel. Typically,
alternative fuels burn cleaner than gasoline or diesel and may reduce emissions. Common
alternative fuels include methanol, ethanol, compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas, clean
diesel fuels, and reformulated gasoline.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): Passed by Congress in 1990, the ADA is a civil rights
law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life,
including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and private places that are open to the
general public.
Area Commissions on Transportation (ACTs): Advisory bodies chartered by the Oregon
Transportation Commission (OTC) to address all aspects of transportation (surface, marine, air,
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and transportation safety) with primary focus on the state transportation system. ACTs play a
key advisory role in the development of the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program
(STIP), which schedules funded transportation projects.
Asset Management: A systematic process of maintaining, upgrading, and operating physical
assets cost-effectively. It combines engineering principles with sound business practices and
economic theory, while providing tools to facilitate a more organized, logical approach to
decision making. Asset management provides a framework for handling both short- and longrange planning.
Automated Vehicle (AV): A vehicle that uses sensors and computer systems to drive itself.
Often called “self-driving” cars, AVs partially or entirely remove the need for a driver to control
the vehicle.
Barrier: A condition or obstacle that prevents an individual or a group from accessing the
transportation system or transportation planning process. Examples include a physical gap or
impediment, lack of information, language, education, and/or limited resource.
Bicycle and Pedestrian Network: The combined network of travelway intended for bicycles
and pedestrians, which includes sidewalks, bicycle facilities, trails, and walkable and bikeable
streets.
Bicycle Facility: Any facility provided for the benefit of bicycle travel, including bikeways and
parking facilities as well as all other roadways that are not specifically designated for bicycle
use.
Capacity: The maximum amount of traffic an intersection or roadway can accommodate. This
measure makes up the denominator of the volume-to-capacity ratio.
Climate-friendly area: An urban mixed-use area containing, or planned to contain, a mixture
of higher-density housing, jobs, businesses, and services with multimodal services and facilities
and connections to key destinations throughout the region.
Compact Development: Community development patterns with a mix of land uses and a
supporting transportation system that make transportation convenient. The use and character of
compact development varies depending on community size and circumstances.
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Complete System: The full multimodal transportation system for an area shown in its
Transportation System Plan (TSP), including street network, bicycle and pedestrian facilities,
transit facilities, etc.
Congestion Pricing: Tolling in which the rate charged varies by time of day or real time traffic
conditions. Planned in Oregon as scheduled variable rate tolling where fee ranges are set by the
OTC and charged by a road pricing operator. Rates are higher during peak travel periods (such
as morning and evening commute) and lower during off-peak periods. Scheduled time of day
prices are published and are displayed on electronic signs prior to the beginning of each priced
section.
Connected Vehicle (CV): Connected vehicles send and receive messages to other vehicles,
wireless devices, and infrastructure such as traffic signals and roadside units.
Connected and Automated Vehicle (CAV): Connected and automated vehicles enable both AV
and CV technology to be used in a single vehicle simultaneously.
Connectivity: Presence of useful, integrated links people can use to move between places,
transportation system modes, or segments of the same mode. For example, do service routes
intersect usefully in one place and time, can fares be interchangeable, or is information about all
necessary links in a trip available in one place?
Context Sensitive: Refers to solutions, projects, design, etc. that respond to and are appropriate
to the land use context and the built, natural, cultural, and social environment surrounding the
affected area. Often includes a decision process that allows for more flexibility to accommodate
the specific needs and characteristics of the affected area.
Corridor: A broad geographical band that follows a general directional flow connecting major
sources of trips that may contain a number of streets, highways, freight, active transportation,
and transit route alignments.
Diverted demand: Defines one aspect of latent demand; these terms may be used to describe the
same phenomenon. This is existing system demand diverting from typical patterns related to
routes, time of day, and day of week. This is the largest aspect of what typically makes up latent
demand effects in Oregon and typically occurs over a short time span as users readjust their
travel patterns.
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Economic Vitality: Recognizes the role transportation investments play in both supporting
the existing economy and promoting the expansion and diversification of Oregon’s economy
through the efficient and effective movement of people, goods, and services.
Efficient: Uses resources at a lower level to accomplish the same purpose than other options
(e.g., cost efficient, energy efficient, fuel efficient) or simply using available transportation
facilities to move the most people or freight with the lowest possible resources or space such as
a bus rather than cars or a train rather than trucks.
Electric Vehicle (EV): Also known as plug-in EVs. These vehicles have an electric motor rather
than an internal combustion engine and receive power from the electricity grid.
Equity: Acknowledges that not all people, or all communities, are starting from the same place
due to historic and current systems of oppression. Equity is the effort to provide different levels
of support based on an individual’s or group’s needs in order to achieve fairness in outcomes.
Equity actionably empowers communities most impacted by systemic oppression and requires
the redistribution of resources, power, and opportunity to those communities.
•
Outcome equity: The OTP planning process will acknowledge existing inequities and
strive to prioritize and prevent historically excluded and underserved communities
from further bearing the burden of negative effects related to transportation decisions.
The process will further seek to create more equitable outcomes by improving
community health and overall transportation accessibility, options, and affordability.
•
Process equity: The planning process actively and successfully creates opportunities
for historically excluded or underserved communities to engage in and co-create plan
outcomes.
Facility Plan: A state, regional, or local plan for an individual transportation facility such as
a state airport master plan, corridor plan, transportation system plan that applies to specific
areas or facilities, or refinement plan. Examples of specific area plans include interchange
management plans and highway segment management plans.
Forecasted (Planned) Demand: Represents expected demand given forecasted land use,
economic growth, and the available transportation network, which is based on city and county
comprehensive plans and reflected in the zoning code. Assumptions that underlie project
alternatives need to be consistent with comprehensive plans. Travel demand models use
July 13, 2023 | A-4
comprehensive plan land use and transportation availability assumptions to forecast travel
demand, which provides housing, economic development, and urban land supply context
within the travel model.
Functional Class: Also known as roadway classification or facility function. The class or group
of roads to which the road belongs. There are three main functional classes as defined by the
United States Federal Highway Administration (FHWA): arterial, collector, and local. Oregon
throughways, expressways, and freeways fall under arterial in the federal classification system.
The Oregon Highway Plan (OHP) and local plans may have further designations within these
classes. Design speed and whether access to the facility is controlled may also be factors in
classification. For example, a freeway is designed for higher speeds and access is limited to
interchanges while a local street is designed for lower speeds and many accesses.
Greenhouse Gas (GHG): Emissions that trap heat in the atmosphere, contributing to global
climate change. Some GHGs occur naturally and some are emitted to the atmosphere through
natural processes and human activities. Atmospheric gases such as carbon dioxide, methane,
and nitrous oxide contribute to global climate change by absorbing infrared radiation produced
by solar warming of the Earth’s surface.
High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV): Travel lanes designated solely for non-single occupancy
vehicle (SOV) automobiles (such as two or more people per vehicle) and transit vehicles.
Induced Demand: An increase in vehicle travel due to long run shifts in travel demand,
typically from the effects of land use changes and economic factors. This is less likely in Oregon,
where land use laws are rigorous, but can occur when local officials change plans by rezoning
land or accelerating urban growth boundary expansions. The impact is often in areas seemingly
distant from the project. Likewise, lack of investment in affordable housing or insufficient
employment opportunities can lead to longer commutes and more miles driven. Economic
factors can also increase driving, such as when gas prices drop, a healthy economy increases
incomes, population grows faster than planned, or travel is impacted by emerging technologies
like e-commerce delivery or carshare services.
Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS): Refers to advanced communications technologies
that are integrated with transportation infrastructure and vehicles to address transportation
problems and enhance the movement of people and goods. ITS can include both vehicle-tovehicle communication (which allows cars to communicate with one another to avoid crashes)
July 13, 2023 | A-5
and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication (which allows cars to communicate with the
roadway to identify congestion, crashes, or unsafe driving conditions).
Intermodal: This refers to connections between different modes of transportation and the
facilities that enable people or freight to transfer between modes of transportation.
Intermodal Facilities: Facilities that allow passenger and/or freight connections between modes
of transportation. Examples include airports, rail stations, marine terminals, and truck-rail
facilities.
Key Performance Target (KPT): Specific, measurable, and quantifiable performance metrics
used to track progress over time towards a particular objective or goal. KPTs provide teams with
targets to aim for, milestones to gauge progress, and insights to help guide decision making
throughout an organization.
Land Use Context: The type of land uses prevalent in an area. This can refer to the uses
themselves, such as residential, commercial, or recreational uses, or to the concentration of
development within an area, ranging from urban to suburban to rural. Dense urban areas are
often treated differently in transportation planning than sparse rural areas.
Latent Demand: Refers to “pent-up” vehicle travel that does not occur currently because it is
too costly or inconvenient to do so. Roadway investment can unleash latent demand leading
to more miles driven. If driving is cheaper, faster, or more reliable, people may choose to eat
at a restaurant farther away or they may reduce the time they spend traveling by switching to
driving rather than taking an inconvenient bus route or make more frequent trips to the gym.
Likewise, they may travel more if they purchase a more fuel-efficient vehicle which costs less
per mile to drive.
Lifeline Route: A roadway or transportation facility that is essential to meet basic health and
safety needs including delivery of goods, emergency supplies, and personnel, and to provide
for evacuation. This can also refer to a transit route that a disadvantaged community relies on to
access essential services such as groceries and medical centers.
Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO): A federally recognized planning body in an
urbanized area of over 50,000 population that has responsibility for developing transportation
plans for the area.
July 13, 2023 | A-6
Micromobility: Refers to small electric or human-powered devices such as scooters,
skateboards, and similar. Often refers to services that enable sharing and rental of these devices.
Mitigation: Planning actions taken to avoid an impact altogether, minimize the degree or
magnitude of the impact, reduce the impact over time, rectify the impact, or compensate for the
impact. Mitigation includes:
•
Avoiding the impact altogether by not taking a certain action or parts of an action.
•
Minimizing impacts by limiting the degree or magnitude of the action and its
implementation.
•
Rectifying the impact by repairing, rehabilitating, or restoring the affected
environment.
•
Reducing or eliminating the impact over time by preservation and maintenance
operations during the life of the action.
•
Compensating for the impact by replacing or providing substitute resources or
environments.
Mobility: Ability to and/or ease with which people can use the transportation system to travel
between destinations.
Mobility Device: A device designed to assist walking or improve the mobility of people with a
disability. Examples include walkers, wheelchairs, and motorized scooters.
Mobility Hub: Places where transportation modes seamlessly connect. They usually involve
transit, vehicle sharing such as car and vanpooling, concentrations of land uses, and an
informational component. Mobility hubs connect a variety of sustainable modes and services
through a network of physical locations or “mobile points.” The points are located throughout a
city or region to link the elements of a door-to-door trip physically and electronically.
Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS): The integration of various forms of transportation services into a
single, on-demand mobility service such as public transportation, rideshare, carshare, bikeshare,
and taxi.
Mode: A means of transportation (e.g., walk, bicycle, bus, single- or HOV, train, truck, plane,
boat, etc.).
July 13, 2023 | A-7
Modal or Topic Plans: Statewide plans that implement the broad policies of the OTP for specific
modes, such as public transportation and rail, or topics such as safety and passenger or freight
movement over a 20-year or longer period.
Multimodal: Multiple modes of transportation, including but not limited to pedestrians,
bicyclists, transit, personal vehicles, freight, and micromobility.
National Highway System (NHS): Network of strategic highways within the U.S., including the
Interstate Highway System and other roads serving major airports, ports, military bases, rail or
truck terminals, railway stations, pipeline terminals, and other strategic transport facilities.
Operations: The provision of integrated systems and services that make the best use of existing
transportation systems in order to preserve and improve customer-related performance. This
is done in anticipation of, or in response to, both recurring and non-recurring conditions.
Operations includes a range of activities in both urban and rural environments, including
routine traffic and transit operations, public safety responses, incident management, snow and
ice management, network/facility management, planned construction disruptions, and traveler/
shipper information.
Pedestrian: A person on foot, using a mobility device, or walking a bicycle.
Pedestrian Facility: A facility provided for the benefit of pedestrian travel, including walkways,
crosswalks, signs, signals, illumination, and benches.
Performance Measurement: The use of statistical evidence to determine progress toward
specific defined organizational objectives. This includes both evidence of actual fact, such as
measurement of pavement surface smoothness, and measurement of customer perception such
as would be accomplished through a customer satisfaction survey.
Performance-Based Planning: Along with programming, applies performance management
principles to transportation system policy and investment decisions, providing a link between
management and long-range decisions about policies and investments that an agency makes in
its transportation system.
Person Throughput: A measure of the number of people a given facility can accommodate in a
given amount of time. “Throughput” by itself would normally refer to the number of vehicles
that can be accommodated.
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Program: In transportation, this usually refers to a funding program, or an allocation of funds
provided by a federal, state, or local agency with specific rules about what the funds can be used
for and what is eligible to be considered. Examples include an urban or rural transit program, a
bicycle and pedestrian program, or a highway safety program. Programs may also be referred to
as pots, buckets, or “colors” of money; all refer to the fact that certain monies may only be used
for certain things and therefore a complex project may be funded from several buckets or colors.
Project: Any individual transportation investment; it may be a service, activity, or a construction
project.
Public-Private Partnership (PPP): An arrangement where both public and private entities
participate and benefit from a common venture. Also known as P3s, these are often agreements
between a public agency and a private entity to jointly finance, implement, and/or operate
public infrastructure projects.
Public Transportation: A transportation service open to the public and at least partially funded
by a government agency. Typically includes bus, bus rapid transit, passenger rail, and light rail,
but may also include other modes and services, or contracted taxi, shuttle, or other services.
Often referred to as public transit or simply transit. Privately provided shuttles, bikeshare, and
micromobility services are complementary and may work closely with transit providers, but
these are not usually called public transportation.
Regional Transportation Plan (RTP): The long-range multimodal transportation plan that is
developed through the metropolitan transportation planning process and adopted by the MPO
for the area.
Reliability: Refers to the degree of certainty and predictability in travel times on the
transportation system. Reliable transportation systems offer some assurance of reaching a given
destination within a reasonable range of an expected time. An unreliable transportation system
is subject to unexpected delays, increasing costs for system users.
Resilience: The ability to anticipate, prepare for, and adapt to changing conditions and
withstand, respond to, and recover rapidly from disruptions.
Road Usage Charge (RUC): A fee that is applied to every mile a driver drives. Also called Road
User Fee.
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Road User: A person or vehicle traveling a roadway (e.g., pedestrian, bicyclist, motorist,
passenger, public transportation operator or rider, truck driver, or mobility device user).
Safe System: The FHWA Safe System approach aims to eliminate fatal and serious injuries for
all road users. It does so through a holistic view of the road system that first anticipates human
mistakes and second keeps impact energy on the human body at tolerable levels. There are
six principles that form the basis of the Safe System approach: deaths and serious injuries are
unacceptable, humans make mistakes, humans are vulnerable, responsibility is shared, safety is
proactive, and redundancy is crucial.
Scenario Planning: A planning method that analyzes the impacts of trends, actions, and policies
to estimate their likely impact on future conditions. Scenario planning is often performed at
the state or regional level to evaluate various future alternatives against a set of established
community priorities.
Scheduled Variable Rate Pricing: Typically called “variable pricing” where the toll rate varies
by time of day according to a published schedule, which can be updated periodically. Although
rates can be different for each hour and for each day, they are known to users in advance of
travel.
Serious Injury: An incapacitating injury or any injury, other than a fatal injury, which prevents
the injured person from walking, driving, or normally continuing the activities the person was
capable of performing before the injury occurred.
State Highway System: Public roads owned and operated by the State of Oregon through the
Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT). Generally, all state highways and freeways;
excludes highway segments operated by cities and roadways of other state agencies such
as Parks and Recreation, Forestry, Fish and Wildlife, and state institution campuses such as
universities.
State Highway Freight System: The freight system designated by the OHP to facilitate efficient
and reliable interstate, intrastate, and regional truck movement. This system comprises
interstate highways and certain statewide, regional, and district highways, and includes
routes that carry significant tonnage of freight by truck and serve as the primary interstate and
intrastate highway freight connection to ports, intermodal terminals, and urban areas.
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Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP): The funding and scheduling
document for major road, highway, and transit projects in Oregon listing projects for a four-year
period.
Statewide Transportation Strategy (STS) – A 2050 Vision for GHG Emissions Reduction: The
STS examines all aspects of the transportation system, including the movement of people and
goods, and identifies a combination of strategies to reduce GHG emissions.
Sustainability: Using, developing, and protecting resources in a manner that enables people to
meet current needs and provides that future generations can also meet future needs, from the
joint perspective of environmental, economic, and community objectives.
Systemically Excluded and Underserved Populations includes:
•
People experiencing low income or economic disadvantage
•
Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC)
•
Older adults (65+) and children
•
People with limited English proficiency (LEP)
•
People living with a disability
•
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, and Asexual people (LGBTQIA+)
•
Tribal Governments (Oregon’s nine federally recognized Tribes)
Toll: A fee set by the OTC and charged by a road pricing operator for traveling on a specific
facility.
Transportation Disadvantaged: Includes communities of color, people experiencing low
income, older adults, youth, and people with disabilities, who are at a significant disadvantage
without access to convenient, safe, well-integrated transportation alternatives. All of these
groups are often without easy access to cars and live in locations without convenient, safe
transportation alternatives.
Transportation Options (TO): Strategies, programs, and investments that create choice in state
and local transportation systems, allowing people to bike, walk, take transit, drive, share rides,
and telecommute. Historically, the purpose of TO programs and strategies (also referred to as
July 13, 2023 | A-11
“transportation demand management”) has been to reduce reliance on SOV travel during the
busiest times of day through carpooling, HOV lanes, and other mitigation strategies.
Transportation Planning Rule (TPR): The Oregon Administrative Rule (OAR 660-012)
that implements the Statewide Planning Goal for transportation (Goal 12) and directs the
development of Transportation System Plans (TSPs). A new version of the rule was adopted
in 2022 that includes additional requirements for metropolitan cities and counties to plan for
climate and equity outcomes.
Transportation System Management and Operations (TSMO): Integrated strategies to
optimize the performance of existing infrastructure through the implementation of multimodal
and intermodal cross-jurisdictional systems, services, and projects designed to preserve capacity
and improve security, safety, and reliability of the transportation system.
Transportation System Plan (TSP): A long-range plan that describes the intended multimodal
transportation system for an area (usually city, county, or MPO) and projects, programs, and
policies to meet travel needs now and in the future based on the community’s goals.
Travel Demand (Modeling/Forecasts): Travel demand modeling or forecasting refers to the
analytical estimation of future travel volumes and patterns performed with detailed computer
models that use socioeconomic data and other key indicators to predict the number of trips that
will be made in a region, where people will go, and the mode and route of travel they will take
to get there.
Tribe: Any of Oregon’s nine federally recognized Tribes.
•
Burns Paiute Tribe
•
Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians
•
Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde
•
Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians
•
Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation
•
Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs
•
Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians
July 13, 2023 | A-12
•
Coquille Indian Tribe
•
Klamath Tribes
Underserved Areas: The traditionally underserved can be defined as those specifically
identified in Executive Order 12898 on Environmental Justice – low-income populations and
minority populations including Hispanics/Latinos, African Americans/Blacks, Asian Americans,
Native American/Alaskan Natives and Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders – as well as
other populations recognized in Title VI and other civil rights legislation, executive orders,
and transportation legislation, including those with limited English proficiency such as the
foreign-born, low-literacy populations, seniors, persons with disabilities, and transit-dependent
populations.
Universal Design: Design of facilities so that they accommodate all users, regardless of age and
ability.
Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT): Refers to the total distance traveled by motor vehicles in a
specified area for a given period of time.
Vision Zero: A road traffic safety concept with the objective of creating a highway system with
no fatalities or serious injuries in road traffic.
Volume-to-Capacity (v/c) Ratio: A measure that reflects congestion, mobility, and the quality
of travel of a roadway or section of a roadway. It compares roadway demand (vehicle volumes)
with roadway capacity. Often calculated by dividing the number of vehicles passing through a
section of highway during the peak hour by the capacity of the section.
Vulnerable User: Generally, a road user that is not inside a car, truck, or bus (e.g., pedestrian,
bicyclist, mobility device user, micromobility device user, highway worker, or a person riding
an animal or operating farm equipment on a public roadway).
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Appendix B: Oregon Transportation Plan
Indicators and Example Metrics
Increase Multimodal Travel
OTP
Indicator
Nexus with OTP
Goals
Metrics Used in
Modeling
Transit person miles
traveled
Bike person miles
Mobility; Economic
and Community Vitality traveled
Walk person miles
traveled
N/A
Federal Reporting
Required 1
N/A
N/A
N/A
Percentage of nonSOV travel
Oregon Performance Measures
STS
• Transit service levels
• Percentage of people choosing to travel regionally by train
rather than air
ODOT
• Number of state-supported rail service passengers
ODOT
• Percentage of urban state highway miles with bike lanes
and pedestrian facilities in “fair” or better condition 2
STS
• Percentage of short-distance SOV trips shifted to biking,
walking, or other zero-emission modes
• Percentage of urban households in mixed-use area
Based on FHWA Transportation Performance Regulations: https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/tpm/about/regulations.cfm
In policy and in technical guidance/documentation, Oregon’s established Performance Measures are often linked to “fair” or better condition. ODOT recognizes that the long-term goal is to work toward a state
of good repair.
1
2
July 13, 2023 | B-1
OTP
Indicator
Nexus with OTP
Goals
Metrics Used in
Modeling
Reduce Daily VMT
Per Capita
Household Daily VMT
Per Person
N/A
N/A
Mobility
Total Daily VMT Per
Capita
Travel Time Index
under Extreme
Congestion
Improve Travel Time Reliability
Federal Reporting
Required 1
N/A
Mobility; Economic
and Community Vitality
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Oregon Performance Measures
STS
• Amount of free parking in urban areas
• Parking prices
• Share of employees and households in urban areas
participating in transportation demand management
programs
• Percentage of business travel replaced by virtual meeting
technology
• Share of urban households participating in car sharing
programs
• Percentage of Oregon drivers using pay-per-mile car
insurance
N/A
N/A
Percentage of person- N/A
miles traveled on the
interstate that are
reliable
Percentage of person- N/A
miles traveled on the
non-interstate National
Highway System
(NHS) that are reliable
STS
• Total vehicle delay on metropolitan roadways
Peak hour of excessive
ODOT
delay per capita
• Ratio of annual average daily traffic to hourly highway
capacity
Truck Travel Time
N/A
Reliability Index
STS
N/A
• Percentage of freeways and arterials with ITS deployed
July 13, 2023 | B-2
Reduce Traffic Fatalities
and Serious Injuries
OTP
Indicator
Nexus with OTP
Goals
Metrics Used in
Modeling
Urban and rural
motorized related
deaths
Federal Reporting
Required 1
• Number of
fatalities
• Rate of fatalities
per 100 million
VMT
Safety
Urban and rural
motorized related
serious injuries
Walking and biking
related deaths and
serious injuries
• Number of serious
injuries
• Rate of serious
injuries per 100
million VMT
Number of nonmotorized fatalities
and non-motorized
serious injuries
Oregon Performance Measures
TSAP
• Number of traffic fatalities
• Rate of urban road fatalities per 100 million VMT
• Rate of rural road fatalities per 100 million VMT
• Number of unrestrained passenger vehicle occupant
fatalities
• Alcohol impaired driving fatalities involving a driver with a
blood alcohol content of 0.08 and above
• Speeding related fatalities
• Motorcyclist fatalities
• Unhelmeted motorcyclist fatalities
• Drivers aged 20 or younger involved in fatal crashes
TSAP
• Statewide observed seatbelt use
• Number of serious traffic injuries
TSAP
• Pedestrian fatalities
• Bicyclist and other cyclist fatalities
July 13, 2023 | B-3
Reduce GHG Emissions
OTP
Indicator
2
Nexus with OTP
Goals
Metrics Used in
Modeling
• Total CO2e GHG
emissions
• Household CO2e
per person
Sustainability and
Climate Action
Annual total tailpipe
emissions
N/A
Federal Reporting
Required 1
Total emissions
reductions
from Congestion
Mitigation and Air
Quality Improvement
Program funded
projects by pollutant:
PM2.5, PM10, CO,
VOC, NOx
Proposed new rule to
set declining targets for
reductions in tailpipe
CO2 emissions on the
NHS2
N/A
Oregon Performance Measures
STS
• GHG emissions for ground passenger and commercial
services
• GHG emissions for freight
• GHG per ton-mile of goods movement
STS
• Air pollution per mile of vehicle travel
• Proportion of internal combustion engines
Governor
• GHG emission reductions compared to 1990 levels
STS
• Total fuel consumption
• Proportion of industrial growth occurring in energyefficient freight transportation corridors
• Share of Oregon-bound domestic freight-ton miles moved
by truck, rail, pipeline, air, and barge
Proposed new rule: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/07/15/2022-14679/national-performance-management-measures-assessing-performance-of-the-national-highway-system
July 13, 2023 | B-4
Reduce Transportation
Cost Burden
Improve Energy Efficiency
of Vehicle Fleet
OTP
Indicator
Nexus with OTP
Goals
Metrics Used in
Modeling
CO2e per mile of
transit service
CO2e per mile of
heavy trucks
Federal Reporting
Required 1
N/A
N/A
N/A
STS
• Percentage of trucks driving at posted speed limit
STS
• Percentage of hybrid vehicles on roads
• Percentage of vehicles that use ground-based power
STS
• Aircraft emissions per mile
• Freight carbon fuel intensity
• Percentage of people who practice eco-driving techniques
• Average gas mileage
• Share of light vehicles
• Efficiency of engine powertrain technologies
N/A
N/A
Sustainability and
Climate Action
Share of miles in an EV
N/A
N/A
N/A
Social Equity
Oregon Performance Measures
Share of income spent
on transportation
for households with
annual income less
than $25k
July 13, 2023 | B-5
Secure Funding for Operations, Preservation, and Adaptation of the
Transportation System
OTP
Indicator
Nexus with OTP
Goals
Stewardship of Public
Resources
Metrics Used in
Modeling
Federal Reporting
Required 1
• Percentage of
NHS bridges
Funding for operations,
classified as in
preservation and
Good condition
adaptation of the
• Percentage of
transportation system
NHS bridges
(current year dollars)
classified as in
Poor condition
N/A
• Percentage of
pavement of
Interstate System in
Good condition
• Percentage of
pavement of
Interstate System in
Poor condition
• Percentage of
pavement of nonInterstate NHS in
Good condition
• Percentage of
pavement of nonInterstate NHS in
Poor condition
N/A
N/A
Oregon Performance Measures
ODOT
• Percentage of state highway bridges that are not
“distressed”
ODOT
• Percentage of pavement lane miles rated “fair” in the state
highway system 2
ODOT
• Percentage of public transit buses that meet replacement
standards
• Share of full costs paid by user for construction, operation,
maintenance, and social costs in freight, air passenger,
ground passenger, and commercial services travel markets
2
In policy and in technical guidance/documentation, Oregon’s established Performance Measures are often linked to “fair” or better condition. ODOT recognizes that the long-term goal is to work toward a state of
good repair.
July 13, 2023 | B-6
Appendix C: Policy Coordinating
Committee and Work Group Members
PCC Members
Bob Van Brocklin
Cooper Brown
Marcilynn Burke
Chris Cummings
Tyler Deke (alternate for Nick Meltzer)
Marie Dodds
Jim Doherty
Matt Droscher
Juan Carlos Gonzalez
Mavis Hartz
Jeff Hazen
Ritchie Huang
Sarah Iannarone
Jana Jarvis
John Limb
Vineeta Lower
Robin McArthur
Nick Meltzer
Tom Mills
Michael Montero
Marcus Mundy
Victoria Reis
Norman Schultz
Stuart Warren
Mackenzie Wige
Sarah Wright
Affiliation / Interest Area
PCC Chair, Oregon Transportation Commission
PCC Vice Chair, Oregon Department of
Transportation
University of Oregon
Business Oregon
Bend Metropolitan Planning Organization
American Automobile Association Oregon / Idaho
Morrow County Commission / North East Area
Commission on Transportation
Umpqua Valley Disabilities Network
Metro
Oregon Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee
/ North East Area Commission on Transportation
Sunset Empire Transportation
Daimler Trucks North America
The Street Trust
Oregon Trucking Association
Southern Oregon Climate Action Now / Senior
Perspective
Community / Regional Connectivity and Working
Family Perspective
Land Conservation and Development Commission
Oregon Cascades West Council of Governments /
Corvallis Area Metropolitan Planning Organization
/ Albany Area Metropolitan Planning Organization
TriMet
Montero and Associates, LLC / Oregon Freight
Advisory Committee
Coalition of Communities of Color
Working Family Perspective
Community / Regional Connectivity and Senior
Perspective
Land Conservation and Development Commission
Youth Action Board / Equity and Youth Perspective
Oregon Environmental Council
July 13, 2023 | C-1
Work Group Members
Affiliation / Interest Area
Mobility and Accessibility
Katie Mangle
Lucia Ramirez
Frannie Brindle
Elisa Cheng
Tiffany Edwards
Andi Howell
Brodie Hylton
Kathy Klezak
Steph Noll
Tim Rapp
Kari Schlosshauer
Ashton Simpson
Brian Worley
Consultant Facilitator, Alta Planning
ODOT Staff Liaison, Principal Planner ODOT
ODOT Region 2 Area Manager
Bend Bikes
Lane Transit District
Sandy Area Transit
Cascadia Mobility
NW Transportation Options
OR Trails Coalition
Redmond Heavy Hauling LLC
Getting There Together Coalition
Oregon Walks
Association of Oregon Counties
Social Equity
Paul Belton
Sumi Malik
Mary McGowan
Jesusa *Susie Ashenfelter
Robert Duehmig
André Lightsey-Walker
Genevieve Middleton
Abe Moland
David N. Morrissey
Justin Sandoval
Shane Whittington
Dr. Philip Wu
Consultant Facilitator, HDR Inc.
Consultant Facilitator, HDR Inc.
ODOT Staff Liaison, Senior Planner
ODOT Office of Social Equity, Policy & Program
Manager
Oregon Office of Rural Health, Oregon Health &
Science University
The Street Trust
Community Development Grants Manager, City of
Eugene
Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability
ODOT Office of Civil Rights
Cascadia Mobility / PeaceHealth Rides
ODOT Office of Social Equity, Social Equity
Program Manager
Oregon Environmental Council
July 13, 2023 | C-2
Work Group Members
Affiliation / Interest Area
Safety
Beth Wemple
Mary McGowan
Nathan Crater
Kim Curley
Marisa DeMull
Peter Geissert
Angela Kargel
Lt. Jason Lindland
Lt. Cord Wood (alternate for Lt. Jason Lindland)
Consultant Facilitator, HDR Inc.
ODOT Staff Liaison, Senior Planner
City of Astoria Oregon
Commute Options
Portland Bureau of Transportation
Oregon Health Authority
ODOT Engineering and Technical Services
Oregon State Police
Oregon State Police
Climate Change, Environment, and Resiliency
Allison Pyrch
Stacey Goldstein
Cidney Bowman
Angus Duncan
Tonya Graham
Eric Hesse
Chass Jones
Christina LeClerc
Tonia Moro
Victoria Paykar
Kat Silva
Consultant Facilitator, Hart Crowser
ODOT Staff Liaison, Senior Planner
ODOT Wildlife Passage Program Leader
Natural Resources Defense Council
Geos Institute
Portland Bureau of Transportation
Federal Emergency Management
ODOT Emergency Operations Manager
Rogue Climate
Climate Solutions
ODOT Climate Office
Electrification and Technology
Scott Richman
Adam Argo
Greg Alderson
Jeff Allen
Mary Brazell
Brian Burkhard
Consultant Facilitator, Jacobs
ODOT Staff Liaison, Principal Planner
Portland General Electric
Forth Mobility
ODOT Climate Office
Jacobs
July 13, 2023 | C-3
Work Group Members
Andrew Dick
Katharine Hunter-Zaworski
Galen McGill
David Reeck
Eliot Rose
Anne Smart
Logan Telles
Affiliation / Interest Area
Volkswagen Electrify America
Oregon State University
ODOT System Operations and Intelligent
Transportation Systems
Umpqua Transportation Electrification Team
Metro
Community / Regional Connectivity Perspective
City of Eugene
Economic and Community Vitality
Brooke Jordan
Roseann O’Laughlin
Alma Flores-GhaneaBassiri
Kanth Gopalpur
Jacen Greene
Gail Krumenauer
Nastassja Olson
Mallorie Roberts
Jeff Stone
Sheri Stuart
Consultant Facilitator, WSP Inc.
ODOT Staff Liaison, Principal Planner
REACH Community Development
Business Oregon Commission
Portland State University, Homelessness Research
and Action Collaborative
Oregon Employment Department
Travel Oregon
Association of Oregon Counties
Oregon Association of Nurseries
Oregon Main Street
Modeling and Scenarios
Jonathan Slason
Adam Argo
Alex Bettinardi
Kelly Clarke
Peter Hurley
Becky Knudsen
Tara Weidner
Consultant Facilitator, RSG Inc.
ODOT Staff Liaison, Principal Planner
ODOT Transportation Planning Analysis Unit
Lane Council of Governments / Central Lane
Metropolitan Planning Organization
Portland Bureau of Transportation
ODOT Transportation Planning Analysis Unit
ODOT Climate Office
July 13, 2023 | C-4
Appendix D: Findings of Compliance with
Oregon Statewide Planning Goals
Appendix D - Findings of Compliance with Oregon’s Statewide Planning Goals
Statutory Background and Requirements for the Oregon Transportation Plan
Adoption of the 2023 Oregon Transportation Plan (OTP) fulfills federal and state requirements and
objectives of statewide transportation planning. The OTP was prepared by the Oregon Department of
Transportation (ODOT) that will also maintain, coordinate, and administer the Plan.
The Oregon Transportation Commission (OTC), the state approval authority, adopts the OTP as part of
its legal responsibility and authority under ORS 184.617. The OTP includes policies for transportation
planning. Collectively, the OTP with the adopted mode and topic plan components constitute the state’s
transportation system plan (TSP).
Federal direction for the development and content of the long-range statewide transportation plan is
contained in 23 CFR 450, which implements the Federal Highway Administration’s and the Federal
Transit Administration’s transportation planning regulations. Each state must carry out a continuing,
cooperative, and comprehensive statewide multimodal transportation planning process, including the
development of a long-range statewide plan.
Findings of Compliance with the State Agency Coordination Agreement
ODOT’s State Agency Coordination Agreement (SAC) requires the OTC to adopt findings of fact when
adopting Final Transportation Policy Plans (OAR 731-015-0045: Coordination Procedures for Adopting
the Final Transportation Policy Plan). Pursuant to these requirements, the following findings and
supporting information supplements the OTC adoption of the 2023 Oregon Transportation Plan.
(1) Except in the case of minor amendments, the Department shall involve DLCD, metropolitan
planning organizations, and interested cities, counties, state and federal agencies, special districts, and
other interested parties in the development or amendment of the transportation policy plan. This
involvement may take the form of mailings, meetings, or other means that the Department determines
are appropriate for the circumstances. The Department shall hold at least one public meeting on the
plan prior to adoption.
(2) The Department shall evaluate and write draft findings of compliance with all applicable statewide
planning goals.
(3) The Department shall present to the Transportation Commission the draft plan and findings of
compliance with all applicable statewide planning goals.
(4) The Transportation Commission shall adopt findings of compliance with all applicable statewide
planning goals when it adopts the final transportation policy plan.
(5) The Department shall provide copies of the adopted final transportation policy plan and findings to
DLCD, the metropolitan planning organizations, and others who request to receive a copy.
FINDING: Development of the 2023 OTP was based on an open and ongoing public involvement
process which included MPOs, Area Commissions on Transportation (ACTs), cities, counties, state
agencies, public transportation providers, other stakeholders and interest groups, and input from
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interested citizens. Targeted outreach on the Draft OTP went to DLCD, Tribal Governments, federal and
state agencies, MPOs, ACTs, and other interested parties. The OTP was presented to the OTC on July
13th, 2023, with these findings, therefore (3) was satisfied.
ODOT formed and worked closely with a 24 member Policy Coordinating Committee (PCC) to guide
plan development. The PCC was chaired by an OTC member and included representatives from local
and regional jurisdictions, public transportation providers, economic development and health agencies,
auto and freight communities, non-profits and community-based organizations as well as members of
the public with lived experiences related to transportation. The PCC met 10 times over the course of
plan development. PCC meetings were open to the public, with specific times scheduled for public
comments at each meeting. PCC meeting agendas, materials and summaries were provided on the OTP
website were publicly available throughout the plan development process.
Seven work groups were utilized during the process and provided input on specific topics related to the
OTP. These groups consisted of subject-matter experts and people with lived experiences from around
the state.
The Land Conservation and Development Commission (LCDC) participated on the OTP PCC. DLCD
received a letter notifying them that the draft Plan was available for public review and comment
contemporaneously to the Public Review Period. At their March 9th, 2023, meeting, the OTC reviewed
the Draft Oregon Transportation Plan and released the document for public review and input. The public
comment period was open for 54 days. A public hearing was held at the May 3, 2023, to help inform the
Draft OTP and again at the July 13th, 2023 OTC meeting to provide an opportunity for interested parties
to testify directly to the Commission.
Broad notice on the availability of the Draft OTP was sent as described in the Plan Record of Outreach
and is included herein and made a part of this finding. Agency, public, and stakeholder notifications
about the Draft OTP included a variety of materials including links to the full document, a Fact Sheet
summarizing key information about the OTP, a webinar describing the work, links to supporting and
technical materials from Plan development, public review and hearing dates, and a description of ways
to provide comments. Information was also provided on how to request materials in Spanish, Chinese,
Vietnamese or Russian and alternative formats. The public involvement and outreach process followed
OTC Policy 11 – Public Involvement Policy for statewide planning processes and the Statewide
Transportation Improvement Program (STIP).
The OTC took action on the proposed OTP and Draft Findings of Compliance with Oregon’s Statewide
Planning Goals at their July 13th, 2023, meeting, which allowed for additional opportunity for public
comment. Notice of OTC consideration was also broadly distributed as part of the July 2023 OTC
Meeting Packet.
The July 13th, 2023, OTC Meeting Packet included the following material and information for OTC
consideration:
• OTC Cover Memorandum
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• 2023 Oregon Transportation Plan, including Findings of Compliance with Oregon’s Statewide
Planning Goals
• Compilation of Written Public Review Period Comments Received with Responses and Changes Made
to the Plan
Per the State Agency Coordination Agreement, and customary ODOT practice, information on the
adopted Oregon Transportation Plan and final Findings of Compliance with Statewide Planning Goals
will be distributed to DLCD, MPOs, interested participants from the Plan development process, and
others who request a copy following adoption. The final documents will be available on the Plan
Project webpage: https://www.oregon.gov/odot/planning/pages/oregon-transportation-planupdate.aspx (as posted at the time of this document).
Findings of Compliance with Oregon’s Statewide Planning Goals
The State of Oregon has established 19 Statewide Planning Goals to guide state, regional and local land
use planning. The goals express the state’s policies on land use and related topics. The findings below
are based on applicability and content of the Oregon Transportation Plan (OTP).
1. Citizen Involvement - The purpose of Goal 1 (660-015-0000(1)) is “To develop a citizen
involvement program that ensures the opportunity for citizens to be involved in all phases of
the planning process.”
FINDING: The development and review of the OTP provided extensive opportunities for citizen
involvement. Outreach for the OTP was conducted in compliance with Oregon Transportation
Commission (OTC) Policy 11 – Public involvement, which establishes public involvement
objectives for the development and update of statewide plans, such as the OTP.
Highlights of outreach during the OTP process included:
The Plan was developed with guidance of the PCC, Working Groups and a Planning
Coordination Team, each representing a wide range of stakeholder interests.
Throughout the Plan development process, various communication tools were employed to
reach a wide variety of participants and to engage them successfully in a format that would
meet their communication preferences. Tools included website, project fact sheets,
interactive online tools, email lists, individual letters, press releases, and social media blasts.
A notification was posted on the project website for the availability of alternate formats of
the materials. The Plan process employed listening meetings, focus groups, and online open
houses. Outreach was provided in 5 languages and materials were ADA compliant when
provided in electronic format both on the website, as well as in-language focus groups.
Notification of public review was sent to DLCD, interested state and federal agencies, tribal
governments, MPOs, Area Commissions on Transportation, Oregon cities and counties,
interested advisory committees and interested project stakeholders.
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Public input was solicited throughout the process and particularly at a number of milestones:
1) Draft Vision and Values, 2) Policy Framework, 3) Policies, Strategies and Actions, 4)
Implementation and Investments and 5) Draft Plan review.
Presentations were provided to numerous groups before and during the public review period.
A public hearing was held on May 3rd, 2023 and at the July 13, 2023 OTC meeting.
Public meetings were held virtually through-out the project around the state. Staff requested
participation and input from diverse groups around the state including the ACTs and MPOs. For the
Draft Plan review, more than 560 individuals participated in about 40 ACT, public, and stakeholder
meetings. In addition, the online open house had more than 1,040 unique visitors.
ODOT, in partnership with the State’s Tribal Governments, established a documented consultation
process and identified the key decision-making milestones during the development of statewide
transportation plans. Following this process, Staff consulted with Tribal Governments to determine if
consultation was desired during the OTP.
Communication Tools
Various communication tools were employed to reach a wide variety of participants and to engage them
successfully in a format that would meet their communication preferences. Tools included:
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Website, email lists, newsletters, individual letters, press releases, and social media – these
forms of communication were used to share information with stakeholders and the public
throughout Plan development. The email list of parties interested in the OTP contains over 700
individual addresses; this and other email distribution lists were used to announce participation
opportunities and invite people to participate in the online open houses.
Advisory committees – the OTP was developed with a PCC, 6 WGs and a PCT comprised of
representatives of a wide variety of affected groups. Committee meetings were open to the public
and were held throughout the project, with express time allotments for members of the public to
offer thoughts to the PCC.
Online open houses – virtual meetings to enable more residents and stakeholders to participate.
Two on-line open houses (Winter of 2021-22, and Spring of 2023) were provided at key parts of
the process and enabled participants to provide written comment and learn about the project in
multiple languages. Online open houses were provided concurrently with the listening meetings,
Draft Policies and Strategies review, and the Draft Plan review.
Stakeholder meetings and presentations – presentations were made at meetings of various
stakeholder groups, including Area Commissions on Transportation (ACTs), MPO groups, and
others during outreach phases. These public meetings were announced via the project
communications lists and open for interested parties to attend.
Listening meetings – ODOT conducted a number of public meetings with a diverse set of public
transportation stakeholders from other agencies and organizations to elicit their feedback on
issues, trends, challenges, and opportunities to consider in the OTP.
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Public Hearing – ODOT conducted a public hearing on May 3rd, 2023 to solicit feedback on the
draft plan.
Focus groups – ODOT conducted small group in-language discussions with invited stakeholders
about specific topics such as equity and serving transportation users that rely on the
transportation system. Some focus groups were organized around different languages for
communities who did not use English as a first language.
The Oregon Transportation Plan is in compliance with Statewide Planning Goal 1, Citizen Involvement.
2. Land Use Planning - The purpose of Goal 2 (OAR 660-015-0000(2)) is “To establish a
land use planning process and policy framework as a basis for all decisions and actions
related to use of land and to assure an adequate factual base for such decisions and
actions.”
FINDING: The OTP supports land use planning in Oregon, by advocating for early engagement of
transportation providers in the planning and development process to help ensure that new growth and
development can be adequately served. Similarly, the OTP advocates for local jurisdictions to
participate in the planning processes of transportation providers.
Several OTP policies demonstrate compliance with Goal 2. The most notable is Policy Goal 1:
Economic and Community Vitality. Policy Objective EC.1 – Link transportation and land use decisions,
recognizing the impact both have on how, where, and the distance people travel.
The policies under this goal cover such things as:
• Encourage development of compact communities and mixed-use neighborhoods to support
multimodal trip choices and efficient public investments.
• Facilitate the creation of places where residents, workers and visitors can meet most of their
daily needs without driving. These will be mixed-use communities that contain a combination of
housing, jobs, businesses, and services, and that are served by safe transportation options for all
modes, including high-quality infrastructure for people to walk, roll, bike, and take transit; and
Another OTP policy that demonstrates compliance with Goal 2 is Mobility Policy MO.5.2 – “Plan for
and implement transportation investments that are consistent with and supportive of local, regional,
Tribal, and state transportation and land use plans.”
The strategies under this goal include:
• “In urban areas, support compact development and climate-friendly areas…
• Consider planned land use context… to determine modal priorities and anticipated users on a
project-by-project basis.
• Determine roadway design by responding to the planned land use context to better
understand the anticipated users…”
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The Oregon Transportation Plan is in compliance with Statewide Planning Goal 2, Land Use Planning.
3. Agricultural Lands - The purpose of Goal 3 (OAR 660-015-0000(3)) is “To preserve and
maintain agricultural lands.”
FINDING: The OTP is the overarching transportation policy plan for Oregon and doesn’t propose
specific projects or facilities. OTP policy language is directed at ensuring that all of the statewide goals
are met when a facility plan or project is developed and implemented, including Statewide Planning
Goal 3. Statewide Planning Goal 3 does not apply.
4. Forest Lands - The purpose of Goal 4 (OAR 660-015-0000(4)) is “To conserve forest lands
by maintaining the forest land base and to protect the state’s forest economy by making
possible economically efficient forest practices that assure the continuous growing and
harvesting of forest tree species as the leading use on forest land consistent with sound
management of soil, air, water, and fish and wildlife resources and to provide for
recreational opportunities and agriculture.”
FINDING: The OTP is the overarching transportation policy plan for Oregon and doesn’t propose
specific projects or facilities. OTP policy language is directed at ensuring that all of the statewide goals
are met when a facility plan or project is developed and implemented, including Statewide Planning
Goal 4. Consistent with Goal 4, OTP Goal 6: Sustainability and Climate Action. OTP Policy Objective
SC.2 states, “Preserve and improve the quality of Oregon’s water, air, and natural ecosystems.” Policy
SC.2.2 states, “Provide a transportation system that is environmentally responsible and encourages
conservation and protection of natural and cultural resources.”
The Oregon Transportation Plan is in compliance with Statewide Planning Goal 4, Forest Lands.
5. Natural Resources, Scenic and Historic Areas, and Open Spaces - The purpose of Goal 5
(OAR 660-015-0000(5)) is “To protect natural resources and conserve scenic and historic
areas and open spaces.”
FINDING: The OTP is the overarching transportation policy plan for Oregon and doesn’t propose
specific projects or facilities. OTP policy language is directed at ensuring that all of the statewide goals
are met when a facility plan or project is developed and implemented, including Statewide Planning
Goal 5. For example, OTP Goal 1: Economic and Community Vitality includes Policy Objective EC.4
that states, “Provide, maintain, and enable multimodal intercity connections that support access to
Oregon’s natural, cultural, and heritage destinations.” Also, OTP, Goal 6: Sustainability and Climate
Action provides support to Goal 5. OTP Policy Objective SC.2 states, “Preserve and improve the quality
of Oregon’s water, air, and natural ecosystems.” Policy SC.2.2 states, “Provide a transportation system
that is environmentally responsible and encourages conservation and protection of natural and cultural
resources.”
The Oregon Transportation Plan is in compliance with Statewide Planning Goal 5, Natural Resources,
Scenic and Historic Areas, and Open Spaces.
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6.
Air, Water and Land Resources Quality - The purpose of Goal 6 (OAR 660-015-0000(6))
is “To maintain and improve the quality of the air, water and land resources of the state.”
FINDING: The OTP is the overarching transportation policy plan for Oregon and doesn’t propose
specific projects or facilities. OTP policy language is directed at ensuring that all of the statewide goals
are met when a facility plan or project is developed and implemented, including Statewide Planning
Goal 6. For example, OTP, Goal 6: Sustainability and Climate Action states “Minimize transportation’s
negative role in climate change by reducing GHG emissions for all sectors of transportation, while also
reducing air toxics, noise and light pollution, water toxics, and habitat loss.” OTP Policy Objective SC.2
states, “Preserve and improve the quality of Oregon’s water, air, and natural ecosystems.” Policy SC.2.2
states, “Provide a transportation system that is environmentally responsible and encourages conservation
and protection of natural and cultural resources.”
The Oregon Transportation Plan is in compliance with Statewide Planning Goal 6, Air, Water and Land
Resources Quality.
7. Areas Subject to Natural Hazards - The purpose of Goal 7 (OAR 660-015-0000(7)) is “To
protect people and property from natural hazards.”
FINDING: The OTP recognizes the challenges associated with natural hazards and the role that public
transportation can play in emergency management planning and emergency response and recovery
during and after natural disasters and other emergencies. OTP Goal 5: Stewardship of Public Resources,
under Objective SP.6 states, “Increase the resiliency of the transportation system to better withstand and
recover from the anticipated impacts of climate change, extreme weather, seismic and other natural
disasters, and adapt to changing needs.” Specifically, Policies SP.6.2 and SP.6.3 outline strategies that
include:
- Mapping and assessing multi-hazard threats to the transportation system
- Implement the Climate Adaptation and Resilience Roadmap to enhance transportation system
resilience
- Ensure transportation provider operations and communications are prepared for future
disruptions due to climate change, extreme weather, and seismic events
- Incorporate statewide seismic risk assessments into project planning, prioritization, and
implementation.
The Oregon Transportation Plan is in compliance with Statewide Planning Goal 7, Areas Subject to
Natural Hazards.
8. Recreational Needs - The purpose of Goal 8 (OAR 660-015-0000(8)) is “To satisfy the
recreational needs of the citizens of the state and visitors and, where appropriate, to provide
for the siting of necessary recreational facilities including destination resorts.”
FINDING: The OTP is the overarching transportation policy plan for Oregon and doesn’t propose
specific projects or facilities. OTP policy language is directed at ensuring that all of the statewide goals
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are met when a facility plan or project is developed and implemented, including Statewide Planning
Goal 8. For example, OTP Goal 1: Economic and Community Vitality, Policy Objective EC.4 states the
OTP will “Provide, maintain, and enable multimodal intercity connections that support access to
Oregon’s natural, cultural, and heritage destinations.” Strategy EC.4.1.1 states “Plan for travel related
to tourism throughout the state as a critical economic tool for both urban and rural communities and a
meaningful, affordable option for families to enjoy Oregon’s many natural and urban areas.” Strategy
EC.4.1.2 states, “Designate priority routes for recreational trails, scenic byways, and multimodal
activities such as cycle tourism and support the safe use of these designated routes through investments
in programs and system improvements.”
The Oregon Transportation Plan is in compliance with Statewide Planning Goal 8, Recreational Needs.
9. Economic Development - The purpose of Goal 9 (OAR 660-015-0000(9)) is “To provide
adequate opportunities throughout the state for a variety of economic activities vital to the
health, welfare, and prosperity of Oregon’s citizens.”
FINDING: The OTP supports economic development in Oregon in a number of ways throughout the
plan and thereby complies with Statewide Planning Goal 9. The OTP recognizes that transportation is an
essential element of a multimodal transportation system that helps meet business needs; it provides
transport to work, and customers to businesses and services; provides access for visitors and tourists to
Oregon’s attractions and tourist destinations. It also plays a role in the more efficient movement of goods
in congested areas by giving people a more efficient means of travel thus leaving more of the corridor
available for the transport of goods.
Specifically, OTP Goal 1: Economic and Community Vitality – Improve prosperity, opportunity, and
livability for all people who live, work, and recreate in Oregon – provides direct support for Statewide
Planning Goal 9. Under this goal there are policies and strategies that address linking transportation and
land use decisions, providing safe and reliable movement of goods and services, providing
transportation systems to promote healthy, prosperous, and cohesive communities, and supporting the
efficient movement of freight to help keep delivery costs from increasing.
Under this goal, several policies and strategies support Statewide Planning Goal 9:
• Policy EC.2.1 Promote freight system integration and efficiency for a competitive advantage in
regional, national, and international markets, including Strategy EC.2.1.1: Support a
diversified freight system through planning, integration, and targeted funding for non-highway
freight modes, such as rail, port, intermodal, and air cargo facilities, and Strategy EC.2.1.2:
Maintain and enable access for general commercial vehicles to key freight origins,
destinations, and intermodal facilities.
• Policy EC.2.2 Support efficient movement of freight to help keep delivery costs from increasing,
including Strategy EC.2.2.1: Study commodity flow in Oregon and identify and improve current
and potential major impediments to moving people and goods, seeking solutions that address
needs.
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Policy EC.2.3 Fund innovative technology, management, and information sharing that will
facilitate resilient and efficient goods movement and economic strategies.
Policy EC.4.1 Support tourism by coordination transportation investments and operations with
the tourist industry and affected communities, including Strategy EC.4.1.1: Plan for travel related
to tourism throughout the state as a critical economic tool for both urban and rural communities
and a meaningful, affordable option for families to enjoy Oregon’s many natural and urban
areas.
The Oregon Transportation Plan is in compliance with Statewide Planning Goal 9, Economic
Development.
10. Housing - The purpose of Goal 10 (OAR 660-015-0000(10)) is “To provide for the housing
needs of citizens of the state.”
FINDING: The OTP is the overarching transportation policy plan for Oregon and doesn’t propose
specific projects or facilities. OTP policy language is directed at ensuring that all of the statewide goals
are met when a facility plan or project is developed and implemented, including Statewide Planning
Goal 10. Specifically, OTP Policy EC.1.2 states, “Facilitate the creation of places where residents,
workers, and visitors can meet most of their daily needs without driving. These will be mixed-use
communities that contain a combination of housing, jobs, businesses, and services, and that are served
by safe transportation options for all modes…” Another OTP strategy that supports housing is Strategy
EC.1.2.1: “Emphasize multimodal connections to areas that include affordable housing to help those
households reduce combined total transportation and housing costs.” Both Policy examples illustrate
how the OTP supports affordable housing and a transportation system that safely and efficiently gets
people from home to economic centers.
The Oregon Transportation Plan is in compliance with Statewide Planning Goal 10, Housing.
11.
Public Facilities and Services - The purpose of Goal 11 (OAR 660-015-0000(11)) is “To
plan and develop a timely, orderly and efficient arrangement of public facilities and services to
serve as a framework for urban and rural development.”
FINDING: Transportation is an essential component of developing and maintaining access to public
facilities in urban and rural areas. Under Strategy SP.3.3.1, the OTP states, “Coordinate across state
agencies (include the Department of Land Conversation and Development (DLCD), DEQ, Oregon Health
Authority, and others), and with local and regional agencies, to leverage shared investments to achieve the
state’s goals.”
Other parts of the OTP support elements of planning for an efficient transportation system. Policy
MO.5.2, Strategy MO.5.2.1 states: In urban areas, support compact development and climate-friendly
areas to ensure safe, affordable, reliable, and equitable access to destinations including jobs, education,
healthy food, services, health care, and recreation.
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The Oregon Transportation Plan is in compliance with Statewide Planning Goal 11, Public Facilities and
Services.
12. Transportation - The purpose of Goal 12 (OAR 660-015-0000(12)) is “To provide and
encourage a safe, convenient and economic transportation system.”
FINDING: The Oregon Transportation Plan is the statewide transportation plan for the State of Oregon.
The OTP’s long-range vision addresses the transportation needs of Oregon that supports all Oregonians
by connecting people and goods to places in the most climate-friendly, equitable, and safe way. Goals in
the OTP support this vision such as Goal 1: Economic and Community Vitality; Goal 2: Social Equity;
Goal 3: Mobility; Goal 4: Stewardship of Public Resources, Goal 5: Safety and Goal 6: Sustainability
and Climate Action. Each of these goals is followed by policies and strategies that encourage a safe,
convenient, and economic public transportation system to move people.
Transportation Planning Rule, OAR 660-012
Statewide Planning Goal 12, Transportation, and administrative rule, the Transportation Planning Rule
(TPR), have several elements for assuring that statewide planning goals are considered in transportation
planning efforts. The TPR is a broad administrative rule that covers a range of applications, some of
which are summarized below:
• The preparation and coordination of transportation system plans
• Coordination with federally required transportation plans in metropolitan areas
• Elements of TSPs
• Complying with statewide planning goals
• Determination of transportation needs
• Evaluation and selection of transportation alternatives
• Transportation financing programs
• Implementation of TSPs
• Transportation project development
• Timing and adoption of TSPs
• Plan and land use regulation amendments
• Transportation improvements on rural lands
• Exceptions for improvements on rural lands
The Transportation Planning Rule includes elements to assure that statewide planning goals are
considered when developing transportation plans. While most of the TPR provisions are directed to the
development and coordination of local transportation system plans, some of the provisions are
applicable to the development of a statewide transportation system plan. The Oregon Transportation
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Plan (OTP) serves as the statewide transportation system plan. These findings address those rule
components applicable to the development and adoption of the OTP and a statewide modal plan
element. The OTP and its elements form the policy foundation for the state, providing the long-range
vision and a framework to guide state, regional, and local transportation decisions that apply the
statewide framework to help identify specific needs and projects. Local Transportation System Plans
must be consistent with the state Transportation System Plan (OTP) as defined in the TPR (OAR 660012-0045).
• Purpose, OAR 660-012-0000
Many elements of the OTP reflect objectives from the TPR purpose statement. Section (1) of the
purpose statement is included below for context.
(1) This division implements Statewide Planning Goal 12 (Transportation) to provide and encourage a
safe, convenient and economic transportation system. This division also implements provisions of other
statewide planning goals related to transportation planning in order to plan and develop transportation
facilities and services in close coordination with urban and rural development. The purpose of this
division is to direct transportation planning in coordination with land use planning to:
(a) Promote the development of transportation systems adequate to serve statewide, regional and
local transportation needs and the mobility needs of the transportation disadvantaged;
(b) Encourage and support the availability of a variety of transportation choices for moving
people that balance vehicular use with other transportation modes, including walking, bicycling
and transit in order to avoid principal reliance upon any one mode of transportation;
(c) Provide for safe and convenient vehicular, transit, pedestrian, and bicycle access and
circulation;
(d) Facilitate the safe, efficient and economic flow of freight and other goods and services within
regions and throughout the state through a variety of modes including road, air, rail and marine
transportation;
(e) Protect existing and planned transportation facilities, corridors and sites for their identified
functions;
(f) Provide for the construction and implementation of transportation facilities, improvements
and services necessary to support acknowledged comprehensive plans;
(g) Identify how transportation facilities are provided on rural lands consistent with the goals;
(h) Ensure coordination among affected local governments and transportation service providers
and consistency between state, regional and local transportation plans; and
(i) Ensure that changes to comprehensive plans are supported by adequate planned
transportation facilities.
FINDING: The OTP identifies and refines the state, regional and local role in transportation to serve as
an effective element of the multimodal transportation network within Oregon. The OTP vision provides
guidance for developing transportation services in Oregon and is supported through the Plan’s goals,
policies and strategies. Several policies directly address providing and encouraging a safe, convenient
and economic transportation system:
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Policy MO.1.1 – Provide a well-connected and seamless multimodal transportation system that
promotes the safe movement of people and goods.
Policy MO.1.2 – Prior to adding new motor vehicle capacity, assess whether the capacity or
other needs can be reasonably addressed by a cooperative approach among agencies to carry
out one or a combination of the following:
o Multi-modal investments
o Transportation options programs
o Transportation system management improvements
o Context-appropriate pricing strategies
Policy MO.3.1 – Design and maintain a transportation system that allows people of all ages,
abilities, and income levels to safely reach destinations (e.g., for employment, education,
shopping, recreation, parks and natural areas, health care, and social opportunities) via active
and low-carbon transportation modes of travel.
Policy MO.3.2 – Create a robust transportation system that allows people to choose between
many reliable and accessible transportation options instead of needing to rely on a single
options.
Policy MO.4.1 – Plan and develop an integrated transportation system that allows businesses to
choose among affordable and reliable transportation options to connect goods and services with
people and other businesses.
Policy MO.4.2 – Advance transportation solutions that improve reliable movement along
intercity corridors (e.g., intelligent transportation systems (ITS), and bus and freight
vehicle priority).
Policy MO.4.3 – Systematically address barriers to efficient freight movement on roads and
highways and at intermodal connections.
Policy MO.5.1 – Apply a context- and performance-based approach to planning and designing
roadways to integrate flexibility, enhance intermodal connections, and improve user experience
and safety.
Policy MO.5.2 – Plan for and implement transportation investments that are consistent with and
supportive of local, regional, Tribal, and state transportation and land use plans.
Policy SP.2.1 – Support the movement of goods and people through strategic investment of
limited resources that benefit the distribution of travelers and equitable access, and support
transportation options that meet the needs of the users of the transportation system.
Policy SA.1.1 – Identify safety solutions that eliminate fatalities and serious injuries while
curbing vehicle emissions and leading to equitable outcomes.
Policy SA.1.2 – Plan, design, construct, operate, and maintain the transportation system to
reduce speed differentials on roadways; provide context-appropriate physical and temporal
separation between different modes of travel.
The OTP does not propose specific facilities for design or construction.
The OTP is consistent with OAR 660-012-0000.
D-12
• Transportation Planning, OAR 660-012-0010
Section 0010 of the TPR recognizes that the state TSP (OTP) is comprised of a number of elements as
described in ODOT’s State Agency Coordination Program. The SAC states, “(1) (a)
The state TSP shall include the state transportation policy plan, modal systems and transportation
facility plans as set forth in OAR 731, Division 15.”
FINDING: The OTP is the state TSP, supported by other modal, topic, and facility plans.
• Preparation and Coordination of Transportation System Plans, OAR 660-012-0015
Section 0015 of the TPR conveys that the state TSP shall include the state transportation policy plan,
modal systems plans and transportation facility plans.
FINDING: As noted above, the state policy plan (OTP), modal system plans, and transportation facility
plans are separate documents that together make up the state TSP.
• Coordination with Federally-Required Regional Transportation Plans in Metropolitan Areas, OAR
660-012-0016
FINDING: The Oregon Transportation Plan is not applicable to Section 0016 of the TPR.
• Elements of Transportation System Plans, OAR 660-012-0020
Section 0020 of the TPR stipulates that a TSP “shall establish a coordinated network of transportation
facilities adequate to serve state, regional and local transportation needs and that the TSP will include a
description of the type or functional classification of planned facilities and services and their planned
capacities and performance standards….”
FINDING: The OTP provides guidance and a policy framework for Transportation System Plans, but
does not identify specific transportation facility improvements.
• Complying with the Goals in Preparing Transportation System Plans; Refinement Plans, OAR 660012-0025
FINDING: The majority of TPR Section 0025 does not apply to the OTP because the Plan does not
include any specific proposals for transportation facilities, services or major improvements. However,
TPR Section 0025, Subsection 2 states “Findings of compliance with applicable statewide planning
goals and acknowledged comprehensive plan policies and land use regulations shall be developed in
conjunction with the adoption of the TSP.” This requirement is addressed through development of this
“Findings” document and its supporting information.
D-13
• Determination of Transportation Needs, OAR 660-012-0030
Section 30 of the TPR requires that TSPs identify transportation needs relevant to the planning area and
the scale of the transportation network being planned including state, regional and local transportation
needs.
FINDING: Understanding transportation needs is an important part of planning for the future of public
transportation in Oregon. For the Oregon Transportation Plan (OTP), “needs” refers to the estimated
annual dollar amount range required by transportation providers to provide services in communities
across Oregon through the year 2050 under several future service scenarios. These scenarios are not
tailored to address specific needs in specific locations. Instead, they are intended to describe a range of
potential investment levels statewide to explore potential policy outcomes.
The analysis is not intended to propose or define a particular level of statewide transportation
investment. Instead, it helps illuminate the potential gap between needs and the anticipated resources
available to transportation providers around the state. By showing order of magnitude investment
requirements and potential resource gaps, the needs assessment helps inform implementation strategies.
Understanding future needs enabled ODOT, the project team and the PCC to develop a forward-looking
set of actions and investments by agencies and leaders throughout the state that support the growth and
development of transportation infrastructure. Each of the following scenarios represents an investment
level to meet needs and policy objectives, each with an optimized allotment of investment allocations.
The project team established four levels of needs and investments for the OTP. The Current Level
Scenario represents the resources needed to provide the same level of service per capita (e.g., service
miles) as is provided today. Baseline Need accounts for expected growth in population to 2050, meaning
more resources are required in the future to provide a level of per capita service similar to what is
provided today. The Current Level scenario is forecasted to make little to no progress in accomplishing
desired OTP policy outcomes, including pavement preservation and maintenance needs for Oregon’s
roads and bridges.
Incremental Increase Scenario represents the resources needed to provide a higher level of service in
communities than is provided today, approximately 30% more than today on a cost per mile basis.
Overall, only modest progress toward accomplishing desired policy outcomes is forecasted under the
Incremental Increase Scenario, and the backlog for transportation system preservation needs remains
significant.
Major Increase Scenario represents the resources required to serve most projected needs for the
transportation network, approximately 200% of today’s funding levels on a cost per mile basis. The
Major Increase Scenario is forecasted to allow progress on substantially achieving OTP policy goals.
Blue Sky Investment Scenario best represents the resources required to meet nearly all future and
changing needs of the transportation system and achieve desired outcomes of the OTP policy goals. The
Blue Sky Investment Scenario amounts to an approximately 400% increase in transportation funding on
a cost per mile basis.
D-14
As a statewide plan, determination of need was derived from data across the state and consistent with the
scale of the transportation network being planned.
• Evaluation and Selection of Transportation System Alternatives, OAR 660-012-0035
TPR Section 0035 stipulates that TSPs shall be based upon evaluation of potential impacts of system
alternatives.
FINDING: The OTP does not address changes or amendments to specific system alternatives and is
not applicable to TPR Section 0035.
• Transportation Financing Program, OAR 660-012-0040
FINDING: The OTP does not identify specific facilities or improvements. However, it describes the
types of investments needed and a framework to identify, prioritize, and fund transportation services.
The OTP serves as a policy framework to support transportation providers, who are in the best position
to make local investment decisions. Also, the OTP informs the Statewide Transportation Improvement
Program (STIP) which in turn identifies projects in need of financing. The Oregon transportation
funding sources has uses specified in legislation and OARs (Chapter 732, Division 040), but it also
relies on approved planning processes.
• Implementation of the Transportation System Plan, OAR 660-012-0045
FINDING: TPR Section 0045 addresses actions required by local governments to implement its TSP and
does not directly apply to the OTP. However, ODOT summarize proposed implementation actions in
Chapter 7 of the plan and will further define an implementation plan after the OTP is adopted.
• Transportation Project Development, OAR 660-012-0050
FINDING: TPR Section 0050 does not apply to the OTP. The OTP does not propose specific
transportation projects.
• Timing of Adoption and Update of Transportation System Plans; Exemptions, OAR 660-012- 0055
FINDING: Section 0055 of the TPR covers the adoption, update, and exemptions of local TSPs and does
not apply to the OTP.
• Plans and Land Use Regulation Amendments, OAR 660-012-0060
FINDING: Section 0060 of the TPR addresses the coordination and review that must occur when a local
government considers an amendment to its comprehensive plan and land use regulations. The OTP does
not invoke consideration of a local plan amendment or regulation, so this provision is not applicable.
D-15
• Transportation Improvements on Rural Lands, OAR 660-012-0065 and OAR 660-012-0070
FINDING: TPR Sections 0065 and 0070 apply to transportation improvements on rural lands. The OTP
does not propose new transportation improvements. These sections of the TPR are not applicable.
The Oregon Transportation Plan is in compliance with and supportive of Statewide Planning Goal 12,
Transportation.
13. Energy Conservation - The purpose of Goal 13 (OAR 660-015-0000(13)) is “To conserve
energy.” Goal 13 declares that “land and uses developed on the land shall be managed and
controlled so as to maximize the conservation of all forms of energy, based upon sound economic
principles.”
FINDING: The OTP does not propose specific facilities or specific land use development, but it
encourages more efficient land use design that supports multimodal travel. This is emphasized in Policy
EC.1.1: Encourage development of compact communities and mixed-use neighborhoods to support
multimodal trip choices and efficient public investments and Strategy SC.1.1.1: Use land more efficiently
by controlling urban growth and creating more compact and mixed-use development.
The Stewardship of Public Resources Policy SP.2.2 supports maximizing the useful life of new,
reconstructed, or repaired transportation facilities to reduce both energy and fiscal life-cycle costs.
The Oregon Transportation Plan is in compliance with and supportive of Statewide Planning Goal 13,
Energy Conservation.
14. Urbanization - The purpose of Goal 14 (OAR 660-015-0000(14)) is “To provide for an
orderly and efficient transition from rural to urban land use, to accommodate urban population
and urban employment inside urban growth boundaries, to ensure efficient use of land, and to
provide for livable communities.”
FINDING: Along with moving people and goods within an urban environment, the transportation
system is the primary method of transitioning between urban and land uses. Considering and planning
for land use impacts while developing transportation projects is an effective way to support a more
efficient use of land. The most notable goal in the OTP that addresses this is Mobility, which discusses
various ways to consider, plan and support transportation in several different land use contexts. This is
best expressed in Mobility Objective 5: Tailor transportation solutions to the local context, allowing for
different solutions to achieve OTP goals in rural, suburban, and urban communities. Within that
Objective are strategies that connect transportation investments with land use plans, call for the use of
context-sensitive transportation design standards, and encourage more compact urban development.
The Sustainability and Climate Action and the Economic and Community Vitality goals also address the
importance of linking transportation with land use decisions in order to meet the goals and objectives of
the OTP. Strategy SC.1.1.1 and Policy EC.1.2 call for better efficient land use by “creating more compact
and mixed-use development” where “residents, workers, and visitors can meet most of their daily needs
without driving.”
D-16
The Oregon Transportation Plan is in compliance with and supportive of Statewide Planning Goal 14,
Urbanization.
15. Willamette River Greenway - The purpose of Goal 15 (OAR 660-015-0005) is “To protect,
conserve, enhance and maintain the natural, scenic, historical, agricultural, economic and
recreational qualities of lands along the Willamette River as the Willamette River Greenway.”
FINDING: The OTP is the overarching transportation policy plan for Oregon and doesn’t propose
specific projects or facilities. OTP policy language is directed at ensuring that all of the statewide goals
are met when a facility plan or project is developed and implemented, including Statewide Planning
Goal 15. Specifically, OTP Goal 6: Sustainability and Climate Action. OTP Policy Objective SC.2
states, “Preserve and improve the quality of Oregon’s water, air, and natural ecosystems.” Policy SC.2.2
states, “Provide a transportation system that is environmentally responsible and encourages conservation
and protection of natural and cultural resources.”
The Oregon Transportation Plan is in compliance with Statewide Planning Goal 15, Willamette River
Greenway.
16. Estuarine Resources - The purpose of Goal 16 (OAR 660-015-0010(1)) is “To recognize and
protect the unique environmental, economic, and social values of each estuary and associated
wetlands; and to protect, maintain, where appropriate develop, and where appropriate restore
the long-term environmental, economic, and social values, diversity and benefits of Oregon’s
estuaries.”
FINDING: The OTP is the overarching transportation policy plan for Oregon and doesn’t propose
specific projects or facilities. OTP policy language is directed at ensuring that all of the statewide goals
are met when a facility plan or project is developed and implemented, including Statewide Planning
Goal 16. Specifically, OTP Policy Objective SC.2 states, “Preserve and improve the quality of Oregon’s
water, air, and natural ecosystems.” Policy SC.2.2 states, “Provide a transportation system that is
environmentally responsible and encourages conservation and protection of natural and cultural
resources.”
The Oregon Transportation Plan is in compliance with Statewide Planning Goal 16, Estuarine
Resources.
17. Coastal Shorelands - The purpose of Goal 17 (OAR 660-015-0010(2)) is “To conserve,
protect, where appropriate, develop and where appropriate restore the resources and benefits of
all coastal shorelands, recognizing their value for protection and maintenance of water quality,
fish and wildlife habitat, water-dependent uses, economic resources and recreation and
aesthetics. The management of these shoreland areas shall be compatible with the
characteristics of the adjacent coastal waters; and to reduce the hazard to human life and
property, and the adverse effects upon water quality and fish and wildlife habitat, resulting from
the use and enjoyment of Oregon’s coastal shorelands.”
D-17
FINDING: The OTP is the overarching transportation policy plan for Oregon and doesn’t propose
specific projects or facilities. OTP policy language is directed at ensuring that all of the statewide goals
are met when a facility plan or project is developed and implemented, including Statewide Planning
Goal 17. Specifically, OTP Goal 6: Sustainability and Climate Action Policy Objective SC.2 states,
“Preserve and improve the quality of Oregon’s water, air, and natural ecosystems,” Policy SC.2.2
states, “Provide a transportation system that is environmentally responsible and encourages
conservation and protection of natural and cultural resources.” Both examples illustrate how the OTP
supports Statewide Planning Goal 17.
The Oregon Transportation Plan is in compliance with Statewide Planning Goal 17, Coastal Shorelands.
18. Beaches and Dunes - The purpose of Goal 18 (OAR 660-015-0010(3)) is “To conserve,
protect, where appropriate develop, and where appropriate restore the resources and benefits of
coastal beach and dune areas; and to reduce the hazard to human life and property from natural
or man induced actions associated with these areas.”
FINDING: The OTP is the overarching transportation policy plan for Oregon and doesn’t propose
specific projects or facilities. OTP policy language is directed at ensuring that all of the statewide goals
are met when a facility plan or project is developed and implemented, including Statewide Planning
Goal 18. Specific examples where the OTP supports Goal 18 include OTP, Goal 6: Sustainability and
Climate Action Policy Objective SC.2 which states, “Preserve and improve the quality of Oregon’s
water, air, and natural ecosystems.” Policy SC.2.2 states, “Provide a transportation system that is
environmentally responsible and encourages conservation and protection of natural and cultural
resources.”
The Oregon Transportation Plan is in compliance with Statewide Planning Goal 18, Beaches and Dunes.
19. Ocean Resources - The purpose of Goal 19 (OAR 660-015-0010(4) is “To conserve marine
resources and ecological functions for the purpose of providing long-term ecological, economic,
and social value and benefits to future generations.”
FINDING: The OTP is the overarching transportation policy plan for Oregon and doesn’t propose
specific projects or facilities. OTP policy language is directed at ensuring that all of the statewide goals
are met when a facility plan or project is developed and implemented, including Statewide Planning
Goal 19. OTP, Goal 6: Sustainability and Climate Action Policy Objective SC.2 states, “Preserve and
improve the quality of Oregon’s water, air, and natural ecosystems.” Policy SC.2.2 states, “Provide a
transportation system that is environmentally responsible and encourages conservation and protection of
natural and cultural resources.” Both examples illustrate how the OTP supports Goal 19.
The Oregon Transportation Plan is in compliance with Statewide Planning Goal 19, Ocean Resources.
Conclusion
The OTP is the state’s transportation system plan. The process used to develop the OTP met federal and
state regulations and Oregon’s own statewide transportation planning requirements.
D-18
The OTP was developed in compliance with OAR 731-015-0045, Coordination Procedures for Adopting
the Final Transportation Policy Plan and the Oregon Transportation Commission’s Policy 11 – Public
Involvement Policy. These Findings of Compliance with Statewide Planning Goals and supporting
information were presented to the OTC for consideration and adoption at their July 13th, 2023 meeting.
As the state’s Transportation System Plan, the OTP must be in compliance with Statewide Planning
Goals. Based on the analysis of each statewide goal represented by the findings in this report, the OTP is
found to be in compliance with all 19 Statewide Planning Goals.
D-19
| File Type | application/pdf |
| File Title | Oregon Transportation Plan June 2023 |
| Subject | Oregon Transportation Plan, Oregon Department of Transportation |
| Author | Oregon Department of Transportation |
| File Modified | 2023-09-21 |
| File Created | 2023-09-20 |