Category: Shared Mobility

While We’re Waiting for the Transportation Package…

Posted on by Street Trust

Mid-session updates from the city, state, and more on transportation policy, budgets, where we’re building solutions, and what we’ll be looking for in Oregon’s forthcoming 2025 Transportation Package.

 

At the Oregon Legislature

Lawmakers are still negotiating the details of Oregon’s 2025 transportation package, expected to be the largest in nearly a decade. A draft framework is currently circulating the Capitol and could be released any day now.

The stakes are extremely high, with competing visions for how to fix ODOT’s funding crisis (while providing adequate oversight), complete projects statewide, and address the epidemic of traffic fatalities. Meanwhile, transit providers and local governments are facing their own severe funding shortfalls (more on the situation in Portland below). Lawmakers must act now to stabilize and reinvest in the transportation access Oregonians rely on every day.

What we’ll be looking for:

  • A complete package that fully funds walking, biking, rolling, and transit. Anything less is out of step with what Oregonians actually need. The economic, health, and social benefits of a safe, multimodal transportation system are indisputable. This is our bottom line.
  • The Street Trust has been pushing for solutions that will help provide sustainable, diversified funding to support safety and multimodal investments. We’re cautiously optimistic that some of those solutions will be included in the final package. Whatever quilt lawmakers patch together to cover ODOT’s needs, it cannot leave our communities, transit agencies, or active transportation users out in the cold.

📌 Pro-tip: Check out MN Larry Kraft’s presentation on delivery fees from last year’s Oregon Active Transportation Summit and our panel on Oregon’s transition from the fuels taxes to a tax on miles driven (VMT) aka road user charge (RUC) from OATS in 2023.

It’s time to truly Move Oregon Forward with fully funded safe routes for walking, rolling, biking, and accessing transit. We’re not waiting for someone else to lead while Oregonians are in dire need of transportation options. Guaranteed access to transportation is fundamental – it means access to food, education, health care, family and community.

Panels and discussions from last year’s OATS (like the one pictured above) helped shape our work and demands for the 2025 Transportation Package.

The Street Trust is the only organization in Oregon with a dedicated lobbying presence in Salem focused on fully funding safe routes for walking, rolling, biking, and accessing transit. Our staff, board, and members are working hard to secure a sustainable, equitable transportation package for all at a time when the federal government is slashing budgets and abandoning its commitments.

That means we need your help now to ensure safe streets and transit are prioritized in Oregon. To keep our advocacy strong and independent, we need help from caring people like you to finish this session. If you believe in this movement, now is the time to show it.

PLEASE DONATE TODAY

If you are unable to donate, you can still support safe streets and a better future for all Oregonians:

  1. It’s an understatement to say there is a lot going on, but when you see action alerts from us, please take a moment to act and speak out. Lawmakers need to hear from you, so all Oregonians, not just people who can drive, are at the center of this package.
  2. Know a business or organization who supports active, multimodal transportation and equity? Ask if they can sponsor this year’s Oregon Active Transportation Summit. Details on how to get involved at www.oregontransportationsummit.org/Sponsorship
  3. Attend Oregon’s premier active transportation summit (April 23-25), so you don’t miss out on the conversation. Get your passes to network with Oregon’s transportation leaders and organizers now: www.oregontransportationsummit.org/tix
  4. Sign up for Move Oregon Forward’s Advocacy Day in Salem on April 17 to meet with state lawmakers and tell them why we need green neighborhoods with safe sidewalks, bike paths, public transit, and the freedom to choose how we get around. Sign up here

 

 

 

Image Source: www.portland.gov/council

At the City of Portland

The world has changed a lot since legislators Shemia Fagan and Jessica Vega Pederson convened Salem’s “East Portland Caucus” to win safety funding for sidewalks in their districts. What did Fagan have to say back in 2013?

“Every time I’ve knocked on doors in Portland,” Fagan said, “people are pissed off —because for the last 30 years they’ve been hearing Powell was five to 15 years away from being a priority.” (to Willamette Week)

Portland’s leaders have kicked billions in deferred maintenance down the road budget cycle after budget cycle and now, in addition, PBOT is facing a significant operating budget shortfall with no sustainable funding solution in sight. Essential PBOT staff and safety programs, as well as beloved community initiatives, are on the chopping block.

We’re encouraged by City Council’s ambitious new ordinance to invest $20 million in sidewalks for East and West Portland, led by Councilors Smith (D1) and Green (D4). Yet, we are concerned that this one-time funding does not solve PBOT’s underlying fiscal crisis or protect the everyday work our communities rely on.

You might recall that our sister organization, TST Action Fund, endorsed 7 of the 12 councilors currently on council (a majority, we’re proud to say). To win the Action Fund endorsement, candidates were required to complete a nonpartisan Candidate Transportation School.

As we head into the budget process, we hope Portland electeds will remember core lessons we covered:

  1. Council must make funding for complete streets a legislative priority and direct the city’s government relations team to fully fund safety and transit this session. The stakes could not be higher for local jurisdictions in terms of their share of the pie or access to safety grants.
  2. Price Portland’s system correctly, especially parking, and innovate new funding mechanisms to keep the bureau functioning day-to-day. Options include delivery fees and a transportation utility fee, like you heard about fromMayor Wilson last month (or from the City of Bend at last year’s OATS).
  3. Depoliticize project selection and prioritization. Portland transformed its government to increase equity, not foster parochialism. Council needs to make it a matter of policy to address the needs of vulnerable system users first. What does that mean? Council must lead with race when picking projects (equity areas) and invest first where people are dying in crashes (high crash network).

    Image and Data Source: PBOT’s 2024 Deadly Traffic Crash Report
  4. Finally, don’t launch new plans and projects until you finish the ones already on the books (where some have languished unfinished for a very long time).

What’s Next? Budget Timeline & Action Steps

  • Now through April – City Council is reviewing PBOT and other bureau’s budgets. The decisions made now will determine whether Portland cuts essential safety and transit programs — or invests in the future.
  • March 27 to April 10 – City Council work sessions and public hearings are happening now. This is the most critical window to speak up.
  • April 24 – Mayor releases the Proposed Budget.
  • May to June – City Council holds public hearings and makes final changes before the budget is adopted in mid-June.

Federal Legislation: HR 1668 Sarah Debbink Langenkamp Active Transportation Safety Act

There’s far too much happening in transportation right now for The Street Trust, with our limited capacity, to reliably monitor and mobilize you at both the state and federal levels (if you wish that were different, please hit

DONATE

 to help). Meanwhile, we suggest heeding 

Transportation For America’s

 national calls to action.

That said, one of our board members, Dr. Armando “AJ” Zelada, just returned from the National Bike Summit in DC with a special request: please email Senator Merkley’s office asking him to sign on to co-sponsor HR 1668.

This bill will help small Oregon communities access federal safety funds without needing local match dollars. Sparked by the tragic death of U.S. diplomat Sarah Debbink, killed by a driver at a stop sign in D.C. after being evacuated from Ukraine, it allows Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) funds to be used as match for Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) grants.

Image and Data Source: League of American Bicyclists HR 1668 FAQ Sheet

This federal-to-federal match removes a major barrier for places like Klamath Falls, Pendleton, and Talent. It’s not a new idea: Oregon used a similar strategy in the 2010s with its 1% “Bike Bill” HTF dollars. Critics may argue local governments need “skin in the game,” but this bill prioritizes lives and safety where it’s needed most.

P.S. We need your support to continue this transformative advocacy work. Please join us as a member of The Street Trust here. You’ll get discounts, free entry to community events, and insider updates on the legislative session. Thank you!

Our 2025 Legislative Agenda

Posted on by Street Trust

 

2025’s Context

The Oregon Legislature convened last week for a 160-day session to tackle some of the state’s most pressing challenges, like how to keep people and goods moving equitably, safely, and efficiently through our state. The rising costs of transportation projects and declining revenue from the fuel tax — combined with Oregon’s constitutional mandate to ensure that passenger vehicles and heavy vehicles pay into the system equally (which hasn’t been happening as of late) — means the funding mechanisms present a difficult set of challenges.

Lawmakers are making transportation a priority, despite competition with other major issues like housing, healthcare, and education. House Speaker Julie Fahey (D-14) even kicked off the session by gifting wooden cars, trains, trucks, and boats to representatives to underline the urgency of transportation issues.

As advocates, The Street Trust’s job this session is prioritizing the core elements of a transportation system that meets the everyday needs of all users, not just people who drive. That’s why we are focused on “reclaiming the basics” to create an equitable, accessible, and efficient transportation system for all Oregonians. So in addition to funding system maintenance like paving potholes, we’re championing:

  • Adequate funding for complete sidewalks and bikeways
  • Transforming Orphan Highways into vibrant Main Streets
  • Ensuring everyone has access to safe public transit that runs on time.

During the last transportation package HB 2017, The Street Trust achieved historic amounts of funding for Safe Routes to School and public transit.

📝 Pro-tip: Bookmark The Street Trust’s Bill Tracker here to follow key transportation-related legislation. We’ll update it as the session progresses and keep you informed on critical opportunities to advocate for or against specific bills that impact transportation and our community.

How We Win in this Political Environment

The session begins with Democrats holding supermajorities in both chambers and the governorship, giving them the power to pass revenue-raising legislation without Republican support. While this provides an opportunity to tackle significant challenges, such as funding ODOT’s $1.8 billion projected revenue shortfall, history shows that bipartisan collaboration leads to more durable, effective outcomes.

The recent history of walkouts means that failing to gain minority support can stall progress. It’s also true that a Democratic majority does not equal a clear path to victory. We still need to win over Democrats in fiscally conservative or purple districts.

Those who benefit from maintaining the status quo may be banking on these divisions to derail the session. The risk of not achieving a transportation package is very real.

Local efforts to expand bike lanes and bus service often encounter resistance from these lawmakers, but the opposition isn’t solely rooted in partisanship. Geography plays a key role, and the politics of transportation often follow the urban-rural divide. Many Oregon legislators represent more rural areas where shopping streets do double duty as freight routes, public transit may be less cost-efficient to operate, and safe access to schools or services without a car can seem impossible.

There’s a saying that transportation isn’t politically red or blue, but grey like asphalt, concrete, and steel. At The Street Trust, we take this one step further: investing in transportation system is green — good for our economy and good for the environment.

From years of research, we know that, regardless of geography or political affiliation, both household and state budgets benefit from investments in public transit, active transportation, and maintenance and operations, like filling potholes and plowing roads.

To reach our goals this session, we must demonstrate that a sustainable transportation system can bridge the urban-rural divide and transcend party lines for the betterment of all Oregonians. By focusing on our values shared across the aisle — safety, affordability, resiliency, and economic opportunity — we can achieve broad, bipartisan support in Salem.

So how do we build the political power to win?

Ride2Own.org ribbon cutting in Milwaukie, Oregon. This innovative public-private partnership demonstrates how investments in electric micromobility in less urban communities can reduce climate pollution and increase economic opportunity.

Our Three Pillars for Success

1. Defending & Growing Investments in Safe Streets for All & Transit that Works

2. Finding the Courage to Innovate
3. Convening and Communicating Toward Common Ground

We are at a critical moment for our transportation future. The stakes could not be higher for us and for future Oregonians. Oregon needs a long-term investment strategy to preserve and modernize our transportation infrastructure now, while prioritizing holistic maintenance that supports all modes of travel.

The relationships, coalitions, and strategies we’ve built can help get transportation legislation that works for everyone funded and across the finish line, despite the many potential obstacles. This will require targeted prioritization, spending flexibility in partnership with local governments, and likely, dedicated revenue mechanisms for broadly popular programs like Safe Routes to School, which are in high demand and consistently underfunded.

Pillar #1: Defending & Growing Investments in Safe Streets for All & Transit that Works

In 2024, traffic crashes claimed 529 lives in Oregon, a devastating public health epidemic that disproportionately impacts BIPOC and low-income families. Now lawmakers need to prioritize safety by investing in complete routes for walking, biking, and transit. These investments are proven to save lives, while reducing costs for households and communities.

We need to fiercely defend broadly popular programs that prevent crashes — without allowing internal or partisan divides to distract us from our common goals. That’s why we are committed to fully funding:

For the past two years, The Street Trust has been setting the table to make these investments happen by chairing the state’s Jurisdictional Transfer Advisory Committee, or JTAC, established through Majority Leader Ben Bowman’s (D-25) leadership in passing HB 2793 in 2023. Through collaboration with statewide partners in JTAC, we helped create fair and objective criteria for improving “Orphan Highways,” some of Oregon’s deadliest arterials, across urban and rural communities

This led to the creation of HB 2161, which prioritizes the transfer of Hall Boulevard to the City of Tigard and a portion of the Hood River Highway to the City of Hood River. Recognizing that many jurisdictions can’t take on Orphan Highway projects without sufficient funding, we are also working with Rep. Rob Nosse (D-42) to secure $30 million for additional safety improvements to Inner Powell Blvd in Portland (currently LC 4111, soon to be assigned a bill number).

While bike lanes can be highly polarizing, our extensive participation in the statewide public listening tour, leadership roundtables, and legislative working groups in 2024 confirmed that:

Urban or rural, red or blue, investments in safety programs and vibrant main streets are universally popular across all legislative districts, and can enjoy broad bipartisan support in Salem.`

This intersection, where several fatal crashes have occurred, illustrates the extent of the safety funding needs, especially on Oregon’s deadliest urban arterials, AKA “Orphan Highways.”

Pillar #2. Finding the Courage to Innovate

So what is the plan to pay for these investments across the state? As Oregon transitions away from outdated and declining revenue sources like the gas tax, The Street Trust is championing innovative, equitable, and environmentally sound funding mechanisms.

Next month, we’ll take a deep dive into the various revenue streams under discussion for the 2025 package and unpack the Highway Cost Allocation Study (HCAS). Public policy doesn’t get more complicated than HCAS! Fortunately, The Street Trust sits on the HCAS team and can break down how it works and why it is so critical to this session.

We want to ensure that all road users contribute equitably, while prioritizing investments in multimodal infrastructure and system maintenance, but it’s going to be a heavy lift. To advance innovative solutions, we will need to stay laser-focused on:

  • Clearly breaking down costs and funding sources like local taxes, fees, federal grants, and tolling (if implemented) to build public trust and long-term understanding.
  • Reliable data and modeling to demonstrate how each project will improve safety, reduce congestion, and boost economic development in specific communities.
  • Educating the public on how highway projects compare to multimodal alternatives like transit improvements to foster a deeper understanding of Oregon’s priorities and decision-making process (and in turn, help build the broad support needed to move transportation systems forward).

As the session unfolds, transportation revenue options are where the rubber is going to hit the road. Democrats are going to need to avoid unilateral action, while Republicans will have to abandon obstructive tactics like walkouts to get this package done. Despite the challenges, The Street Trust will do everything we can to support legislators in crafting policies that benefit the entire state, lead us into a prosperous future, and stand the test of time.

Pillar #3. Convening and Communicating Toward Common Ground

Over the past year, we’ve worked across sectors and organizations to advance our mission and policy priorities in community with other stakeholders.

That’s why we helped revitalize the Oregon Micromobility Network (OMN). Formerly the E-Bikes for All working group, we convened experts, manufacturers, advocates and riders in a single statewide network to craft sensible, enforceable e-bike legislation. After collaborating with lawmakers and state agencies over the summer, we’re currently tracking and revising several key pieces of e-bike and micromobility legislation. Stay tuned for our next edition of On The Move where we’ll provide a detailed update from the group.

📝 Pro-tip: Sign up for the OMN mailing list here to stay up-to-date on the bills they are refining and to get urgent calls-to-action.

To build the political power needed to win a transportation package that works for all Oregonians, we’ve also been holding conversations, conducting research, and working with advocacy groups since the summer of 2023, resulting in the Move Oregon Forward campaign.

Powered by over 40 active transportation, climate, labor, and environmental justice organizations from across the state, we mobilized turnout for public testimony at this past summer’s statewide listening session, identified community leaders for roundtable discussions, and secured a significant number of seats on three statewide legislative working groups shaping the transportation package (Operations & Maintenance, Public & Active Transportation, and HB2017 Commitments/Megaprojects).

Together, we’re advancing a safety first and climate forward agenda for the legislature.If you or your organization would like to endorse the Move Oregon Forward campaign, please complete this interest form.

What’s Next and How to Help Move Oregon Forward

The first draft of the 2025 transportation package is scheduled to drop just before The Street Trust’s 2025 Oregon Active Transportation SUmmit (OATS) creating a pivotal opportunity for advocates, policymakers, and community leaders to convene and work together.

More than a celebration of our shared vision, the year’s OATS will provide a strategic space to hear from stakeholders and coalitions, tackle challenges, build consensus, and turn shared goals into actionable solutions, forging the power needed to secure a transportation package that works for all Oregonians.

You can submit proposals here for workshops, presentations, panel discussions, mobile workshops, and study tours at OATS through February 14th. We hope you’ll join us!

Beyond hosting a working summit, the next few months are going to be a busy! Sign up for email updates here and follow us on Bluesky to stay informed and take action when it matters most. Let’s work together to shape an equitable, accessible, and resilient transportation system that works for all Oregonians.

What’s Next? We’ll cover the details of the Oregon Micromobility Network and proposed E-Bike Legislation.

 

P.S. We need your support to continue this transformative advocacy work. Please join us as a member of The Street Trust here. You’ll get discounts, free entry to community events, and insider updates on the legislative session. Thank you!

TST + BIKETOWN Announce Partnership

Posted on by Henry Latourette Miller

 

The Street Trust and BIKETOWN have just announced a creative partnership to bring BIKETOWN for All to BIPOC and underserved communities across the City of Portland.  The program will include community education, group rides led by compensated ride ambassadors, and engaging partners across the city. 

The Street Trust has worked with BIKETOWN for years to encourage Portlanders to embrace this healthy, low-carbon and fun mode of transportation. But this Summer we are taking our partnership with with Lyft and BIKETOWN to the next level to advance transportation justice.

BIKETOWN offers reliable, affordable, car-free mobility for Portland residents with lower incomes through its BIKETOWN For All program. Bike sharing supports cleaner air in frontline communities by reducing the number of cars on the road. To further advance the bike sharing’s positive impact on our priority communities, 

Partnerships power our advocacy efforts at The Street Trust. We work with everyone to achieve our vision and together we are dedicated to winning safe, clean, accessible transportation of the future. 

Thank you to Taylor Griggs of BikePortland for this great coverage of our launch party and happy 6th Birthday BIKETOWN!

Want to to be considered for one of this year’s BIKETOWN Community Ambassadors? Please complete this brief intake form and someone from our team will follow-up with you.

Think a strategic partnership between your company and The Street Trust could further our shared goals for better transportation? Schedule a conversation with Strategic Partnerships Manager Anouksha Gardner .