[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6590334,"mediaKeyId","5586931-697beca2035eb8559c4d7aa54e36b52b","parentId",5586931,"title","PBOT outlines reasons for decline in bike mode share and a multi-pronged plan to regain ridership; council raises safety, diverters debate","audioSeconds",8327,"startMs",64245,"endMs",8392130,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5586931-697beca2035eb8559c4d7aa54e36b52b&start=64&end=8392","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5586931-697beca2035eb8559c4d7aa54e36b52b/thumbnail_64245.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6590334/Portland/Multnomah-County/Oregon/PBOT-outlines-reasons-for-decline-in-bike-mode-share-and-a-multi-pronged-plan-to-regain-ridership-council-raises-safety-diverters-debate","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6590334-a1a931c6456a7185dd32bc0cca6e3e2a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770485948&Signature=eNdNU4xGD3JGM9Q5C6bLR1drdkkdi~0vv4Uuq1yMItBH~qawie-PgthbzG7tlD6lwpyRLmBicuB8ufwNE9EQ9H5RwDdMtNPI4SWKKylxATL1qQwkOnnFhan5K5PyBG5FRgwU-NmDXtDqOJh4MJPfozyR8v4Rfu6wHXNqL0UZOXjngOJvlmwRV86CxNTCEbkLkJFg4mh0Deeg9dSV-oHIShPWCkTubFa1i3vI-s2srDHJ6NZdYdTlF4PqgJyUwzQtGd9DotDMLvWkPZV~APSY-o~iDzoe6jmwEMvbN~RWwOfHN5XAcq2EaiL~MPCdHt0L8tuu8PjnIZOWUYt1JbIwBQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Portland, OR","date","2025-08-14T19:31:02.27Z","article","Portland Bureau of Transportation staff told the Climate Resilience and Land Use Committee on Aug. 14 that bicycling, long a hallmark of the city’s transportation identity, has declined since a 2014–2015 peak and that reversing the trend will require sustained infrastructure investment and an expanded mix of programs and outreach.

PBOT presenters — including Kristen Hall, manager for planning and project delivery, and Roger Geller, the city’s bicycle coordinator — framed cycling as a core tool for meeting Portland’s climate goals and Vision Zero safety goals, and they said mode shift (biking, walking and transit) is essential to reducing transportation greenhouse gas emissions.

PBOT staff presented data showing Portland’s 2014–15 increase in bicycle commuting stalled and began declining before the COVID-19 pandemic; the pandemic then reduced commute trips further because remote work rose sharply. Staff said bicycling had been the mode that most substituted for automobile commute growth in the 2014–2020 period, but that “build it and they will come” infrastructure alone is no longer sufficient to maintain growth.

Roger Geller outlined a proposed multi-year approach that pairs continued bikeway construction with expanded people-focused programs: a substantial increase in bicycle‑ambassador-style “bike buddy” rides, larger-scale promotional campaigns, strengthened bike-share access and more on-street improvements and maintenance. Geller told the committee a draft five-year implementation concept he prepared proposed roughly $37–40 million over multiple years to fund infrastructure and program-mix investments, including outreach and events to raise bicycling’s visibility.

PBOT and councilors discussed the bureau’s ongoing work to upgrade temporary delineators (plastic wands) to permanent concrete separation in several locations; PBOT Director Millicent Williams said nine projects are replacing temporary separators with concrete and that the bureau prioritizes high-quality, lasting facilities and bike-lane sweeping to improve safety and rider comfort.

A major focus of the committee was northwest Portland diverters. Councilor Mitch Green and members of the Bicycle Advisory Committee criticized a recent administrative decision to move or remove some traffic diverters and asked for a transparent, data-driven process. Director Williams said the city planned intersection adjustments intended to improve sight lines and access for emergency vehicles, and she said the bureau intends to monitor conditions over a focused six-month period and can restore diverters if the data support that step.

Several councilors and PBOT officials stressed that outreach must be intentional and adapted to neighborhood concerns; East Portland councilors emphasized the need for protected, high‑quality lanes on major arterial streets rather than only neighborhood‑style greenways. PBOT noted several funded and planned protected lanes in East Portland, including projects on Powell, Stark and (under planning) 120th Avenue, and said high‑quality separation is a priority for arterial corridors with heavier traffic.

Committee members pressed PBOT on the balance of promotional work versus infrastructure investment. Some councilors said they would prefer prioritizing durable infrastructure (concrete separation, intersection daylighting and parking management) over marketing spending. PBOT officials said both elements are needed: people-first programs and outreach to rebuild demand, and continued capital work to deliver safe networks and maintenance services.

The committee requested continued reporting on diverter changes, safety monitoring and PBOT’s proposed implementation plan for elevating bike ridership; no formal votes were taken on PBOT items during the session.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Portland City Council Climate, Resilience and Land Use Committee 08/14/25","oneSentenceSummary","Portland Bureau of Transportation staff told the Climate Resilience and Land Use Committee that bicycle commuting has declined since 2015 and that rebuilding momentum will require both infrastructure and programs. The session also included council criticism and public concern over recent changes to diverters in Northwest Portland.","taxTitle","Portland, Multnomah County, Oregon","taxId",2765,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6590338,"Portland planners brief council committee on comprehensive plan, timelines for zoning and infrastructure work",1806,578055,2384875,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5586931-697beca2035eb8559c4d7aa54e36b52b&start=578&end=2384","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5586931-697beca2035eb8559c4d7aa54e36b52b/thumbnail_578055.jpg","/articles/6590338/Portland/Multnomah-County/Oregon/Portland-planners-brief-council-committee-on-comprehensive-plan-timelines-for-zoning-and-infrastructure-work","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6590338-d6ee050589a7cf4f9be148cd397715d3/orig.mp4?Expires=1770485948&Signature=DmWQaMQYHEQZrjEdib7LCJ0U0Pl4fIjn9D6GRwedU-~9vx8x6fHW4PK3hhTE1xfFmkq2zbJN7MLw2LN-aGWNRhc6~8Rc78ZvX9cmePGOBHgd22JAh9mnraY-eWhRfFG0YI8I6eodlQ2m0lZ9ER-8WzcWHXOLkmPN9vlX5nuvW2b1X3brACsG1wPEjOqCZJ7M~E8Le00L9ANcPbgWq8AtLLTcqFdxiLV8N2vqTxOnD96nZ2MNYwrNX-W8FUP4IN02v8Pd1eNLWjli9KOYVqu6nyn0yLL~uRYYr2h14V~Nf5CDSL48XJgB6LXfrF2WFb4DkxN9ne0sY6sizmbl-AVavg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability planners gave the City Council Climate Resilience and Land Use Committee a detailed overview of the city's comprehensive plan on Aug. 14, describing how the plan frames land use decisions, guides zoning and capital project findings, and will shape several legislative items coming to council over the next year.

The briefing — delivered by Patricia Diependorfer, chief planner at the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, and Ryan Singer, principal planner for long-range planning and urban design — laid out the plan's structure, legal framework, growth targets and examples of area plans that have paired zoning changes with investments such as transit and parks.

Planners told the committee the comprehensive plan is Portland’s “generational” land use document: it sets a vision, guiding principles, goals and policies and must align with Oregon statewide land use goals and the region’s functional plan administered by Metro. City staff said the comp plan is used as the baseline for required findings when the council adopts or amends zoning and for prioritizing infrastructure and funding decisions.

The presenters said Portland’s 2023 population estimate was about 630,000 residents, with roughly 438,000 jobs and about 308,000 housing units citywide. Officials noted that roughly 40,000 housing units were added between 2013 and 2023 and that permitted residential units over the past decade totaled just over 55,000. They said housing growth and location have not been evenly distributed: inner neighborhoods and parts of the central city saw the largest increases, and West and East Portland experienced fewer units than projected.

Diependorfer and Singer described the plan’s “complete neighborhoods” strategy and the “centers and corridors” growth approach, which concentrates growth in center areas and along corridors while directing investments to less complete neighborhoods. Planners cited a target that the central city absorb 30% of growth — a goal that the central city reached about 24% of over the past 10 years — and said the centers-and-corridors approach has generally produced the targeted pattern of development.

The briefing included examples of multi-decade planning and implementation: the Pearl District redevelopment, Montgomery Park area planning and streetcar-linked investment, and ongoing projects such as Central City waterfront planning, Inner East Side infrastructure analysis and corridor work around 80th/120th avenues. Planners said area plans and tools such as zoning code amendments, tax increment finance districts and capital-improvement planning are principal means of implementing the comp plan.

Committee members asked about tribal consultation, staffing, and how the comp plan adapts to changing events such as a major retailer closing or climate risks. Eric Engstrom, director of the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, said tribal consultation protocols at the time of the comprehensive-plan update a decade ago were less formal than current practice but that city staff had engaged tribal governments; he said subsequent, project-level planning processes create further opportunities for consultation. Planners also said the city used grants and inter-bureau teams for recent area plans and that a full comprehensive update is resource intensive and typically a decade-long, multi-bureau effort.

On schedules, planners said a discussion draft for the Economic Opportunities Analysis (EOA) was expected in the September timeframe, with Planning Commission review in November–December and council consideration likely in spring to early summer of the following year. They emphasized that legislative-style zoning or comp-plan amendments proceed through the Planning Commission for a recommendation before coming to council.

Committee members said they want the bureau to prioritize equitable outcomes for East Portland and to coordinate infrastructure investment with zoning and development opportunities. Planners pointed to a 20-year list of significant public investments that is being used to prioritize capital projects and said some major infrastructure investments have been deliberately focused in East Portland to correct historical underinvestment. The bureau said it will return with project-specific briefings and legislative items as those proposals are prepared for Planning Commission and council review.

Votes at a glance: the committee approved minutes for May, June and July meetings by unanimous consent at the start of the session; no other legislative votes were taken during the briefing.","City planners told the Climate Resilience and Land Use Committee that Portland's comprehensive plan guides zoning, capital projects and investments; officials discussed growth trends, implementation tools and near-term legislative items including an urban service boundary amendment and environmental zone updates.","actionData","errors"]

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PBOT outlines reasons for decline in bike mode share and a multi-pronged plan to regain ridership; council raises safety, diverters debate

Portland planners brief council committee on comprehensive plan, timelines for zoning and infrastructure work