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Metro outlines regional Transportation Demand Management strategy, highlights $9 million RTO grant cycle
Summary
Metro staff presented a regional Transportation Demand Management strategy that updates definitions, policy guidance and monitoring tied to the 2023 Regional Transportation Plan; staff said the regional Travel Options (RTO) grant program awards about $9 million per three-year cycle and described small and school micro-grants available to local jurisdictions and schools.
Metro staff presented a draft regional Transportation Demand Management (TDM) strategy and told Clackamas County city leaders it is intended to strengthen regional coordination, update policy definitions, and guide investments ahead of the 2028 Regional Transportation Plan process. Noel Miklberry, senior transportation planner at Metro, said the draft reflects roughly two years of work, more than 400 public survey responses and multiple practitioner workshops.
"Each three-year grant cycle, we award approximately $9 million of regional flexible funds to partners delivering travel options work in the region," Miklberry said, explaining how Metro funds the regional Travel Options (RTO) program that underpins many TDM activities.
The strategy proposes five new policy directions: (1) TDM policy, planning and funding to sustain implementation at state, regional and local levels; (2) expanded financial incentive programs; (3) place- and event-based programs tailored to specific locations; (4) community-centered and inclusive programs; and (5) adaptive and resilient programming to respond to climate impacts and service disruptions. Miklberry said the document includes proposed redlines to the 2023 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) and monitoring measures that would feed into the 2028 RTP work.
Metro described a tiered approach to TDM that pairs policy and planning with behavioral programs (education, incentives) and supportive design or amenities that make alternatives to single-occupancy vehicles practical. The presentation highlighted Safe Routes to School work—Metro staff showed a recently updated walkshed map that assesses school-level vulnerabilities and supports targeted program expansion.
Officials asked how the strategy relates to broader pricing or tolling conversations. Miklberry said pricing policies are addressed separately in the RTP and the TDM strategy was written "outside of the pricing space," though staff expect to coordinate where pricing reforms would affect mode choice.
On grants and eligibility, Miklberry said large RTO grants (multi-year) are open to local jurisdictions and community-based organizations; small grants of about $5,000 are available annually for focused local projects; and $500 microgrants are reserved for schools. He said the next large general-competitive RTO solicitation is expected in winter 2026/2027, with the small-grant round opening in June. "Those small grants can really go to get materials and services to help support a specific need," he said.
Why it matters: Metro staff framed the strategy as a tool to help reduce vehicle miles traveled, meet RTP and regional climate targets, and align scarce grant funds with places and programs most likely to shift travel behavior. The draft will be discussed by technical and policy advisory committees before Metro Council consideration; Miklberry said staff plan to bring a revised draft for adoption in April.
Next steps: Metro will incorporate public comment received during the 30-day review, present the revised draft to TPAC and JPACT in March, then seek Council adoption in April. Staff invited feedback from local jurisdictions on the draft policy text and grant implementation priorities.
