Oregon Active Transportation Summit

Pick up your name badge and lanyard (as well as a Summit Prize Map!) on the 1st floor lobby of the Smith Memorial Student Union, right next to the entrance on SW Broadway. You'll then head up to the 3rd floor for breakfast and sessions.

Lessons from Amy Rynell, the Excutive Director of Active Trans. Based in Chicago, the Active Transportation Alliance is a non-profit advocacy organization that works to improve conditions for bicycling, walking and transit and engage people in healthy and active ways to get around.

Oregon faces a uniquely difficult transportation funding challenge: it has no statewide sales tax, no active tolling and a gas tax that is steadily losing revenue as vehicles become more efficient and electric.

So what happens when your primary funding source disappears and your backup options are politically or structurally constrained?

This panel explores how Oregon is confronting that reality through road usage charges and other emerging strategies. Panelists will examine its policy tradeoffs, political dynamics, and technological infrastructure shaping the state’s path forward.

For the 8th consecutive year, Finland was named the happiest country in the world. Helsinki is annually recognized as one of the most livable cities in world. Helsinki was named 6th in the global Copenhagenize Index of bike friendly cities.

From that report: "Once again among the world’s top 10 bicycle-friendly cities, Helsinki continues to evolve with purpose, prioritizing safety and social responsibility as leverage to develop cycling and carry out its urban transformation. Cycling is increasingly becoming a natural part of life for more and more residents, reflecting the city’s steady progression towards making active mobility an inclusive and dependable choice for everyone."

Helsinki has seen a 7.8/1 Euro return on return of construction of bicycle infrastructure. In this presentation/workshop, participants will learn how to adapt (available) data from their cities into a tool to help them measure their city's own ROI. This will be the interactive part of the presentation/workshop.

Helsinki's vision is not to be the most bike friendly city but the most functional city in the world. Thus, all transportation modes have a part to play. Through investment and developments in cycling, walking, and transit, each mode plays their part leading to rapid improvements. This leads, among other things, to the most recent year that saw zero traffic deaths in the city.In winter, Helsinki sees a large in cycling modal share drop from 12% to 2%.

Here is where we leave Helsinki and travel to Oulu; a northern Finland city (pop. 216,000) that is recognized as the winter cycling capital of the world. Cycling modal share drops there from 28% down 22% in winter. They achieve this largely through world class maintenance and almost total separation from vehicular traffic to bikes. There is a K-12 school - Metsokangkaskoulu - in Oulu with a student population of 1200 students. Of those 1200, 1000 travel to and from the school by bike, every day of the year. There are concrete strategies and design policies in palace to ensure this happens. For example, there are 9 access points onto the campus. Only 2 are accessible by car.

LIMIT: 14 (14-passenger lift-equipped bus)

Location Details:
Meet outside Smith Memorial Student Union at 10:15 a.m., depart at 10:30 a.m.

Description:
This session will walk through the history, purpose, and building of the pilot Forest & Washington Park Express Shuttle. This short-term service, which is funded by the Oregon Department of Transportation's Innovative Mobility Program, will operate as a pilot during summer weekends in 2026. The session will cover (1) the need for additional transportation and transit access to green space; (2) infrastructure needs within the parks to support transit or a shuttle service; (3) partnership building with community organizations to provide activities, guides, and welcoming atmosphere to shuttle riders; and (4) the challenge of funding and operation over time.

We will be driving the Inner Park Loop, one of four lines that will make up the shuttle service during summer 2026, to view the unique challenges of supporting shuttle / transit access in Forest Park.

Background about the project:
The pilot Forest Park/Washington Park Community Connector Shuttle is a free community shuttle run by the City of Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R). It will provide transportation options for Portland, Oregon communities to access Forest Park and Washington Park, two significant City-stewarded parks with limited public transit access and neighborhood connectivity. Modeled in part on King County, Washington’s Trailhead Direct program, the pilot will provide free shuttle buses between Forest and Washington parks and well-known, transit-accessible PP&R or PP&R-affiliate / partner facilities in East, Northeast, and North Portland on weekends during peak summer visitation season. These areas of Portland feature neighborhoods with high and medium-high income disparity and/or significant populations of BIPOC and immigrant and refugee residents. In East Portland especially, these communities have statistically lower access to greenspace. The shuttle is intended to help connect community to these spaces.

Iconic Forest and Washington parks are regional resources but can be challenging to access, particularly for communities on the east side of the Willamette River for whom personal transportation is a barrier. At 5,200 acres, Forest Park is the largest forested city park in the country, features over 80 miles of trails and provides invaluable outdoor recreation, exercise, and educational opportunities. However, Forest Park is largely inaccessible to people without access to personal vehicles. Surveys demonstrate that communities view limited public transit and suboptimal parking as barriers to accessing the park, especially if they do not have access to a car. Indeed, the public can access only eight of Forest Park’s 40+ access points via public transit routes. Even those routes have limitations; transit travel times between established community gathering places like PP&R community centers to Forest Park trailheads can be long, chilling the public’s willingness to travel by transit. For example, travel via transit between the East Portland Community Center to the popular Leif Erikson NW Germantown Road trailhead in the center of Forest Park is ~128 minutes, including two transfers and a 1-mile walk on a steep, winding road with no shoulder. The same trip takes ~31 minutes in a personal vehicle.

Transit access to Washington Park from certain neighborhoods in the City is similarly limited. At 410 acres and considered Portland’s “crown jewel,” Washington Park features regional attractions like the Oregon Zoo, World Forestry Center, Hoyt Arboretum, International Rose Test Garden, and Portland Japanese Garden. However, there is no direct transit service between the park and North Portland; traveling there from the St. Johns neighborhood in North Portland takes over 70 minutes and at least one transfer via public transit, but fewer than 20 minutes by car. Long transit times between East Portland locations and the park can also discourage visitation. Further, there is no transit connectivity between Forest Park and Washington Park; although the parks are adjacent, visitors can only travel between them by hiking or via personal vehicle. The proposed shuttle pilot will link the parks and these neighborhoods with limited connectivity to offer more efficient and more reliable access for communities with limited options.

In addition, the shuttle could help relieve parking congestion in the parks during peak season by reducing single-car and drive-alone trips for community members with access to personal vehicles. With this effect, the shuttle would also help lower greenhouse gas emissions and increase driver and pedestrian safety around the parks.

A key component of the shuttle project is building partnerships with community organizations to provide activities, workshops, and guiding service to first-time and repeat visitors to Forest and Washington parks, ensuring a welcoming atmosphere and ample opportunities to connect with the landscapes. In addition, the shuttle project includes a youth development component in the form of an internship for youth in guiding, interpretation, and leading outdoor activities.

This presentation and interactive Q&A will explore innovative partnerships between ODOT and communities that advance active transportation and make our transportation system more awesome: the panel presentation will highlight partnerships to activate underutilized ODOT ROW to create skateparks and other urban amenities, promote bikeshare programs in underserved communities, amd improve and build trail access and connectivity, while the Q&A/Discussion will provide space for people with ideas to activate ODOT spaces to discuss with practitioners and the community.Participants will gain insights into collaborative approaches that support Oregon’s vision for safe, inclusive, and sustainable transportation options. Bring your own ideas to share!

Attendees will gain empirical insights into the benefits of accelerating e-bike (electric-assist bicycle) adoption through financial incentive programs, as well as an overview of the current landscape of rebate initiatives across the United States.

One portion of the panel will examine the societal and personal impacts of two income-conditioned e-bike incentive programs: one implemented in British Columbia, Canada, and the other one in Benton County, Oregon. We will present evidence on program cost-effectiveness and how incentivized e-bike adoption affected travel behavior including automobile mode substitution. We will also highlight the subsequent impacts attributable to the program, such as reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, equity implications, changes in accessibility, travel-related costs and physical activity.

The second portion of the panel will focus on a newly released report from the Transportation Research and Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University, which updates the landscape of e-bike incentive programs across North America. The panel will review findings from 118 incentive programs in the United States and Canada, highlighting trends in point-of-sale discounts, equity considerations, and battery safety standards. The discussion will include implications for policymakers and transportation leaders seeking to expand e-bike adoption as a low-carbon, safe, and equitable mobility option, as well as the role of safety standards in protecting riders and communities.

To make the session interactive, the panelists will incorporate live pooling to estimate potential impacts of e-bike adoption by people in the room.

SPONSORED BY Kittelson & Associates

A moderated panel discussion on the topic of the current and future state of Shared Micromobility, with representation from three Oregon cities (Portland, Salem, Eugene) and an expert with a lens on best practices nationwide.

Our discussion will center around the intersection -- current and potential -- of shared micromobility and transit in Oregon and nationally. Brodie Hylton, Executive Director of Cascadia Mobility, will moderate the discussion, talking about micromobility programs in the Portland, Salem, and Eugene -- both current and planned for the future.

We will discuss whether coordinated transit + shared micromobility is possible, why or why not, as well as the business and public investment case for transit agencies and ideas for greater transit agency participation and coordination. In a larger sense, we'll cover what we should be optimizing for -- people or profit -- and explore how a balance might best be achieved. There will also be an opportunity to ask panelists questions.

SPONSORED BY Toole Design

Meets outside PSU Smith Memorial Student Union (Broadway Entrance) at 11:00 a.m., departs by 11:15 a.m.

Location Details:
Walk/roll 0.2 miles/4 minutes from PSU Smith Memorial Student Union to SW Hall & 5th FX2 bus stop to catch the 11:20 AM FX2 to Division Midway Alliance. Returns to PSU SMSU by FX2 and 02 mile/4 minute walk/roll at 1:20 p.m.

Description:
Division Midway Alliance will share about The Transportation Education and Safety Youth Ambassador (TESYA) program and how it empowers immigrant and refugee youth to become community safety leaders and transit educators through a cultural liaison and train the trainer model. Through this program youth gain knowledge about transportation options, bike and pedestrian safety, mobility justice, and climate conscious travel, and share this information within their communities. TESYA ambassadors also support DMA Play Streets by helping transform neighborhood streets into pop up spaces for intergenerational play, physical activity, and social connection. Through these program activities, TESYA strengthens neighborhood safety, increases transit literacy, and builds youth leadership that supports long term community development and safer public spaces. The tour will take place at Division Midway Alliance office, arriving by transit, to demonstrate the importance of place making and transit safety through TESYA, possibly inviting one of TESYA youth participant to be part of the tour.

Intended audience: This tour is intended for everyone! OATS attendees of all ages should attend.

Universal Basic Mobility (UBM) is the concept of providing a foundational level of transportation to all members of society, regardless of factors such as socioeconomic status, ability, age, or geographic location. Across the country, UBM programs are being tested and established to expand equitable access and meet community-specific needs. In this session you will hear from two PNW programs that can serve as scalable, implementation-ready models: Portland Bureau of Transportation’s Transportation Wallet: Access for All Program and King County Metro’s Easy Trip Program.

Both programs represent a shift away from single-mode transit subsidies toward multimodal, resident-directed transportation support. By leveraging prepaid debit technology, community-based partnerships, and culturally responsive outreach, these programs empower participants to choose how, when, and where they travel to access healthcare, employment, education, and community connections. The Portland Bureau of Transportation’s Transportation Wallet: Access for All has evolved from a small pilot to a permanent City of Portland program, leveraging a partnership model to identify low-income residents in need of transportation assistance and distribute transportation benefits to community members. PBOT selects a cohort of community-based organizations to assist in implementing the program, which provides transit passes, bike- and scooter-share benefits, and prepaid cards for use on transportation-related purchases.

King County Metro’s Easy Trip Program builds on lessons from peer mobility programs to provide supportive housing residents with flexible monthly transportation funds that expand access beyond traditional subsidized rides. Through a partnership with Hopelink, the program pairs these funds with Community Transportation Navigators, peer mentors with lived experience, who offer hands-on guidance, build trust, and help residents navigate a range of transportation options. This integrated model demonstrates how combining flexible financial tools with human-centered support can improve access to jobs, healthcare, and essential services while advancing equity-focused mobility outcomes.

This presentation will feature a case study of each program that details the program's structure, funding sources, partnerships, and performance measurement strategies that demonstrate return on investment. You’ll also hear the latest outcomes from these programs – such as reduced participant transportation cost burden, increased transit and micromobility utilization, and improved mobility. Attendees will gain insights on how UBM programs can be designed, funded, evaluated, and scaled to advance equity, climate goals, and long-term system sustainability while improving participants’ daily lives.

Public markets and food halls are becoming major generators of high-frequency trips including vendor supply, third-party delivery and prepared food pickups, catering and events, and waste hauling among many other needs, yet most are still designed as if freight, pickup, and logistics activities are incidental.

This session will share the planning and design approach underway for the James Beard Public Market Zero-Emissions Logistics Initiative: a zero-emissions concept using electric cargo bikes and an electric refrigerated van, paired with a small-footprint microhub, storage and charging infrastructure, cold-chain staging development, and changes at the curb with clearer loading and pickup operations.

Importantly, this is a pre-launch case study: the market and zero-emission logistics initiative are expected to launch in early 2027. That’s exactly why the session is valuable, most projects fail or stall because the building, curb, staffing model, vendor participation plan, and performance metrics aren’t designed early enough.

We’ll walk through the decisions we’re making now, the tradeoffs, what we’ll be measuring from day one, and how to avoid “pilot purgatory” by building a program that is efficient, sustainable, and scalable. Attendees will leave with a practical checklist for designing microhubs at trip-dense destinations, what to change in the facility, what to do at the curb, how to structure partnerships, and what success measures to set before launch.

Attendees will learn how to:
- Turn a trip-dense destination (market/food hall/main street) into a microhub + curb operating model before launch.
- Identify the minimum viable facility moves (staging, secure storage/charging, cold-chain considerations, order pickup design) to prevent operational chaos later.
- Build a partner + staffing model that clarifies roles and responsibilities between the market, the delivery operator, and the city.
- Create a vendor participation and engagement plan that supports small businesses and sets clear service expectations.
- Choose a small set of launch-ready metrics (dwell time, conflicts/double-parking reduction, trip displacement, CO₂e, reliability, participation/equity outcomes) and a simple dashboard approach.

Burgess & Niple (B&N) will present on innovative strategies to advance Safe Routes to School (SRTS) programs by minimizing design costs and leveraging technology.

Traditional design scopes can make small projects as costly to design as they are to construct. Through a series of case studies from Ohio, Arizona, and Idaho, B&N will demonstrate how modifying scopes, utilizing technology, and adjusting deliverable expectations can reduce design costs while delivering easily constructible plans and projects.

The presentation will also showcase Peoria, AZ’s innovative use of geospatial technology to modernize Safe Routes to School planning. A GIS-based solution replaced traditional static paper maps with an interactive web application that allows parents to map customized, safe routes from home to school. This dynamic tool integrates real-time GIS data, adapting to infrastructure updates and safety improvements, while fostering collaboration among parents, schools, and planners. Attendees will learn how to advance SRTS programs by minimizing design costs and leveraging technology.

This workshop to share lessons learned from the last 3 legislative sessions, and the brainstorm future policy proposals with attendees. OMN thrives due to the strength of the Network; this session will lean on that brain trust to guide our activities and set the tone for 2027.
Part 1 - presentation of the "dos and don'ts" of micromobility advocacy learned over the last 3 years
Part 2 - a facilitated discussion on priority topics for OMN over the next few years, and solicitation of ideas from the crowd

Three Sessions:

• Data equity in transportation safety
• Correcting the Signal: Filling in the Active Transportation Data Gap and Accounting for Bias
• Crash Data in Your Hands: Metro's Traffic Safety Dashboards

Data equity in transportation safety


Anthony Cabadas and Nat Moss will present a StoryMap, “Data Equity in Transportation Safety,” developed for Metro’s Safe Streets for All program. The project explores what data equity means in the context of transportation safety, offering readers a more critical and nuanced perspective as they engage with crash dashboards and other public data resources. Using disability as a lens, the StoryMap highlights how missing representation shapes what we see - and fail to see -in safety data, and introduces “data visceralization” as a method for bringing absent experiences back into view. Participants will leave with practical ways to question common crash-data assumptions and ideas for incorporating equity-focused storytelling and visualization into their own transportation safety work.



Correcting the Signal: Filling in the Active Transportation Data Gap and Accounting for Bias


Public agencies launching active transportation programs often face the same challenge: they lack reliable bicycle and pedestrian volume data. Without exposure data, it is difficult to quantify risk, prioritize corridors, or justify investments. Third-party datasets like Strava Metro offer new opportunities—but also introduce bias, often overrepresenting recreational and higher-income users. When left unaddressed, these biases can unintentionally reinforce inequities.


This session explores how to use Strava as one component of a structured, bias-aware analytical framework grounded in mobility justice. Through a Vision Zero case study, we will demonstrate how a public agency estimated Vulnerable Road User (VRU) volumes across an entire network despite limited count infrastructure. By triangulating Strava Metro with demographic indicators (zero-car households, income, age), land use patterns, crash history, and proximity to essential destinations, the team developed an Active Transportation Need and Demand Index that distinguishes between observed activity and latent demand.


Addressing sparse data is only part of the challenge. Equally important is recognizing and correcting bias across all data sources to ensure that active transportation investments reflect who needs safe mobility—not just who is already being counted. Attendees will leave with a replicable, practical approach for responsibly integrating emerging datasets into equitable Vision Zero and active transportation planning efforts.


Participants will learn how to:

• Evaluate the strengths and limitations of Strava Metro for active transportation planning

• Detect and correct for spatial and demographic bias in app-based datasets

• Calibrate third-party data using permanent counters or regional model outputs

• Identify “silent demand” corridors where low recorded activity masks high community need

• Build transparent, defensible methodologies that center equity and mobility justice in investment decisions

Crash Data in Your Hands


Metro's Traffic Safety Dashboards: Four free interactive dashboards from Metro's Safe Streets for All resource hub let communities explore traffic crash data across the greater Portland region. This demo will introduce the dashboards as they address several dimensions of the safety crisis: traffic deaths and traffic injuries across jurisdictions, traffic deaths by race and ethnicity, and fatal and serious pedestrian crashes by location and time. Attendees will learn how to filter crash data for their jurisdiction, build charts they can use in presentations, and download data for safety planning, Safe Routes to School work and community advocacy. Bring a laptop or phone to follow along and explore the dashboards during the session.

Through TriMet's Ticket2Ride fare promotion program, fans of local sports team, attendees of seasonal events, or even theatrical productions can go by TriMet to the event venue with their valid event ticket as proof of fare. These promotions give event attendees the chance to utilize TriMet buses, MAX Light Rail, paratransit service, and the Portland Streetcar. Event goers are able to utilize transit services for a defined window before and after a participating event for which they have a same day ticket. What began as a pilot has grown into a strong, multi-year partnership model. Promotions with the Portland Timbers and Portland Thorns FC are now entering their third year, reflecting continued success and demand. In 2025, the program expanded to include seasonal events such as ZooLights at the Oregon Zoo, further demonstrating how strategic partnerships can support major destinations while encouraging transit use and increasing ridership.In this presentations, attendees will learn more about the Ticket2Ride program as well as the partnerships that led to the ZooLights three-year pilot project, which just wrapped up the first year - seeing incredible results in transit ridership. Partnership was key to the success of ZooLights with TriMet, Metro, Oregon Zoo and Explore Washington Park all working together to launch the program.

On the bike bus side: Several organizers representing different schools will join this panel, including Lauren McCune from Abernethy Elementary School, Jodi Jacobson-Swartfager from Atkinson Elementary School, Rob Galanakis from Glencoe Elementary School, and Bryant Letterlough from James John Elementary School. The presentation will include a toolkit element: bike buses are volunteer run and much of the growth is due to grassroots information sharing so there will be a crowdsourced list of "tips and tricks" for starting a bike bus in one's community.

On the walking school bus side: Following a spring 2025 pilot, Oregon Walks is in its first full school year of a professionalized Walking School Bus program. Central to our success is the School Liaison model, which provides community champions with stipends, gear, and training. However, rather than a "one-size-fits-all" approach, our framework is designed for local adaptation. We recognize that every neighborhood has unique cultural, geographic, and social dynamics; our role is to provide the "scaffold" of support—professional tools and funding—while empowering Liaisons to build a transportation program that best fits their specific community’s needs. Sharing stories across diverse communities, this session offers a look at our first-year implementation. We will discuss the logistics of managing a paid-leadership model and how we balance program standards with the flexibility needed for neighborhood customization, plus lessons on identifying, training, and empowering School Liaisons. Attendees will learn how providing "Active Transportation Champions" with agency and professional support allows for more resilient, community-led solutions, particularly in underserved areas.

Location: PSU Montgomery Plaza, 601-699 SW Montgomery St, Portland, OR 97201
This interactive session, hosted by the Oregon Micromobility Network (OMN) and Forth, will give attendees hands‑on exposure to a range of micromobility device form factors, helping build familiarity, comfort, and confidence. Participants will be able to see, touch, and test‑ride devices in a supportive, low‑pressure environment.

OMN will discuss how the various device types fall into existing regulatory frameworks in Oregon, and where we have gaps in our code we are working to fill. Forth will provide an overview of how to conduct community education and first-time rider engagement. This includes introducing participants to e-bike basics such as charging, storage, helmet fit, and safe riding practices, as well as demonstrating how we structure introductory riding opportunities in a safe and welcoming environment.

The session is designed for advocates, educators, planners, and partners who want first-hand experience with a range of devices, and practical tools for engaging communities and supporting safe, equitable micromobility adoption.

Two sessions:

• What It Takes to Plant a Traffic Garden: Lessons from Oregon’s 2025 Pilot

• The State of PBOT's Public Realm and Street Activation: 2025 Lessons and 2026 Ambitions

What It Takes to Plant a Traffic Garden: Lessons from Oregon’s 2025 Pilot

What is a traffic garden, how are they useful spaces for teaching students walking and biking skills, and how can we get more of them? This session introduces audiences to the fundamentals of traffic gardens and shares the results of ODOT’s traffic garden pilot program in 2025, part of the greater Safe Routes to School Program. The program also includes a hands-on activity where members of the audience will get to design their own traffic garden.


The State of PBOT's Public Realm and Street Activation: 2025 Lessons and 2026 Ambitions

Lessons Learned from PBOT Plaza's First Open Call and other programs that are a source of inspiration to other cities and community organizations who can utilize the same tools.

Participants will learn about the competitive grant opportunities for tribes, cities, counties, school districts, and non-profits at the Oregon Department of Transportation. Grant programs that can specifically fund active transportation project will be highlighted like Safe Routes to School and Oregon Community Paths. Participants will also engage in a discussion to help them identify projects that would be good candidates for current grant programs and plan ahead for funding over the next two years.

Meet the organizations helping people get around without driving alone in the suburbs - yes, it’s possible! We’ll talk about the latest transportation innovations coming out of Washington County, including Tualatin’s popular Lime scooter share, the brand new SPOT on-demand microtransit pilot in southwest Beaverton and Tigard, an exciting upcoming county-wide e-bike lending library, and a groundbreaking new employer-based transportation study currently underway. This panel discussion includes speakers from Westside Transportation Alliance, Ride Connection, City of Tualatin, City of Hillsboro, and Washington County itself.

Meet outside Smith Memorial Student Union at 4:30 p.m., depart at 4:45 p.m. to join the bike bus from PSU to the OATS Welcome Happy Hour: Sponsored by 3D Street at Fortune Bar inside the Sentinel Hotel. Bring your bike and bring a lock!

Join us for this special welcome happy hour sponsored by 3D Street in the back half of Fortune Bar inside the Sentinel Hotel - 614 SW 11th Ave, Portland, OR 97205.

We'll provide 1 drink ticket per person for beer and wine, as well as light bites!

Transportation students and professionals who identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) are cordially invited to a mixer hosted by The Street Trust Board of Directors, COMTO, and Espousal Strategies to this mixer. Come connect with colleagues and friends at this exciting networking event.

* Please note location change:
Join us in the south fireplace area of Fortune Bar in the Sentinel Hotel - 614 SW 11th Ave, Portland, OR 97205. We'll provide 1 drink ticket per person (wine, beer or cocktail) and light bites!