adopted resolution

Endorse findings and next steps identified in the Westside Multimodal Improvements Study lead by Oregon Department of Transportation and Metro to inform planning and implementation efforts

transportation
resolution

Department: Transportation
Introduced by: Former Commissioner Mingus Mapps
Status: Adopted

Impact statement

Purpose & background

The purpose of the proposal is to demonstrate the City of Portland’s support for solutions to transportation challenges in the U.S. 26 corridor between Hillsboro and the Vista Ridge Tunnel in Portland, in solidarity with other regional partners who participated with PBOT in ODOT and Metro’s joint study called the Westside Multimodal Improvement Study (henceforth, WMIS).

Financial impacts

There are no present or predicted financial or budgetary impacts from approval of this resolution. The WMIS recommendations include multimodal investments and strategic capital investments; however, only one recommendation relates to facilities owned or controlled by the City of Portland, and the recommendation is also assigned to TriMet, Metro, ODOT, counties, and cities as “Lead Agency/Facility Owner”. Project documentation further notes explicitly that identification of this “Lead Agency/Facility Owner” status “does not commit owner to implement.” The WMIS recommends conducting a study of tolling paired with options for phased strategic capital investments on U.S. 26 or ancillary routes. Presumed responsibility for this recommended future study would be led by ODOT and/or Metro, with City of Portland in participation with other agencies.

Community impacts

The WMIS project partners worked with community-based organizations APANO and Centro Cultural to engage underrepresented communities and provide opportunities for engagement in Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese and English. The corridor between Hillsboro and Portland, sometimes referred to as the Silicon Forest, is home to a cluster of high-tech manufacturing companies, plays a significant role in Oregon’s economy, and is a regional employment destination. The project partners gathered feedback from business and economic interests served by the corridor. The corridor between Hillsboro and Portland serves multiple population centers including Southwest Portland, Beaverton, Hillsboro, unincorporated areas of Washington and Multnomah Counties, and connects points to the west to Interstate 5. The traveling public in this busy corridor will benefit from projects that improve traffic congestion and active transportation networks and increase transit use and safety.

▸ Full text (the legislation as adopted)

WHEREAS, the corridor between Hillsboro and Portland, sometimes referred to as the Silicon Forest, is home to a cluster of high-tech manufacturing companies, plays a significant role in Oregon’s economy, and is a regional employment destination; and WHEREAS, the corridor between Hillsboro and Portland serves multiple population centers including Southwest Portland, Beaverton, Hillsboro, unincorporated areas of Washington and Multnomah Counties, and connects points to the west to Interstate 5; and WHEREAS, the Westside Multimodal Improvements Study (WMIS) was undertaken jointly by the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) and Metro at the request of former Oregon Governor Kate Brown; and WHEREAS, representatives from the following agencies and organizations convened as the WMIS Steering Committee: ODOT; Oregon Metro; the cities of Hillsboro, Beaverton, and Portland; the counties of Washington and Multnomah; the Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (TriMet); APANO, Centro Cultural, the Washington County Chamber of Commerce, and Greater Portland Inc.; and WHEREAS, the WMIS Steering Committee adopted a charter agreeing to use a collaborative approach to develop the WMIS and recommendations; and WHEREAS, the WMIS Steering Committee agreed to a statement summarizing the following problems in the study area: traffic congestion, increased driving trips and freight travel; decline in transit use; dispersed and incomplete active transportation networks; and increasing numbers of total traffic fatalities and serious injuries in the past five years; and WHEREAS, the WMIS Steering Committee identified the goals of the study to include identifying strategies to address mobility and reliability, safety, social equity, climate action, and economic vitality; and WHEREAS, the WMIS project partners worked with community-based organizations APANO and Centro Cultural to engage underrepresented communities and provide opportunities for engagement in Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese and English; and WHEREAS, the WMIS Steering Committee reviewed and analyzed an extensive list of investments, projects and programs to address the problem statement and goals of the study; and WHEREAS, the WMIS Steering Committee utilized regional and state policy guidance to determine which investments, projects and programs should be advanced to address the study goals; and WHEREAS, the WMIS Steering Committee agreed through consensus to advance the investments, projects and programs described in Exhibit A; and WHEREAS, this endorsement of the WMIS is not intended to be a binding decision, but rather is intended to support the advancement of further work as recommended by the WMIS Steering Committee. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the City of Portland endorses the Westside Multimodal Improvement Study (WMIS), attached to this resolution as Exhibit A; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that staff are directed to use the WMIS to inform the future adoption of local plans, policies and code as necessary for its implementation; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that staff are directed to pursue funding options in coordination with Metro, the Oregon Department of Transportation, TriMet and project partner jurisdictions for planning and implementation to support the WMIS.

Tally

5 yea 0 nay