Portland bicycle transportation plan

[Prince George]

While our blood is quickening over the southern expressway, over in Oregon the city of Portland has passed its 2030 bicycle plan. This plan has them taking their already substantial investment in cycling to a significantly higher level. The plan means building some 700 miles of new bikeways along with many other pieces of infrastructure; their goal is for 25% of trips in Portland to be taken by bike. The total cost is far from clear, but it could be $600million and one commentator pointed out that the 300 miles of bike lanes & paths that they've already got costs less than one mile of urban freeway. Finding new funding models is one keystone for this project, and the Mayor has already committed to a "kickstart" funding of $2million per year over the next decade.

The key principles laid out in the Portland Bicycle Plan for 2030 are:

Attract new riders
Plan and design for people who are not yet riding by developing safe and comfortable low-stress bikeways (such as bicycle boulevards and trails) that reduce conflicts between people riding bicycles and people driving.

Strengthen bicycle policies
Adopt policy changes outlined in the Plan, including a new bicycle transportation policy of making bicycling more attractive than driving for short trips.

Form a denser bikeway network
Expand the network of bikeways in Portland to achieve a fine-grained system that offers riders an array of route choices.

Increase bicycle parking
Implement measures to satisfy the growing demand for bike parking.

Expand programs to support bicycling
Expand established programs, and develop new programs, to encourage and support bicycling.

Increase funding for bicycle facilities
Pursue multiple strategies to increase funding for bicycle facilities and other green transportation modes.