The new Oregon Public Transportation Plan will help guide decisions about investments

Oct. 2, 2018

For more information: Shelley M. Snow, Communications, 503-881-5362, shelley.m.snow@odot.state.or.us

SALEM – The vision for an Oregon transportation system filled with convenient and affordable public transportation options took a step closer to reality in September when the Oregon Transportation Commission adopted the new Oregon Public Transportation Plan. This action brings to a close more than two years’ work by advisory committees and stakeholders in learning from Oregonians about what they value in a public transportation system. Many in-person discussions around the state and several online open houses engaged the public and provided valuable input in shaping the plan. The plan in near-final format is available online; the final version, and a separate executive summary, will be available soon.

Moving forward, the plan will guide investments locally, regionally and statewide in services such as fixed-route bus lines, door-to-door buses, streetcars, light rail, transportation between communities and more. It does not include specific projects, but it does provide a policy foundation aimed at helping create a connected public transportation system for communities and the state. The flexible framework in the plan will help transit and transportation organizations anticipate and respond effectively to change, such as that coming from new technologies and an aging population.

“We are moving forward into the future where we are going to see big changes,” said Stephen Dickey of Salem-Keizer’s Cherriots, member of the Policy Advisory Committee. “We need a relevant starting point, and we need a dynamic plan that doesn’t lock us into the technologies or the solutions of today but must remain relevant to the changing needs of our communities. This plan is that starting point.”

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The new plan puts forward the following vision:

"In 2045, public transportation is an integral, interconnected component of Oregon’s transportation system that makes Oregon’s diverse cities, towns, and communities work. Because public transportation is convenient, affordable, and efficient, it helps further the state’s quality of life and economic vitality and contributes to the health and safety of all residents, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions."

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