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Time to read: 8-12 minutes
In this issue of Street Cred:
 Screenshot of a selection of the Bike to Books finalists
Thanks to everyone who attended the Engineering Equity Committee Lunch and Learn to learn about our new committee that advises the City Traffic Engineer and City Engineer on issues related to equity. We officially kicked off this month! Here’s who is on the committee:
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Trini Arce, ADA Ramps
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Manchi Lai, Bridges & Structures
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Aszita Mansor, Civil Engineering & Drafting
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Kaitlin Littleford, Civil Engineering & Drafting
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Arsenica Perez, Construction Inspection & Pavement
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Charles Radosta, Signals & Street Lighting
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Joseph Neilson, Signals & Street Lighting
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Juli Maus, Signals & Street Lighting
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Danny Denning, Survey
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Jacob Milligan, Traffic Design
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Marisa Trujillo DeMull, Traffic Design
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Carlos Hernandez, Traffic Operations
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Wendy Cawley, City Traffic Engineer
If you are in Engineering or Traffic and you have an idea you would like this committee to take up, please reach out to your section representative!
PBOT’s Lunch and Learns might be on vacation, but we’re still working behind the scenes to get the next topics scheduled! When we return in September, we’re moving to a once-a-month format. That means there’s only 12 opportunities a year! If you have an idea, whether it be an interesting project or a cool hobby, reach out to Kailyn Lamb ASAP. They’re first-come, first-serve and the spots will go quick!
The city’s Bureau of Human Resources (BHR) has some wellness webinars coming up (even one this afternoon if you’re free!). Click on the event name to go to the registration page:
We love seeing thank yous roll in for our Maintenance Operations crews. This first one goes out to the structures crew, headed by Dana Whitley. It included a picture of a well-used trail this community member was thanking PBOT crews for:
“I walked down SW Broadway Drive today, and I was delighted to see this [picture below]. A fine-powdered surface completely covered in footprints - the trail behind the guardrail is seeing heavy use! Every one of these people thanks you for the efforts you made to make this walk safer, as do I. Please pass these thanks on to all others who assisted, office and field alike… I noted a number of small rocks and some asphalt chunks (not sure where those came from) on the path; I’ll move those off to improve footing as soon as it isn’t a bazillion degrees out…. There are a number of people like me across the city willing to help PBOT with ped and bike safety - looking forward to a formal structure in which to do so.”
 A fine-powdered surface completely covered in footprints on SW Broadway Drive.
Last week crews got another shout-out on Facebook, this time directed at Justin Buchanan’s Traffic Maintenance crew:
 Screenshot of a Facebook post of stop sign and street signs. The comment is described in the text.
The comment reads, “Shout-out to PBOT for placing new street signs on our corner yesterday. I wrote you guys two weeks ago about our missing signs and two of you showed up Wednesday to replace them! Thank you...it is very much appreciated.”
Last week, Traffic Maintenance employees Scott Stephenson and Jerry Munson came across fires on NE Lloyd Boulevard, just south of Oregon Street. This was near Peace Memorial Park and the Eastbank Esplanade. They stopped and put the fires out, then waited for Portland Fire & Rescue to arrive before leaving the scene. This is yet another example of the ways our field crews go above and beyond:
 PBOT Maintenance employees Scott Stephenson and Jerry Munson put out a fire on NE Lloyd Boulevard.
 PBOT Maintenance employees Scott Stephenson and Jerry Munson put out a fire on NE Lloyd Boulevard.
This week's item is less about transportation and more about communications, representation, and equity. Communicating in a way that represents racial and ethnic diversity in an authentic way can be tricky. Here's an example that does a very good job of it. It's the annual report of Race Forward, an organization dedicated to advancing racial equity.
 A block square has illustrations of Black people communicating in different ways on the screens of various digital devices, including tables, laptop screens, phones, and even watch faces.
They host the Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE), a network of local government officials, including PBOTers, working to advance racial equity. Check it out. It's beautiful, interesting, and gets representation right.
 Colorful text on a light gray background that reads, "Try your route before school starts!" A blue bike rider icon, pink pedestrian icon, and a yellow icon of a person in a wheelchair are on a path to a pink destination pin.
Parents and other caregivers know school is around the corner and that students will be returning to classrooms in person before summer’s end. But has everyone figured out how they’ll travel to and from school? Let’s talk about that!
One thing no one misses about the school year is traffic. Many can skip the driving mayhem and decrease congestion by walking, biking, or rolling to school. They can also drive to a nearby location where it’s easy to park, then walk the rest of the way. Parking a couple of blocks from school allows families to get a short walk in and reduces traffic around campus.
Another option to avoid the stress of driving, is riding public transit to school. TriMet frequently cleans their buses and MAX trains and keeps them well-ventilated as part of their Covid-19 precautions. Same goes with Portland Streetcar. Everyone should mask up and sanitize your hands on public transit to do their part in keeping others safe!
Back-to-school will look different this year, and many families may have to build new routines (again!) for their daily school and work commutes. Hard to believe it will have been almost a year and a half for some students. But that’s exactly why our Safe Routes to School team has ramped up their support for back-to-school season. Our goal is to support healthy, safe, and active back-to-school travel while being sensitive to the unique needs of each family and school community.
Whether you have school-aged children or not, we are all responsible for ensuring student safety on our streets. Here are some great tips for people driving this coming school year:
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Leave early and drive slowly. Watch for families and kids walking, biking, and rolling.
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Watch for school buses. Remember to stop when buses are loading or unloading and don't drive around them. It’s the law!
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School zones are active! Follow the speed limit, pay attention to the flashing beacons and signage at schools, and look out for school crossings. Remember that in Oregon every corner is a crosswalk.
School starts Aug. 30 for Multnomah Education Service District, Sept. 1 for Portland Public Schools, Sept. 7 for David Douglas, Centennial, and Reynolds school districts, and Sept. 8 for Parkrose School District. Let's continue taking care of each other and our kids as we start the new school year.
PBOT’s Safe Routes to School is a citywide program working to support students and families getting to and from school safely. See the Safe Routes to School website for more information.
June marked the end of the 2021 state legislative session. On behalf of the Intergovernmental Affairs team and the Office of the Director, we want to thank the bureau’s many subject matter experts for your ongoing support and hard work this past session during an incredibly difficult year. Not only did you help review bills, you responded to our countless requests for urgent analysis or strategizing. Thank you for your contributions and for strengthening our bureau’s legislative advocacy!
We also want to thank the city’s Office of Government Relations (OGR), Commissioner Hardesty’s office, and PBOT leadership and staff for their hard work and dedication this session. For those not familiar with our Intergovernmental Affairs team, we coordinate intergovernmental work with PBOT subject matter experts and OGR.
Here’s a summary of the money allocated and other highlights from the 2021 session:
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The legislature allocated $1.95 billion of the $2.6 billion that came in from the federal American Rescue Plan and state Fiscal Recovery Funds, reserving approximately $650 million for future expenditures. You can read a summary of all of the investment packages here, including allocations for racial equity, economic recovery, transportation infrastructure, and much more.
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House Bill (HB) 5006 allocates $80 million to 82nd Avenue for safety improvements and the jurisdictional transfer to the City of Portland.
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HB 2530 authorizes the continued use of automated traffic enforcement through fixed photo radar.
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HB 3055 improves traffic safety by expanding local speed-setting authority. This was an omnibus bill from the transportation committee. Among other things, it added more specificity to the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) toll program legislation. Namely, it requires the Oregon Transportation Commission to ensure that tolling reduces congestion, improves safety on the interstate, and improves safety on adjacent streets that would be impacted by tolling. It also requires that tolling minimizes and mitigates impacts to historically and currently underrepresented communities.
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HB 3040 relates to system development charges (SDCs). This bill includes a comprehensive study of SDCs and a requirement on transparency. Importantly, it does not include a mandate on timing or deferral of collection.
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Senate Bill (SB) 765 makes way for remote online notarization to become a permanent method for the notarizing documents in Oregon.
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HB 2180 requires the Director of the Department of Consumer and Business Services to amend state building code to require that new construction of certain buildings include provisions for electrical service capacity for a specified percentage of parking spaces. This bill helps to alleviate demands for electric vehicle charging infrastructure in the right-of-way.
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HB 2523 waives the fee to reinstate a driver’s license if the license was suspended for failure to pay a traffic fine. This legislation will help advance equity outcomes in our state.
While the 2021 state session is behind us, the legislative process for 2022 is just around the corner! This fall, OGR will begin working with city legislative liaisons to develop a short and focused agenda for the February 2022 session. All of that to say that early next year, we may reach out you or your teams to help review bills for the upcoming session. Stay tuned!
A proposed law may have a substantial impact on the core mission of the city or our ability to fulfill PBOT’s mission. Legislators, our lobbyists, and city council depend on us to offer timely recommendations and advice. Your support ensures that state and federal laws support our city’s goals for our transportation system and PBOT’s priorities around safety, moving people and goods, and maintaining the assets of our transportation system.
We look forward to working with you this upcoming session. If you have any questions or ideas on how we can improve the bill review process and/or working with our team, don’t hesitate to let us know.
These reflections, like the Q&A included below from Active Transportation & Safety’s (ATS) Division Manager, Catherine Ciarlo, is a way to follow-up to our all-staff surveys and addresses questions that have come up.
Q: How long has it been since the Streetcar move?
Ciarlo: It’s been a couple of months now, we officially made the move in early June.
Q: What did you expect this change would do for your team? What were your goals?
Ciarlo: PBOT leadership initiated the change to better support the climate and equity goals set out in our Strategic Plan. In the past, Streetcar has operated fairly independently. This move brings Streetcar closer to the mobility functions within PBOT: transportation alternatives and transportation demand management (“TDM”) programs. As a city-owned and operated transit system, Streetcar presents a real opportunity to provide clean, equitable mobility and leverage other TDM activities. I am excited to bring these pieces closer together within one division.
In the coming months, I will be working with ATS staff and managers to bring together what are essentially two different organizations. Bringing these groups together will require thoughtful and intentional work to integrate the two entities. Overall, it is important to respect the realities of each group’s day-to-day functions, keeping the core identities and elements of both groups as we integrate into one division.
Q: How has the process been for you and your team?
Ciarlo: Every step taken feels like a good step.
Q: What positive impacts have you seen since the changes were implemented?
Ciarlo: I can see the excitement people have about the potential that the changes will bring to PBOT’s mobility programs and services over time. The Streetcar team is excellent at doing their jobs. I think that this certainty after a time of transition has been helpful as the reorganization moves forward.
Q: Where are the challenges or opportunities for improvement?
Ciarlo: With any change comes challenges and opportunities. The biggest challenge right now is how disconnected we all are from each other as a result of remote work. As we slowly come back to a shared workspace, I anticipate that many of those challenges will get easier. It will be crucial to create a culture where everyone feels connected and that they are working toward the same goals. I look forward to creating that culture with the ATS and Streetcar teams, while also raising Streetcar’s profile and leveraging their good work to achieve our strategic goals.
Q: How has leadership supported you through this change?
Ciarlo: Chris and Tara Wasiak have provided solid direction about their goals for this change. Tara’s support for the reorganization has been empowering, even as she communicates the need for consistency.
I do think we need to keep talking about the why behind the reorganization. That is, continue to provide more communications about the changes, to include expectations for employees and managers. We all should be providing positive support for these changes and looking for ways to make them a success.
Q: What are you looking forward to for you and your team?
Ciarlo: I look forward to thinking strategically about how to use the resources across a differently shaped division to leverage the potential to provide needed services to Portlanders.
Q: What else would you like us to know?
Ciarlo: I want everyone across the bureau to know what a top-notch organization Streetcar is. The staff is creative, resourceful, and dedicated to their work. I want everyone to know the move isn’t about changing that, it’s about supporting them and the great work they already do.
Similarly, I’d like people to know that the work the entire ATS division does in terms of programs and services is core to achieving PBOT’s strategic plan goals. There is so much opportunity in the coming years for that same creativity and resourcefulness, and the reorganizational changes only increase that opportunity.
Want to share a PBOT story here in Street Cred? Limit your copy to less than 500 words, provide detailed captions for any graphics, and email kailyn.lamb@portlandoregon.gov by 5 p.m. Thursday the week before so we have time to copy edit and proof. For longer featured articles please reach out to us first so we can target the best date for you.
Upcoming editorial deadlines:
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Sept. 1 issue [deadline: Aug. 26]
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Sept. 15 issue [deadline: Sept. 9]
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Sept. 29 issue [deadline: Sept. 23]
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