It’s Wednesday PBOTers! We hope the first 2022 edition of Street Cred finds you rested and healthy. Of course this isn’t where we hoped to be in 2022 as we continue to live through a global pandemic.  

Something we’re thinking about a lot is how being productive at work is important, but so is connection. Interacting with colleagues throughout the bureau not only helps us in our work, making those connections are an essential part of our human condition. However, with a workforce spread out at different worksites, or continuing to work from home, finding that connection can be tough. 

To make it easier for PBOTers to find one another, we want to remind you of the many different programs we kicked off during the pandemic and continue to run. We hope they provide a positive place for you, whether you already use them or are just getting started. This includes: 

• Coffee Talk: Signups open now! 
• PBOT Lunch and Learns: Back next week! 
• Peer Support Group on Microsoft Teams 

We also created digital appreciation cards you can download and send to colleagues via email or Teams.  

Have an idea about new ways to help staff feel supported and connected? Share them with us! Email or send a note in Teams to Kailyn Lamb. 

Thanks for reading this edition. As always, share your stories with us so we can celebrate the work you do every day.  

The Street Cred Team 

Kailyn Lamb, Stacy Brewster, and Abby Hauth 

PBOT’s Communications & Public Involvement team has a new form to request services! One of the many benefits of this form is how it guides you through all the services we provide and ways we can support your program or project. On our end, it helps us track projects and collaborate with you.  

Even if your project is a long way off, please use the form instead of our email to make sure we have it in our queue. We will be at reduced capacity for the foreseeable future and this form will make it easier on you (and us) to get your project over the finish line.  

We’ll need your contact information, details about your project, what type of communications or public involvement you’re looking for help with, and a rough deadline. We’ll follow up with you to determine next steps. Note: it may take several workdays before we can assign lead staff or triage what needs to be done. Be prepared: projects may likely take longer than the standard lead times outlined in our Comms Services Guide. 

If your project is an emergency and your deadline imminent, please reach out to the full Comms team at PBOTCommunications@portlandoregon.gov so we can determine next steps.  

Find the new, mobile-friendly form here or on the Communications landing page of our employee website here. 

By Kailyn Lamb 

The kick-off for the next round of Coffee Talk is just around the corner! Sign up using the Coffee Talk Sign Up form now!  

If you’ve never participated in Coffee Talk, I encourage you to give it a try. It helps you get to know colleagues you’ve never met, reconnect with colleagues you haven’t talked to in a while, and get to know folks even better. Here’s what participants from the last round had to say about their experiences:  

• “It was fun to chat with people in other groups. I particularly liked chatting with folks from MO.” 
• “I work in the 1900 Building, so felt pretty cut off from the rest of PBOT. I've met more PBOTers through Coffee Talk than I met in my time with PBOT pre-pandemic. Thanks for making this happen! It's helped me feel much more like a part of the bureau.” 
• “This was a nice way to meet new people and learn more about the kind of work that is done elsewhere in the bureau.” 
• “This has been a great way to meet more PBOTers, especially as someone who started remotely this year! Thanks for organizing!” 

One thing I love most about Coffee Talk is it doesn't care about hierarchy  or the silos of PBOT. It doesn't matter if you’re line staff, supervisor, or group director. You could be paired with anyone! You get to learn what it’s like for folks in other groups and in different roles. We’d love to see more managers do Coffee Talk, echoed in the comment of this past participant:  

“Coffee talks are great but would be good to mix in more higher ups/upper management. Really enjoyed the convo with Tara Wasiak!”  

Don’t know how Coffee Talk works? It’s simple. Once you sign up, I match you with another PBOTer to chat with each month, for the months of February, March, and April this round. Once you’ve been paired, you both work together to find a time to chat, deciding for yourselves how long you’d like to chat and in what format. 

I hope you’ll join us. If you have questions, please reach out to me, Kailyn Lamb.  

PBOT’s Lunch and Learns have rested and are ready to come back after a short winter break. Join PBOTer Greg Raisman and guest presenters Tony Vu and Cade Surface for our first PBOT Lunch and Learn for 2022, next Wednesday, Jan. 26 at noon. More on the topic below: 

Flint, Michigan has been nationally recognized for major successes, such as its role in the birth of General Motors, as well as major trials such as the water crisis. Flint, a city built for 350,000, has only 80,000 today. This presentation gives a more complete picture of a community fighting to rebuild while gaining a national reputation worse than the reality on the ground. Residents with pride in their city have built their own parks, kept their neighborhood safe and beautiful, and even installed their own segments of sidewalk. We’ll hear from two guests, Flint residents contributing to a better future:  

• Tony Vu, director of Flint Social Club, a nonprofit providing greater access for BIPOC community members to launch small, often food-related, businesses.   
• Cade Surface, Program Manager with the Crim Fitness Foundation which focuses on place, safety, and activity to promote public health. 

We hope you’ll gain a more accurate understanding of a city striving to recover, the factors that hold a city back from realizing big opportunities, and how residents can work together to provide basic services.  

Can’t wait to see you there. Click here to join the meeting 

Congratulations to Tosin Abiodun, PBOT’s Equity and Inclusion Manager, for the acceptance from Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) of PBOT’s Annual Title VI Accomplishment Report for FY 2021.  

ODOT is a recipient of federal financial assistance, and as such, required to comply with federal nondiscrimination laws and regulations, including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which forbids discrimination against anyone by race, color, or national origin by agencies receiving federal funds. As a subrecipient of funds from ODOT, PBOT submits an annual Title VI Report to ODOT. We wanted to share with all of you the terrific response we got from ODOT on this year’s report:  

This is an extensive report from your agency again this year and reflects both the City and the Bureau of Transportation’s comprehensive approach to implementing Title VI across functional domains such as staff training, public participation, complaint processes, contracting, and data analysis. I appreciate your ongoing efforts toward harmonization of the bureau’s Title VI efforts with the City’s broader goals for equity and inclusion, and the effort you have made in this annual report to describe all of the components to this comprehensive approach. The interplay of the relevant offices and staff members is complex and I appreciate your effort to describe it clearly... In summary, Tosin [Abiodun] and Danielle [Brooks], I regard your program overall as very effective and will continue to refer to your report when seeking model approaches and activities. Your AAR is also one of the most well-developed reports we received this year in terms of providing both ease of readability and a high level of detail. Great job and thank you for submitting for 2021. 

We want to give a shout-out as well to Stacy Brewster for extensive  copy edits on the report and Sarah Gandy for her design support.  

Did you see there are more Covid-19 vaccine booster clinics for all city employees? Check out the clinic dates and times below if you are two months past your single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, five months past a second Pfizer dose, or six months past a second Moderna does. Clinics open to ALL employees, but not family or dependents.  

Below is the schedule for the remaining clinics, all with Pfizer booster shots: 

• Wednesday, Jan. 19, 1 – 3 p.m., Water Treatment Plant, 5001 N Columbia Blvd. (Mt. Mazama Room)  
• Thursday, Jan. 20, 6 – 8 a.m., Water Bureau, 664 N Tillamook St. (Auditorium)  
• Thursday, Jan. 20, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m., Portland Building, 1120 SW Fifth Ave. (Room 100) 

Craig Koon, Southwest Hills Residential League’s Transportation Committee Chair, send this note recently to Commissioner Hardesty and Director Warner thanking multiple PBOT staff for their work last year:  

Commissioner Hardesty and Director Warner - 

As another challenging year draws to a close, the Southwest Hills Residential League Board of Directors and the SWHRL Transportation Committee would like to thank PBOT and its staff for some bright spots we can all celebrate. 

Despite limited funds, difficult topography, and of course a pandemic, in the past two years PBOT staffers routinely brainstormed, improvised, and creatively funded solutions for many of our pedestrian and cyclist safety issues: 

• Safe Routes to School and Fixing Our Streets - Ainsworth Elementary area traffic calming and crosswalk improvements; funded and under construction. 
• Neighborhood Greenways and Southwest in Motion (SWIM) - SW Montgomery Drive greenway; funded and constructed. SW Montgomery Drive / Vista Avenue intersection improvement; funded and constructed.  
• SW Montgomery/Patton and SW Patton/Talbot/Greenway intersection redesign; funded and constructed.  
• SW Broadway Drive pedestrian safety improvements - partially funded and under construction. 

And of course, we appreciate the prompt filling of potholes! 

While we do not know the names of all the PBOT personnel who deserve our gratitude, we would like to recognize a few we have routinely worked with; these staffers consistently listened to, advocated for, and advised us in our shared goal of increased safety: 

Janis McDonald at Safe Routes to School argued forcefully that traffic volumes and speeds around Ainsworth Elementary created a dangerous situation for students and took the initiative to arrange traffic calming solutions in this area. 

Scott Cohen, who surprised us with an unscheduled Neighborhood Greenway for SW Montgomery Drive, and then spent much time with neighborhood residents determining the best solutions for its intersections with two very busy roads. These projects have been met with overwhelming approval. 

Wendy Cawley, who has creatively conquered engineering and other challenges common to this area to enable these projects and others. 

Nick Falbo, whose work with SWIM demonstrated an open and creative mind; he has since been a font of information and advice, and suggestions on who at PBOT might be best to discuss certain issues with. 

And a special mention for Michelle Marx, Pedestrian Coordinator - she saw that SW Broadway Drive’s lack of sidewalks endangered our area’s most vulnerable residents, PSU students, commuters, and tourists alike and set in motion inspired short-term fixes which will materially improve safety and lay the groundwork for future improvements. 

No doubt each of these people can add to this list of those due our thanks, and we sincerely hope they do so. 

SWHRL looks forward to continuing our productive relationship with PBOT. 

Craig Koon, SWHRL Transportation Committee chair 

Wendy Cawley, City Traffic Engineer, added the following acknowledgements: 

I'd like to add a heartfelt thank you to Dana Whitley and his Structures crew in our Maintenance Operations group for their creative repairs and modifications to create more walking space behind the guardrail on SW Broadway. 

I'd also like to thank Justin Buchanan and his Signing and Striping team for constructing and implementing many of the pedestrian and bicycle projects borne out of the Southwest in Motion process. Marisa DeMull also deserves a shout out for designing and creating the plans for our crews, specifically related to the work around SW Montgomery Drive and Vista Avenue you mentioned. 

Wheelie exciting BIKETOWN news! As of last Monday, Jan. 10, BIKETOWN bike-share has expanded 25% further into East and North Portland. In East Portland, service now extends to portions or all of Hazelwood, Mill Park, Parkrose, and Parkrose Heights. In North Portland, service is now throughout the University of Portland and downtown St. Johns. It also includes all or large sections of the Arbor Lodge, Cathedral Park, Kenton, Portsmouth, and University Park neighborhoods. This provides a much-needed sustainable transportation option for residents, students, and visitors alike. 

Commissioner Hardesty announced the expansion recently alongside Director Warner, Julia Brim-Edwards with Nike, Patrick Quintana, General Manager of BIKETOWN for Lyft, Liz Smith, president of the St. Johns Boosters Business Association, as well as PBOT and BIKETOWN staff who worked on the expansion.  

While Portlanders were hunkered down with family over the Christmas holiday, PBOT’s essential employees were hard at work. Over 300 of PBOT’s essential employees worked around the clock, starting on Christmas Eve and continuing through New Year’s Day, to keep the city moving. This work is crucial to every other essential worker in the city such as first responders, bus drivers, and grocery store and pharmacy employees. They all rely on PBOT so they can get around safely during snow and ice.  

During this weather event, PBOT crews applied over 44,000 gallons of deicer, 475 cubic yards of salt, and 90 cubic yards of salt/sand mix to our roads. 

Of course while our Maintenance Operations group moves into 24-hour response, there are many other PBOTers doing vital work such as PBOT Parking Enforcement and Streetcar employees who also worked through the recent weather event.  

Erick Moe, Streetcar System Manager, sent the following message of thanks:  

Great appreciation from Streetcar to the MO group that was on the ready to assist Streetcar and made it possible for our employees to safely travel into our facility. Also, a shout-out to the city and TriMet personnel assigned to Streetcar who made it in every day to provide access to critical services and supplies. 

Mike Crebs, Parking Enforcement Manager, added additional thanks:  

During winter weather, the Parking Enforcement division maintained their regular work hours, responded to high-priority calls from the community, and remained available for calls and requests from Maintenance Operations. The officers performed in an exemplary manner while navigating cold weather and icy roads. They lived up to their title as “essential employees.” Job well done!         

Shoshana Cohen, PBOT’s Intergovernmental Affairs Manager and Pricing Options for Equitable Mobility (POEM) aficionado, has been with PBOT since 2015. Recently honored with the city’s Betsy Ames Leadership Award, Shoshana sat down with Street Cred so we could learn more about what brought her to PBOT, the projects she’s been a part of, and what the award has meant to her.  

A path to Portland  

Shoshana’s career started as a Peace Corps volunteer in Senegal, after she finished an undergraduate degree in Environmental Science. She left the Peace Corps with an interest in community development work at the local level. Back in the U.S., she completed a Masters in Urban Planning and Policy in Chicago—where she lived for a decade.  

In Chicago, Shoshana worked for a small business district, then as a contractor for the next several years, working on projects related to nonprofit management, planning, and transportation. In 2010, Shoshana and her family moved west to Portland.  

In Portland, she started contracting with the Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods (NECN), working to give communities a voice in their city and supporting community-led projects. After several years she became NECN’s director and worked to lift voices not typically represented in traditional neighborhood association systems.  

By 2015, Shoshana was ready for change. She was hired at PBOT as a Legislative Resource Analyst, a job combining legislative coordination and resource development. In the six years since, Shoshana has transitioned into her current role, as Intergovernmental Affairs Manager within the Office of the Director.  

“A mile wide and an inch deep” 

As Intergovernmental Affairs Manager, Shoshana’s work spans all of PBOT. Her team, which includes Matt Grumm and Marianna Lomanto, helps advance our strategic goals by working with state, regional, and federal governmental partners to help build relationships and revenue. Much of this work is done in tandem with the city’s Office of Government Relations, with a special push during state legislative sessions. These yearly sessions are an important opportunity to advance PBOT and city council goals through the state legislative process.  

Every year PBOT has one or more priority pieces of legislation they seek to advance, although the Intergovernmental Affairs team monitors all proposed legislation to see how it will impact PBOTs goals and operations. Dozens of PBOTers collaborate and support this work. 

Shoshana’s position doesn’t lend itself to knowing everything about every project. Rather, she has learned to embody what a previous director of city Government Relations, Elizabeth Edwards, used to say, that her knowledge is “a mile wide and an inch deep.” Shoshanah says she does her best to understand enough about a topic or project, but has learned to trust and rely on subject matter experts. Similarly, she’s learned to prioritize what can be accomplished  during the short window of legislative sessions. There’s a push and pull nature of her job. She can’t always deliver the news people want to hear, yet still has to prioritize multiple high-priority issues within a legislative session.  

Getting the work done! 

Over the years, Shoshana has also worked on a variety of special projects aimed at raising revenue or coordinating closely with other government partners. Some of the many projects that demonstrate Shoshana’s impact over the last several years at PBOT include her work on the 10-cent gas tax known as Fixing Our Streets, the POEM Task Force, and the coordination of funding for major projects like Flanders Crossing, the Blumenauer Pedestrian & Bicycle Bridge, and major jurisdictional transfers of 82nd Avenue and Powell Boulevard to PBOT.  

On Fixing Our Streets, Shoshana was in the right place at the right time. Mark Lear and others at PBOT had been leading the conversation about raising transportation revenue in Portland. Shoshana joined PBOT right as the idea shifted to a proposed gas tax. For six months she worked with Mark and others to get the gas tax on the ballot and see it successfully get passed. Since then, Fixing Our Streets has provided more than $70 million for street paving, safety improvements, and other maintenance.  

On her work to secure funding for major projects like bridges or coordinate jurisdictional transfers, Shoshana says the projects themselves don’t feel real at first. But once that money is locked in, there’s a sense of relief knowing the project is on its way.  

The poetry of POEM 

Of course no mention of Shoshana and her team is complete without talking about their work over the last two years on the Pricing Options for Equitable Mobility (POEM) project, looking critically at how different forms of “pricing” can advance Portland’s mobility, climate, and equity goals. With the help of PBOTers Emma Sagor, Marianna Lomanto, Michael Espinoza, Eric Hesse, Mel Kyrjaic, and many others, Shoshana’s team moved the conversation forward by convening a community task force to begin the conversation. In the past two years ,the project gained traction. City council voted to accept POEM recommendations and begin the next phase of work. In case you missed it, watch this recorded Lunch and Learn video from last November to catch up with the project.  

The third annual Betsy Ames Leadership Award goes to… 

Even though the job of the Intergovernmental Affairs Manager can be spread thin at times, it’s clear Shoshana excels at collaborating across programs and groups to advance Portland’s transportation goals. Last November she was awarded the Betsy Ames Leadership Award,  established in 2019 by the Office of Management & Finance to  honor  Betsy Ames and her longtime dedication to improving Portland as a city employee.  

Shoshana said it was honor to be nominated (by Emma Sagor) and nice to be recognized, but humbly added that the work she does is only possible “because of the amazing work of my colleagues.”  

In her nomination for the award, Emma wrote about Shoshana’s “can-do spirit, commitment to delivering on priority outcomes, and an innate ability to spark collaboration, compromise, and innovation among diverse stakeholders.”  

Shoshana’s work at PBOT lifts others up while advancing transportation goals across the bureau—the sign of a true leader.  

Words of wisdom 

Like many, Shoshana had a circuitous path to PBOT. But always there was a common focus on building community. Early in her career, she took flexible, contract, and part-time jobs to balance work and family. She feels lucky to have found her way back to full-time work in a career she loves.  Especially in Covid times, she says its important to be aware of burnout while still learning and taking risks. “Trust the process and stay true to what you value and prioritize,” she said. “Work hard and things will fall into place.”