The Future of Transportation in the Portland Metro Region

 

Date: Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Time: 11:30 am to 1:30 pm
Location: The Governor Hotel
611 SW 10th Avenue
Portland, OR 97204

 

For more information on the panelists and the topics they discussed, as well as the slides from the event, click here.

 

Oregon is at a crossroads with the way it funds and plans for transportation improvements. Governor Kulongoski has made transportation funding a top priority in the 2009 legislative session. “There is no greater issue in this next legislative session than developing a long-term plan that addresses the needs of all of Oregon, urban and rural, and at the same time provides stable funding to achieve that plan," Kulongoski said. Hear from four of the region’s top transportation planners and transit advocates as SMPS presents a panel discussion titled, "The Future of Transportation in the Portland Metro Region."

Speakers and their topics include:

FRED HANSEN, General Manager, TriMet - Expansion of Portland's Light Rail Transit System
Long before General Manager Fred Hansen joined TriMet in October 1998, he was an avid public transit user and advocate. Transit becomes even more critical to our livability as this region's population grows. TriMet General Manager Fred Hansen is leading the significant expansion of the light rail system and the introduction of the first commuter rail line in Oregon. Beyond laying track, TriMet is making the connection between transit and land-use in order to build projects that work for communities.

CHRIS SMITH, Chair, Citizen Advisory Committee, Portland Streetcar - Streetcar Expansion Plans and City-Wide System Plan
Chris Smith is a citizen activist focusing on transportation, neighborhood issues and civic engagement. He chairs the Citizens Advisory Committee for Portland Streetcar and publishes the PortlandTransport.com blog, a conversation about access and mobility in the Portland/Vancouver metro region. Chris will discuss the modern history of Streetcars in Portland and their impact on the community. He will outline imminent plans for expansion of the Streetcar to Portland’s East side and a proposed line to Lake Oswego. Chris will also review the development of a city-wide Streetcar system plan.

REX BURKHOLDER, Metro Councilor - Development of the Regional Transportation Plan
Rex Burkholder, Metro Councilor since 2000, has spent the last two decades working as a teacher, community activist, and elected official to make the Portland area a more livable community. Rex will address how the ongoing update to the Regional Transportation Plan will guide investments in the transportation system to reduce congestion, build new sidewalks and bicycle facilities, improve service and access to transit, and maintain freight access. The goals of this update have recently been revised to include goals relating to Health, Safety, Economic Competitiveness and Prosperity, and Environment in addition to the more traditional goals of Efficient Transportation and Increasing Choices.

JOHN WILLIS, Vice President and Area Manager, CH2M HILL - Public Private Partnerships
John Willis is Vice President and Area Manager for CH2M HILL’s Portland office and a member of the Portland Business Alliance Board of Directors and Transportation Sub-Committee. John is a leader in Public Private Partnerships, where public employees, elected officials, system users and community leaders work together to find new alternatives to fund and govern transportation infrastructure improvements. Many states, including Oregon, have adopted innovative contracting policies such as Design-build and Public Private Partnerships that dramatically change the way projects are delivered. Private industry leaders are responding by transforming themselves from being simply providing consulting services to providing integrated delivery of turnkey solutions that meet the needs of the environment, the economy and the community.

The panel was moderated by ETHAN SELTZER, Professor, Portland State University Nohad A. Toulan School of Urban Studies and Planning.