Oregon

Portland Transportation Bureau Faces ‘Existential’ Cuts
PBOT’s director says the agency’s impending budget shortfall could imperil even basic transportation and infrastructure services.

Amtrak Cascades Line Breaks Ridership Record
The route linking Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver, BC served nearly one million riders in 2024.

Healing the Land: Collaborative Effort to Reclaim Orphan Well Sites
The Well Done Foundation and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are partnering to plug over 110 orphan wells across four National Wildlife Refuges, restoring habitats, protecting ecosystems, and reducing methane emissions.

Portland Traffic Deaths Surpass 2022 Number
This year, 69 people have died in traffic crashes in Portland, Oregon, nearly twice as many as in 2018, when the city began its Vision Zero program.

Cascadia HSR Awarded Planning Grant
The $49.7 million federal grant will allow WSDOT to move forward with public outreach and planning work.

Audit: Portland’s Vision Zero Needs More Data, Funding
A city audit found that the program has failed to reduce traffic deaths and could benefit from a more systematic approach. Meanwhile, PBOT says it needs more state funding to support road safety projects.

Portland Traffic Deaths Increased Despite Vision Zero Efforts
Traffic deaths in Portland, Oregon almost doubled between 2018 and 2023.

USDOT Denies Portland Freeway Expansion Grant
The agency declined the Oregon Department of Transportation’s request for $750 million to fund the I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project.

Opinion: I-5 Expansion EIR Deludes Itself
The environmental impact report for a massive highway project in the Pacific Northwest ignores the reality of induced demand.

Oregon Releases Historic Preservation Plan for Next Decade
A plan from the state’s State Historic Preservation Commission outlines priorities for preserving Oregon’s cultural and historic resources.

Oregon Cities Debate Expanding Boundaries
A recent bill allows cities to apply for a one-time expansion to Oregon’s historic urban growth boundaries, which limit development at the edges of cities.

Last Dam in Klamath River Removal Project Comes Down
Salmon can now move freely along the river and its tributaries for the first time in over a century.

PDX International Airport’s New Terminal Is a Mass-Timber Marvel
Needing to expand to accommodate 35 million annual passengers by 2045 but constrained by Portland’s urban growth boundary, PDX had to think outside the box when planning its expansion. The result is a case study in sustainability.

Oregon Motel Converted into Housing for People Transitioning from Incarceration
Klamath County, Oregon, has converted an old motel and RV park into a sober-supportive housing complex for justice-involved persons — the first of its kind in the state.

The Fight Continues Against Criminalization of Homelessness
Though disappointed in the Supreme Court’s ruling allowing sleeping bans, homeless advocates are energized and organizing around other solutions.

Grants Pass Bans Outdoor Sleeping, Creates Designated Camping Areas
The Oregon city was at the heart of a controversial Supreme Court case that paves the way for the criminalization of homelessness.

Portland Advocates Call on Feds to Oppose Freeway Expansion
The Oregon DOT is requesting a federal grant to fund a controversial freeway expansion through the Rose Quarter.

Eugene Explores New Decarbonization Strategies
The city is considering new decarbonization strategies, including carbon impact fees and educational programs, after the failure of a natural gas ban due to a federal court ruling.

Invasive Beetles Put Oregon Forests at Risk
Two recently discovered borer beetles could lead to a significant loss of tree canopy.

Portland Train Speed Limited by Extreme Heat
When temperatures hit 100 degrees, the city’s two train systems face challenges that force them to slow their speeds or stop operations altogether.
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City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research