Using Existing Infrastructure to Estimate Pedestrian Volumes

Every time a pedestrian pushes a button to cross the street, it creates a useful data point about how many people are walking through that intersection. Now, transportation planners and engineers in Oregon have easy access to that data: The newest feature we've added to BikePed Portal is a dashboard that lets you explore the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT)'s pedestrian push-button data from all over the state. ODOT has shared this data with Portland State University (PSU) for use in BikePed Portal, so that users can see where and how people interact with pedestrian crossings at signalized intersections. The new dashboard is a useful resource to help agencies improve signal timing, accessibility, and safety for all road users, as well as guide future investments in walkability.

Moving Beyond Cars: Transportation for Every Person, Every Place

We're hosting a pair of events this spring focused on getting around without a car. Car dependency isn’t the answer for everyone, for all sorts of reasons. Whether in cities or rural areas, mobility must be accessible to all, and these events offer unique insights into the ways and means of traveling without driving. We hope you can join us April 30 and May 8 for two different perspectives on this topic, from author Anna Zivarts and radio personality Lillian Karabaic.

When Driving Is Not An Option: Steering Away From Car Dependency with Anna Zivarts

April 30, 2025, 5:15 PM

First, join us for our annual Ann Niles Active Transportation lecture with featured speaker Anna Zivarts, author of When Driving Is Not an Option: Steering Away from Car Dependency. One third of people living in the United States do not have a driver's license. The majority of involuntary nondrivers are disabled, lower income, unhoused, formerly incarcerated, undocumented immigrants, kids, young people, and the elderly. Zivarts explains how improving our transportation system with nondrivers in mind will create a better quality of life for everyone.

OPB's Stop Requested Live at PSU: Lessons and Opportunities for Rural Transit

May 8, 2025, 5:30 PM

The following week, we'll take a deep dive into rural areas. Public transit is not just for cities. It’s an essential lifeline for people in rural communities. Lillian Karabaic spent 14 days riding 38 buses to some of Oregon’s most remote places and talking to riders and drivers. She'll introduce some of the lessons we can learn from rural transit riders, exploring which challenges are unique to transit in rural areas and which are shared by agencies of any size. This event, hosted in partnership with Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB), is part of OPB's "Stop Requested Live" series.

Registration is Open Now for IBPI Workshop: Comprehensive Bikeway Design

Aug 25–29, 2025

We've opened up registration for our 2025 summer bikeway design workshop, presented through the Initiative for Bicycle and Pedestrian Innovation (IBPI). As Portland, Oregon has put bikeway plans into effect, we’ve learned what works and what doesn’t—how to plan effectively, design correctly and make investments that get results. We’ve distilled those lessons into this course, which covers the fundamentals of bikeway design and planning through an intensive week of interactive classroom, field tours, and design exercises. Hosted since 2009, the workshop is designed for transportation engineers, urban planners, advocates, policymakers, municipal staff and other transportation professionals interested in nurturing cycling in their communities. Build your personal network, brainstorm with fellow workshop participants, and go back to work feeling rejuvenated and excited to make an impact!

Student Session at Streetcar Summit

Monday, April 8, 1:30 PM Pacific

The Portland, Oregon Streetcar Summit will be held from April 28 – 30, and on Monday, April 28, a special session for students will be held at Portland State University (PSU). All university students are welcome to attend. The student session will take place at Portland State's Urban Studies Building, on the 2nd Floor overlooking the plaza (Room 212). Aaron Golub, a professor in the Toulan School of Urban Studies and Planning at PSU, will moderate a panel discussion. Panelists include Jennifer DeLong of Stacy Witbeck, Lauren Cochran of Stadler, Jon Schlegel of Herzog, Henry Ikwut-Ukwa of the Sacramento Regional Transit District, Isabella Walsh of HDR, and Andrew Plambeck of Portland Streetcar Inc.

Spring 2025 Courses in Transportation at Portland State

Spring term classes begin March 31 at Portland State, and there are a good selection of transportation courses available this term. As of March 20, there are still a couple of spots remaining in the Urban Studies Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning course, in which students will work on Better Block PSU community projects. Check out the listings at the link below to see what else is on offer at PSU this Spring. Not a current PSU student? You can still take a course: Anyone interested can register for classes through the non-degree application process, as a post-baccalaureate student, or for free if you're a senior citizen. Taking a course can be a good way to see if one of our graduate degree programs is right for you.

TRANSPORTATION UPDATES

• WTS April Speaker Series - Maintaining the Metro Area: Join WTS Portland April 15 for a discussion on maintaining the roads and facilities in the Portland Metro Area. 

• 2025 Oregon Active Transportation Summit: OATS, the Oregon Active Transportation Summit, will take place April 23-25, and PSU research is on the agenda!
• ODOT Safe Routes To School Advisory Committee: Quarterly Zoom meetings of ODOT's Safe Routes Committee are open to the public.
• YPT Portland Trivia Tonight: Join young professionals from the Portland region at Baerlic Brewery tonight at 5:30 PM for a transportation trivia happy hour.
• Gearing Up for a Safe & Successful Bike & Roll to School Day: Join Safe Routes Partnership for a webinar on Tuesday, March 25.
• Oregon ITE Scholarship Applications Due March 31: The Bill Kloos scholarship application deadline has been extended to March 31, 2025. 
• PBOT Releases 2024 Traffic Crash Report: The Portland Bureau of Transportation has published its annual report of deadly traffic crashes in Portland.

Transportation Research and Education Center, PSU

Portland State University's Transportation Research and Education Center (TREC) is a multidisciplinary hub for all things transportation. We are home to the Initiative for Bicycle and Pedestrian Innovation (IBPI), the data programs PORTAL and BikePed Portal, the Better Block PSU program, and PSU's membership in PacTrans, the Pacific Northwest Transportation Consortium. Our continuing goal is to produce impactful research and tools for transportation decision makers, expand the diversity and capacity of the workforce, and engage students and professionals through education, seminars, and participation in research.