Parking enforcement in Portland has ranged from lax to nonexistent over the past few years thanks to pandemic restrictions and staff shortages, but the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) says the days of leniency are officially over. With Portland City Council giving the bureau the green light to hire 22 new parking enforcement officers, the fleet of officers will soon be larger than it was before the pandemic. Starting July 8, PBOT’s expanded team of...

Yes PBOT's budget is in peril, but do we really need to make a deal with the devil to fix it?

The City Observatory is a study of modern-day cities and urban development practices.

Transportation commissioners come and go, but policies to free up curb space remain perpetually stuck at City Hall.

Last week, the Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (BPS) released a new draft proposal for its Electric Vehicle Ready Code project, which would amend city zoning code to require electric vehicle charging at new multi-unit dwellings. But advocates for electric bikes – who frequently lament being left out of efforts to expand electric vehicle ... Read more

PORTLAND — Citing environmental concerns and a lack of housing, an increasing number of cities and some West Coast states are reconsidering mandates that all homes, offices and businesses offer

On days two and three of the YIMBYtown conference at Portland State University, parking and land-use experts from across the country shared insights on how our national overabundance of car Read More »

As concerts, conventions, and sporting events rebound from the pandemic, the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) is looking to shift the way people travel to some of the city’s largest event venues. The Lloyd district is home to three of Portland’s major venues: the Moda Center, the Oregon Memorial Coliseum, and the Oregon Convention Center. When all three venues have events on the same night, well over 10,000 people flock to the Lloyd neighborhood, causing...

The city famous for its bike lanes is struggling to cut car pollution. Now Portland faces a major battle over whether to keep expanding highways.

The increase will take effect Feb. 26.

PBOT is proposing to increase metered parking and permit costs to backfill a budget deficit and encourage the use of alternate transportation.

Parking is about to get more expensive in Portland as the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) seeks to close its funding gap and disincentivize solo car trips. Transportation leaders and parking reform advocates say the cost is more reflective of the true cost of driving a car that has long been subsidized with city funds. “We’re working hard to develop pricing options and complementary strategies that support the climate, equity, and mobility outcomes that we...

The free ride for car, truck and delivery drivers in Portland isn’t over, but the end has never been easier to see. At City Council Wednesday, Mayor Ted Wheeler and Read More »

The reverberations of the Oregon Governor Kate Brown’s executive order on climate change, issued back in March 2020, continue to be felt. For just over one year now, staff at Read More »

Here are the three options we think can start to be built today - and five things we learned from this math.

The largest preschool in Portland, OR is getting evicted and it is ultimately because the school’s landlord, a church, prefers cars parking over kids playing. Childswork Learning Center has s…

A storm is brewing over parking for Gateway Green. The popular destination is home to Portland’s first and only bike park. Recent major upgrades to its trails, pump track and Read More »

“I’m just speaking from a parent’s perspective and how hard it is to to get certain things done for schools; and to see more cuts even proposed… it’s frustrating.” — Read More »

Northwest Portland is on a roll when it comes to becoming more bike-friendly. The district has projects under construction, a major new plan for more of them headed to city Read More »

Sometimes the deal for new parking meters can be sweetened with the promise of local revenue for projects.

In three short months 10 vacant schoolyards and parking lots in Portland have been transformed into miniature neighborhoods. These “traffic gardens” were created to give kids and families a place Read More »

The reform sets a new standard: up to four homes on almost any lot, or up to six homes for price-regulated projects.

Portland’s city government is finally taking steps to manage on-street parking, but new permit programs will likely have to be more fair to renters if they’re going to get approval from…

“Plans… are in full swing. We are designing a permit process that will allow not just restaurants but bars, retail, and personal service businesses to access the right-of-way.”— Margaux Weeke, Commissioner Chloe Eudaly’s office The food scene in Portland needs no introduction, but it does need more space. For restaurant, coffee shop and food cart Read More »

Advocating for progressive parking policy since 2015

Equitable mobility requires good transit---not giving free parking to hundreds of car-owning downtown workers in the hope that some of them might be poor.