North Portland in Motion Plan Background

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Plan Background & Purpose

The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) recognizes that North Portland is long overdue for a community-driven transportation plan. We’ve heard for many years from people who live and work in North Portland that there is a lack of attention and investment in the transportation system in the North Portland peninsula.

Long transit travel times, an incomplete and insufficient biking network, unpaved streets and sidewalk gaps, and a lack of safe, accessible crossings pose challenges for North Portlanders in meeting their daily mobility needs. Many have shared that they feel that the neighborhoods served by this plan lack a complete and community-supported vision for transportation investments, especially in the areas further into the peninsula.

This plan is an opportunity to convene the greater North Portland community to identify shared priorities and key opportunities for new investments to support better access to important places within the peninsula as well as better connections to Northeast Portland and the Central City. 

Through North Portland in Motion, PBOT will:
  • Engage deeply with North Portlanders to understand transportation needs and barriers to meeting daily mobility needs.
  • Identify a near-term prioritized investment strategy of projects and programs to improve conditions for walking, biking, and transit.
  • Build new relationships with community-based organizations to represent the diverse neighborhoods and communities within North Portland.
The image is an area map of North Portland in Motion, which includes all areas west of I-5, south of Columbia Blvd, and excludes Swan Island and the Saint Johns Industrial Area.
North Portland in Motion will focus on the residential and commercial areas of North Portland west of Interstate 5. The North Portland in Motion study area is defined by both natural and human-made edges, including rivers, bluffs, highways, railroads, and industrial areas. The study area is home to seven neighborhoods, each with a unique and strong civic identity.

Project Timeline

The project timeline is just over two years, starting in the summer of 2021, with an anticipated final plan appearing before City Council in 2024. PBOT is deeply invested in elevating voices from North Portland’s diverse communities, especially those who may have historically been not represented. The community will be engaged throughout the project timeline through a Community Advisory Group, partnerships with several Community Based Organizations, focus groups and workshops, online and in-person open houses, neighborhood walks and rides, and consultation with Neighborhood Associations and other civic organizations.


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Willamette Boulevard Active Transportation Corridor

In addition to North Portland in Motion, PBOT is actively working on designs for a safer and more comfortable active transportation corridor along N Willamette Boulevard, extending the protected bike lanes from N Rosa Parks Way another 3 miles to N Richmond Ave in St. Johns.

Click Here to learn more about the N Willamette Blvd Active Transportation Corridor Project

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