Temporary Street Use Permitting (TSUP)

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The Temporary Street Use Permitting team at the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) issues permits for temporary use of the public right of way, including parking, sidewalk, lane and street closures. Permits are issued as per Title 16, 17 and 24 of Portland City Code.
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Service Alerts

Last updated: 9/25/24

The 2024 Holiday Moratorium restricting temporary street use permits will begin November 21st.  Click here for more details.

Our customer service desk in the Development Services Center at 1900 SW 4th Ave is currently unavailable. We are available via email at tsup@portlandoregon.gov, or via voicemail at 503-823-7365, option #7.  

About temporary street use permits

Temporary street use permits can allow a variety of things, including:

  • Reserving on-street parking spaces for:
    • Residential or commercial moves (either moving trucks, trailers, or storage containers)
    • Property maintenance (remodeling, tree trimming, etc)
    • Construction
    • Utility work
    • Loading and unloading passengers or equipment during an event

To apply for one of these parking permits, click here.  To learn more information about the process for reserving parking, click here.

  • Closing a sidewalk, travel lane, or street for:
    • Property maintenance (remodeling, tree trimming, etc)
    • Construction
    • Utility work
    • Crane lifts

To apply for one of these permits, click here.  To learn more about permits to close sidewalks, travel lanes, or streets, click here.


Apply for a permit, change a permit, or renew a permit 


Sidewalk Repair Notifications

If you have obtained a Voluntary Sidewalk Repair Permit, Mandatory Sidewalk Repair Permit, or Minor Improvement Permit, you are required to provide advance notice of what dates you will be closing the sidewalk. 

This does not include work performed as part of private development, such as street work covered by Public Works Permitting.


Permit Processing Times

If you submit an application that does not allow for this review time, we will adjust your start date accordingly.

Permits to Reserve Parking Spaces:

For short-duration permits in areas without metered parking, your permit may be available same day. Parking reservation signs will not be enforceable until 72 hours after their placement has been verified by Parking Enforcement staff.

For requests in metered parking areas or for longer duration, allow at least three business days from date of application to permit being issued.

        Once the permit is issued, there are additional steps before the permit becomes effective: 

Within metered districts, Parking Enforcement staff will post your parking reservation signs, which become effective two business days later.    

Outside of metered districts, you are responsible for posting parking reservation signs and getting them verified by Parking Enforcement staff.  The parking signs will be enforceable 72 hours after they have been verified by Parking Enforcement.

Due to the combination of review time and the rules for advance placement of parking reservation signs, allow a total of 5-7 business days from date of application to your permit start date. 

Permits to close sidewalks, travel lanes, or streets:

        Allow at least eight business days from date of application to permit being issued.

Once the permit is issued, there may be additional steps before the permit becomes effective.  If your permit includes reserved parking, see above for additional time between the permit being issued and the permit start date.  Your approved traffic control plan (TCP) may require advance coordination or notification with other entities (TriMet, adjacent property owners, traffic signal modification, etc).  As a reminder, you are responsible to review the requirements in the PBOT Traffic Control Manual, as well as any conditions on your TCP.

Due to the combination of review time and the rules for advance placement of parking reservation signs, allow a total of 10-12 business days from date of application to your permit start date. 

Moratorium dates and maps

Due to increased activity in the city’s major retail districts during the Rose Festival and fall/winter holiday season, specific areas and streets have restricted use. Portland's Bureau of Transportation implements a moratorium on use of the public right-of way to support the Holiday Season & Rose Festival. 

The maps below show which streets in the City of Portland are restricted Holiday and Rose Festival moratoriums.

If there are emergency circumstances, you may be considered for an exemption based on verifiable need for work in the public right of way. To apply for an Exemption, follow these steps:

  1. Fill out the Moratorium Appeal Form. 
  2. 2024 Holiday Moratorium appeals received before November 1, 2024 are FREE.  Those received November 1, 2024 or later will be assessed a $329 processing fee.
  3. After submitting your Moratorium Appeal request, it will be reviewed and a response will be provided. If approved, the Permit Center will process the request as per normal protocol.

Please note that work performed between the hours of 10pm-6am does not require an appeal and is exempt from the moratorium restrictions.


Fees

Click here to view the current fee schedule for street use permits.

Refund policy:

The City of Portland, Bureau of Transportation has a practice of issuing refunds for Temporary Street Use Permits only under certain circumstances.

All cancellations and refunds must be processed through a staff member of Temporary Street Use Permitting (TSUP). The amount of the refund is determined by the status of the permit. Applicants requesting to cancel a permit which has not yet started or end a permit prior to the original end date are offered a prorated refund based on the permit status and per the cancellation timing requirements. Permit holders shall notify TSUP immediately via the change request form in order to start the refund process

Permit holders requesting a refund after the permit start date has passed will NOT receive a full refund of the permit fees.

Permit fees are NOT refunded for stolen or vandalized parking reservation signs, or due to illegally parked vehicles.

All refund payments will be made to the permit holder only, at the address provided on the permit application.

Approved refunds will be processed within 30 business days.

Change Fee policy:

There is a fee to change a temporary street use permit.  This fee will not be assessed on the first change to a permit; but will be assessed on any subsequent changes.  The fee amount will be $30.00.

Permit changes are requested via the Change Request Form.  Temporary Street Use Permitting (TSUP) staff will assess your change request and follow up with payment information if the change fee will apply.

The change fee is nonrefundable.


Instructions for using parking permits

Please view the reservation overviews below for a complete list of details.

Non-metered parking

You will be emailed parking reservation signs with your permit. You are responsible for printing and placing these signs on barricades at the curb in advance of the permit dates. You are responsible for providing the barricades. The barricades must be placed in such a manner as to be visible and readable from the street.

Parking reservation signs will only be enforceable (towing cars out of the reserved spaces) 72 hours after Parking Enforcement verifies that they are installed correctly. Verification is not required if you do not want the option of having vehicles towed out of your reserved area.

Verification fees are separate from permit fees.

Metered Parking

When you obtain a temporary street use permit to reserve parking in a metered area, we will email you a copy of your permit. You are not required to post any parking reservation signs; Parking Enforcement staff will place the reservation signs on your behalf. This typically happens one to two business days prior to your permit start date.

Vehicles in the reserved area shall display the street use permit on the dashboard so that it is clearly visible.

If an unpermitted vehicle is parked in your reserved area, it is your responsibility to call Parking Enforcement to request enforcement action.

If the parking reservation signs are stolen or vandalized, please call Parking Enforcement to report them and request replacement signs. Please also notify Temporary Street Use Permitting (TSUP) of the missing signs.

We do not refund permit fees in cases of vandalized signs or illegally parked vehicles.

Metered Parking Districts:

Remote Media URL

On-street bus or motorcoach parking

Parking a bus or motorcoach on the street is restricted by sections H and I of Title 16.20.120 of City Code. The information below is intended as a guide; please review all the conditions in sections H and I of Title 16.20.120 of City Code to learn more about bus or motorcoach parking restrictions

Except in designated areas:

  • on-street bus or motorcoach parking is limited to short periods for active loading and unloading only; 
  • buses or motorcoaches cannot legally remain parked on the street overnight. 

Designated on-street bus parking areas are subject to change, but currently include:

  • North side of SW Clay between SW Naito Pkwy and SW 1st Ave.
  • East side of SW 14th Ave between SW Salmon St and SW Jefferson St.
  • East side of NW Station Way between NW Lovejoy Ct and NW Marshall St

These areas are first-come, first-served and may not be available.  In these areas, buses or motorcoaches may be parked for longer durations beyond active loading and unloading, but not for longer than 24 hours.

Additionally, there are a few trial locations near hotels that allow overnight motorcoach parking by special permit.  Please contact pbotparkingpermits@portlandoregon.gov for more information about this pilot program.

At all other areas, if you can park legally and obey any posted time restrictions, you do not need to obtain a permit to park a bus or motorcoach on the street while actively loading and unloading.  Make sure to follow all restrictions listed in Title 16.20.120 of City Code.

If you would like to reserve a specific parking space for a specific date to load or unload a bus or motorcoach, you may apply for a temporary street use permitA temporary street use permit is intended for active passenger loading and unloading only and cannot be issued to store a bus or motorcoach.

Bus or motorcoach parking beyond the above options is not something that can be accomplished in on-street parking spaces.  Temporary bus or motorcoach storage shall be accommodated on private property (i.e. parking lots, vehicle storage facilities, truck stops, etc). 


Traffic control plan/work space diagram requirements

  • All temporary street use permits that involve the use or closure of a sidewalk, travel lane, or street, require a traffic control plan or a work space diagram. Determine which one you will need with this flow chartThis video explains the differences between a traffic control plan and a work space diagram.
    • A traffic control plan is site-specific plan showing your work zone and all of the proposed traffic control devices.
    • A work space diagram is a basic depiction of your work zone. Typically, this is a box or other polygon drawn around the portion of the right of way that you will be impacting. This plan does not need to show all of the traffic control devices. Here is an example.
  • Reference our Traffic Control Manual to make sure you are meeting PBOT requirements. Pages 9 & 10 in the manual outline the required components of a traffic control plan.
  • Prepare your traffic control plan or work space diagram using the PBOT basemap tool. These plans will be rejected if not prepared using the basemap tool.
  • Make sure you have satisfied PBOT’s insurance requirement.  We require that a certificate of insurance is on file naming the City of Portland as additionally insured prior to the issuance of a permit to use or close a sidewalk, travel lane, or full street. To avoid delays, you may wish to confirm with our insurance coordinator that your company has met this requirement.  Insurance documents are processed by the PBOT Insurance & Bonds Group. All insurance documents should be sent to insurance@portlandoregon.gov.
  • Submit your permit application.

Do you need to perform work on a street that is included in PBOT’s Slow Streets/Safe Streets program?

Please note that PBOT has added signage along existing Neighborhood Greenway routes, which may need to be removed and replaced if it conflicts with your permitted traffic control set-up.

The ‘TA-L1’ typical drawing in PBOT’s Traffic Design Manual provides guidance for setting up traffic control on a city bikeway. Use this as a guide to prepare your work space diagram (WSD) or site specific traffic control plan (TCP).

Additional Resources:

  • If your work will impact a TriMet bus route, contact TriMet early in the planning stages:
    bsc@trimet.org.
  • If your work will impact a Biketown Installation, contact Steve Hoyt-Mcbeth at Steve.Hoyt-McBeth@portlandoregon.gov.
  • If your work will impact any Public Art Installations, contact Keith Lachowicz in the Regional Arts & Culture Council at 503-823-5404.
  • Paystation Removal Guidelines: If your work block access to a parking paystation.
  • If your TCP requires a traffic signal or streetlighting change, see these guidelines.

Contact us 

  • Contact PBOT's Temporary Street Use Permitting team for:
    • Questions about temporary street use application(s)
    • Questions about the temporary street use permitting process
    • Questions about temporary street use fees

503-823-7365

CPAC@portlandoregon.gov

Subscribe to email notices: If you would like to receive periodic updates or important announcements from Temporary Street Use Permitting, click here to subscribe.

Other permit options

For information about annual parking passes for personal vehicles in qualifying residential permit zones, click here.

For over-dimensional permits, click here.

For work outside of PBOT jurisdiction that may require traffic control plan review, click here.

For information about using the sidewalk, parking spaces or street area for your business, click here.

To provide sidewalk closure notification as required by your sidewalk repair permit, click here