The City of Portland Transportation System Plan (TSP) is the long-range plan guiding transportation investments in the City. The TSP is both an implementation tool and a supporting document to Portland's Comprehensive Plan, which contains the transportation element of the City’s Public Facilities Plan, and the List of Significant Projects and Citywide Programs. Portland’s Comprehensive Plan (Comp Plan) is a long-range plan that helps the City prepare for and manage expected population and employment growth, as well as plan for and coordinate major public investments and was first adopted in 1980. Parts of the TSP are components of the Comp Plan and were adopted concurrently. The Comp Plan includes goals and policies whereas the TSP provides greater detail through sub-policies and implementation strategies.
The purpose of the TSP is to guide the maintenance, development, and implementation of Portland’s transportation system, to accommodate 20 years of growth in population and employment, and to implement the plans and regulations of the regional government and the State of Oregon, including Metro’s Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) and the Oregon Transportation Planning Rule (TPR).
Periodic updates of the TSP are mandated by the State of Oregon. The TSP meets state and regional planning requirements and addresses local transportation needs for cost-effective street, transit, freight, bicycle, and pedestrian improvements. The plan provides transportation options for residents, employees, visitors, and firms doing business in Portland, making it more convenient to walk, bike, take transit—and drive less—while meeting their daily needs. The TSP provides a balanced transportation system to support neighborhood livability and economic development.
Components of the TSP include:
- Policy: transportation goals, policies, and objectives
- Plans: master street plans and modal plans
- Financial Plan: with revenue scenarios
- Transportation projects: with cost estimates
- Strategies and regulations for implementation
Transportation System Plan Updates
Portland originally developed its TSP in 2002, updated it in 2004 and 2007, and then completed a multi-year update that was adopted by City Council in three-stage between 2016 and 2018. During that time, the TSP was updated both with, and then in accordance to, Portland's Comprehensive Plan update.
In order to keep the TSP current and up-to-date with recent transportation planning and development activities, it is updated at regular intervals. The first two updates in the mid-2000s were not intended to include new policy initiatives. They were primarily technical in nature and included corrections, updates to project descriptions, updates on studies, and inclusion of new master street plans adopted as a part of planning efforts.
- The first TSP was adopted by Council in 2002 (Ordinance 177028).
- The first update was completed and adopted by City Council on October 13, 2004 (effective date, November 12, 2004; Ordinance Nos. 178815 and 178826).
- The second update was completed and adopted by City Council on April 5, 2007 (effective date, May 5, 2007; Ordinance No 180871). While primarily technical in nature, this update also included new policy language to implement the City’s Green Street Policy.
- Stage 1 TSP Update was a part of the City’s Comprehensive Plan update process and a component of the state’s Periodic Work Plan Task 4. It included Goals, Policies, Projects and Programs and a Financial Plan. It was adopted by City Council in June 2016.
- The Stage 2 TSP Update was a part of the City’s Comprehensive Plan update and changes were made to implement the Comp Plan, as well as reflect adopted plans and classification changes since the last update in 2007. Periodic Work Plan Task 5. It was adopted by City Council in December 2016.
- TSP Stage 3 TSP Update incorporated regional information, updated geographic policies, updated objectives, changes to street classification for traffic, transit and emergency response, modal plans, and other changes as identified. It was adopted by City Council in May 2018.
- In March 2020, the TSP was amended (Ordinance No: 189848) to update pedestrian and bicycle classifications, amend a subset of the Major Projects list and policies, and to improve readability and clarity.