Way to Go Plan - Strategic Priority Areas

Information
Person on a bike in traffic with bike lane
Strategic priority areas of the Portland Bureau of Transportation's (PBOT) Way to Go Plan. Includes pricing, personal security, employer commute programs, financial incentives, right-of-way management, infrastructure activation, direct modal services, land use and development, and other information.

The following strategic priority areas offer a framework for how to organize current and future demand management policies, programs, and projects. They will guide the bureau’s work to deliver on our demand management vision and principles.

Icons of Nine Strategic areas listed in Way To Go Plan

Pricing

Fees, charges, and tolls—designed intentionally and equitably to manage demand—send price signals that help people understand the true costs of driving and encourage non-driving choices when possible. One example of pricing is charging a daily rate for parking your private vehicle.

Personal Security

People need to be and feel safe when taking transit, biking, walking, and rolling, so they don’t feel the need to travel in their own enclosed vehicle for every trip.

Employer Commute Programs

Commute trips to and from work are generally longer, and more habitual, than other kinds of trips. The majority of commute trips also happen during the most congested times of day. Working through and with employers to influence the ways their employees get to work can be an effective and efficient strategy to reduce drive-alone trips.

Financial Incentives

Especially in tandem with pricing, financial incentives—such as discounted passes, subsidies, and reimbursements—make using travel options more cost-competitive, and can increase motivation to try new ways of getting around.

Direct Modal Services

Increasing the number, frequency, and reliability of transportation options, like transit, bike-share, scooter-share, car-share, and more, is essential to decreasing the demand for private car ownership and drive-alone trips.

Right-Of-Way Management

Projects are built and road space is allocated to prioritize non-driving modes to improve safety, accessibility, and reliability of the mode.

Land Use + Development

Neighborhoods and developments are planned, constructed, and managed in ways that make it easier to walk, bike, roll, and take transit.

Infrastructure Activation

New infrastructure—such as bike lanes, crosswalks, sidewalks, and transit stops—are delivered in tandem with culturally appropriate community outreach, education, and other support that shape final projects and create spaces that enable more people to experience the first-hand benefits of walking, biking, rolling, and taking transit.

Information + Encouragement

People need to know about their transportation options, and they need to feel confident and comfortable using non-driving modes of travel.

9 strategic areas all listed around the "Equitable Mobility and Managing Demand"

We know that work under all nine Strategic Priority Areas will be vital to effectively manage demand and achieve our equitable mobility goals. By understanding how strategies under each area interact and reinforce each other, we can be more strategic, aligned, and efficient in achieving our outcomes.