Co-created with Tyler Frisbee, Institute for Metropolitan Studies.
The Institute of Metropolitan Studies (IMS), housed at Portland State, is a tool for local governments and community leaders to solve deep-seated, systemic policy challenges related to the built environment in the greater Portland area. They convene, inform, and develop recommendations that are grounded in research, vetted by impacted parties and partners, and readied for implementation by local governments.
Background
As the federal government curtails its long-standing transportation funding role, and the state’s funding future looks bumpy, the cities, counties and transit districts in the Portland metropolitan area face the most significant impacts of an inadequate transportation system. Combine that with the leading role that transportation plays in greenhouse gas emissions, the increased understanding of the harm that transportation projects inflicted and continue to inflict on communities of color, the need for increased economic development in the Portland region, and a world supply chain that depends more on transportation delivery and reliability, and it becomes clear that the current spending and funding approach does not meet anyone’s needs.
With the leadership of Jennifer Dill, PhD, Director of Portland State’s Transportation Research and Education Center, and former Congressman Earl Blumenauer, who spent 54 years in elected office working on transportation and infrastructure funding initiatives, IMS is developing a white paper that looks at how local transportation spending and funding in our region compare to other regions across the US, and how potential revenue sources align with revenue needs, policy goals, and ease and efficiency of implementation.
Join a conversation with the IMS team that will take place at the mid-point of the IMS research and coalition engagement work — following several month of research, but before the have begun to crystalize final recommendations. The conversation will seek feedback on initial findings, and explore key questions.