A Transportation Policy for Portland

Creating Sustainable Choices

Forty percent of greenhouse gases generated in Multnomah County come from transportation. Some of the best opportunities to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels are through creating more sustainable transportation options for our citizens. All capital and programmatic transportation investments must be subject to a carbon footprint analysis.

A Matter of Priorities

Our dollars for transportation are finite. We< must focus them to attain our goals for Portland. My priorities for transportation investments are:

• Be safe — Far too many of our citizens are killed and injured on our street system every year. We have an obligation to make the system safer through engineering, education and enforcement.
• Maintain our assets — prior generations built a transportation system that has made us the strongest economy in the world. The failure to raise the state gas tax to keep up with inflation has put these assets at risk. I support the Safe, Sound and Green Streets program to ensure adequate resources to keep Portland’s major streets functioning, while making them safer for all users.
• Be smart — New communication technologies have the potential to let us use our current road system more efficiently through better coordinating traffic flows and providing information to users to make better choices based on up‐to‐the‐minute conditions. I will support investments to use our existing capacity more efficiently.
• Invest efficiently — Not all transportation investments have equal returns. For example, bicycle infrastructure gets 1% of PDOT capital spending but almost 5% of commute trips in Portland are now by bicycle. odes that improve sustainability, air quality and health deserve resources proportional to their benefits. I will also work to increase funding for the Smart Trips travel education program, which helps citizens find better transportation choices, so that it can reach all parts of the city within five years.
• Invest strategically — Portland will grow by 300,000 residents during the next 20‐25 years. We must focus our investments in new transportation capacity strategically to accommodate these new neighbors in a pattern that increases Portland’s sustainability while making our neighborhoods even more vibrant and livable and our economy more prosperous.

Experience

Chris Smith is a dedicated transportation advocate. His 10 years of experience include:

• Neighborhood transportation chair
• Citizen member of Metro’s Transportation Policy Alternatives Committee
• Portland Streetcar Board of Directors
• Portland [Transportation] Operations Steering Team

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