2013 OTS Session Descriptions

Keynote and Plenary Sessions

Plenary (8:00am): What Kind of Map is MAP-21?
Since Congress passed ISTEA in 1991, marking the end of the interstate construction era, no successive federal law has offered a substantive national transportation vision. As we “Move Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century,” what direction does Congress have in mind? Adie Tomer (Brookings Institution) will deliver a plenary address identifying the ways in which MAP21 does and doesn’t offer direction and describe the efforts of some states, regions and municipalities to make progress in this setting. State Representative Tobias Read (D-Beaverton) will deliver a prepared response, describing Oregon’s place in this policy landscape.

Keynote (12:30pm): Taras Grescoe, Straphanger
Taras Grescoe, author of Straphanger (2012), will discuss the lessons he learned while visiting transit systems around the world, including New York, Moscow, Paris, Copenhagen, Tokyo, Bogota, Phoenix, Portland, Vancouver and Philadelphia. He will share the inside story on the world’s great transit systems, including high-speed trains, new tunnels and state-of-the-art streetcars. Grescoe “envisions a future with convenient, affordable and sustainable urban transportation” that contrasts with an auto-centric past that has “encouraged obesity and social isolation, destroyed public space…and undone the fabric of once great cities.”

Morning Workshops:

How is Oregon Responding to MAP-21?
To some, MAP21 represents active devolution of the federal transportation program. To others, it simply perpetuates the absence of a national transportation vision. Regardless, states, regions and local communities must continue to plan and implement transportation systems. This session will examine how different public agencies in Oregon are moving forward in relation to federal transportation policy.
Presentations by Ree Armitage (Office of Congressman Earl Blumenauer), Jerri Bohard (Oregon DOT), Paul Thompson (Lane Council of Governments) and Eric Hesse (TriMet). Moderated by Marc Schlossberg (University of Oregon)

What If The Fare Isn’t Fair?
What are the equity implications of different transit fare structures? This session will present the findings of two active research projects. Steven Farber (University of Utah) is developing a GIS-based Decision Support System for evaluating the social equity impacts of transit fare policy in conjunction with the Utah Transit Authority’s possible switch from flat to distance-based fares. Jennifer Dill and Lisa Bates (Portland State University) are studying transit-dependent populations in Portland, Salt Lake City and Minneapolis-St. Paul, three cities in which the pursuit of economic development and “choice” riders has been driving transit investments.
Presentations by Lisa Bates (Portland State University), Steven Farber (University of Utah) and Jerry Benson (Utah Transit Authority). Moderated by Jarrett Walker

What’s Black and White and Green All Over?
In pursuit of livability, communities employ a vast array of strategies to increase the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists. This session features evaluations of some of these approaches. Jennifer Dill and Christopher Monsere (Portland State University) are examining ridership, safety and economic impacts of green bike lanes in six major U.S. cities: Austin, Chicago, Memphis, San Francisco, Portland and Washington, D.C. John Ivan (University of Connecticut) has performed several studies evaluating how the streetscape influences driving behavior, especially speed, and how this ultimately affects safety.
Presentations by Jennifer Dill (Portland State University), Chris Monsere (Portland State University), Dru van Hengel (Alta Planning & Design) and John Ivan (University of Connecticut). Moderated by Rob Sadowsky (Bicycle Transportation Alliance)

Saving Energy with Connected Vehicles
The long-time mantra of intelligent transportation systems is “saving lives, time and money.” The next generation of smart transportation involves vehicles communicating with each other and with nearby infrastructure. Developers of these technologies feel this connectivity can yield significant benefits in areas such as energy and the environment. This session will combine a briefing on emerging technologies with a discussion of how Oregon might make the transition to a connected transportation system.
Presentations by Rob Bertini (Portland State University), Marcia Pincus (United States DOT), John Willis (CH2M HILL). Moderated by Heather Laird (Resource Consultants)

Afternoon Workshops

BOOM! POW! Dissertation Showcase
PhD students from OTREC’s member universities will each have 7 minutes to present 21 slides (“pecha kucha” style ) about their research. To add some spice, a panel of local transportation executives (Leah Treat, Karmen Fore, Mark Vandehey and Steph Routh) will lead Q&A and award prizes. Presenters/topics include: Alex Bigazzi (PSU), Bicyclists’ Intake of Traffic Related Air Pollution; Nicole Iroz Elardo (PSU), Can Health Influence Transportation Decisions?; Wei Feng (PSU), Effects of Transit Signal Priority and Bus Stop Location on Bus Reliability; Mohammad Islam (OSU), Safety and Efficiency Benefits of Traffic Signal Countdown Timers; Medha Jannat (OSU), Mitigating “Right Hook” Crashes at Signalized Intersections; Sirisha Kothuri (PSU), Incorporating Pedestrian Considerations into Signal Timing Design; Adam Moore (PSU), Analyzing the Impacts of Traffic Levels on Intersection and Mid-Block Air Quality; Jon Mueller (OSU), Alternative Transportation Connectivity in the High-Speed Rail Alternatives Analysis Process. Moderated by KC Cooper (David Evans and Associates)

Has ‘Moving Cooler’ Cooled Off?
In the six years since the Oregon Legislature set greenhouse gas emission reduction targets, it has passed HB 2186 (2009) and SB 1059 (2010) to link transportation planning and climate change. The purpose of this session is to examine the state of progress in this policy arena in Oregon as well as California and Washington where similar legislation was also adopted in the last few years. Are these laws having the desired effects or are our efforts to curb climate change cooling faster than the climate itself?
Presentations by Angus Duncan (Bonneville Environmental Foundation), Garlynn Woodsong (Calthorpe Associates), Kelly McGourty (Puget Sound Regional Council). Moderated by Chris Hagerbaumer (Oregon Environmental Council)

Here and There, Then and Now on BRT
Bus Rapid Transit is a perennial hot topic and yet its North American implementation is limited to a few locations, including Eugene. Changes in MAP-21 and the emergence of the BRT Standard 2013 (EmX was awarded “bronze” in April) are driving forces. This session will look at local BRT plans (C-TRAN and TriMet) in the context of lessons learned abroad.
Presentations by Alan Lehto (TriMet), Stephanie Lotshaw (Institute for Transportation Development and Policy), Tom Schwetz (Lane Transit District), Chuck Green (C-TRAN). Moderated by Randy Knapick (IBI Group)

Tackling Tricky Truck Treatments
In many communities, the truck route and main street are one and the same. Because policies and designs must balance multiple goals, this presents a challenge for planners and engineers alike. The purpose of this session is to examine some recent efforts to tackle this issue in Portland and Ashland but also to share the perspective of research that is looking at how urban freight transportation is evolving.
Presentations by Robert Hillier and Rich Newlands (City of Portland), Miguel Figliozzi (Portland State University), David Chapman (Former City Councilor, City of Ashland). Moderated by Scott Drumm (Port of Portland).