Downtown Bicycle & Pedestrian Needs Inventory & Action Plan

Project Area MapUpdate: April 21, 2021

The City is seeking feedback from the community. To learn more about the project and share your feedback, please view the Storymap page.

Downtown Oregon City is a regional center within the Portland Metro area, serving a broad population and boasting a strong retail and restaurant sector, a transit center and Amtrak train station, the County Courthouse, and numerous small businesses that make Oregon City a thriving place. While parts of downtown are currently walkable, there is ample room for improvement when it comes to pedestrian and bicycle safety. The City is committed to making downtown an attractive place to walk, bike, and use transit to support a greater number of visitors and residents in a way that does not exacerbate vehicle traffic and parking constraints.

The Willamette Falls Legacy Project will attract many new visitors to downtown Oregon City in the future. To prepare for the increased traffic, the City of Oregon City commissioned a Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Plan. This plan calls for, "creating safe connections to the riverwalk and full site through multiple transportation modes and efficient parking standards will complement the Falls area and Downtown Oregon City for years to come." This Downtown Bicycle Needs Inventory and Action Plan (NIAP) project is based on TDM strategies within the plan.

One goal of the NIAP project was to develop a biking Level of Traffic Stress (LTS) test for the project area. This test looked at crashes, car speeds, lane counts, and other data to determine the streets in the project area where it is most stressful to bike. The Biking Level of Traffic Stress (LTS) Test Results (JPG), along with public input and additional research will inform future bike and pedestrian improvement projects.

Please note: The project began in Fall 2020 and is expected to be completed by Spring 2021.

In addition, to see the biking LTS test and other problems that were identified during the Needs Inventory process, please view the Biking Level of Traffic Stress (LTS) Test Results photo gallery.