Oregon’s Transportation Planning Rule and Sustainability

I recently attended the Oregon Transportation Summit here in Portland, where one of the sessions was Transportation Planning Rule (TPR) Cagematch, with different representatives from various jurisdictions here in Oregon (the Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD), Metro, Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), and the City of Eugene. The representatives offered perspectives on how the TPR has shaped transportation and land use planning in Oregon, what some of the shortcomings of the rule are, and how they see the rule changing in the future to address some of the issues identified. It was a really interesting and engaging discussion, and the TPR and other associated Statewide Planning Goals play a large role in why Oregon and Portland are considered well-planned areas, and why we are leaders in sustainability and smart growth.

First, a little background on the TPR: In 1973, the State of Oregon adopted a set of 19 Statewide Planning Goals that cover a wide range of topics from public involvement, land use planning, agricultural lands, transportation, energy conservation, to name a few. All statewide, regional, city and town planning must comply with these statewide planning goals.

Goal 12, Transportation guides transportation planning within the state. The goal is to provide and encourage a safe, convenient and economic transportation system, and includes guidelines and implementation strategies. The goal is fairly broad and general, and so to focus and implement the transportation goal, the TPR, also known as OAR 660-012, was created and adopted in 1991.

The TPR implements Goal 12, integrates land use and transportation decision-making, identifies new roads/streets and needed improvements, improves system connectivity, promotes transportation options, identifies funding for improvements, and changes zoning/development codes to ensure that they are consistent with transportation improvements.

The TPR has four distinct parts:

1. Transportation planning and Coordination requirements for the state, Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), and City/County TSPs
2. Project Development
3. Amendments to Plans and Land Use Regulations
4. Transportation Improvements on Rural Lands

The TPR and Goal 12 guide how we do transportation planning in Oregon, and help guide the state to make smart transportation choices, while considering a whole host of other impacts that transportation planning can have on land use, rural lands, livability, and the general quality of life here in Oregon.

However, not all systems are perfect, and the point of the TPR cagematch illustrated this issue. Section 060, which requires jurisdictions to amend their plans and land use regulations to support TSPs and continue to comply with the state regulations. This requires that new development shows that there would not be an adverse impact the existing transportation system, which can run contrary to smart growth and infill development. Many of the places where it makes sense to increase density and create infill are areas that already struggle with congestion.

Another issue that came up at the summit was the limitations of funding. TSPs are required to have project lists, however, the availability of funding severely constrains the ability to construct many of the projects needed to address future transportation needs and current and future congestion.