Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
Streetsblog.net

Oregonians Less Interested in Bigger Highways, More Excited for Bike/Ped

Oregonians are increasingly less interesting in seeing roads expanded and more interesting in ensuring proper maintenance of existing facilities. Image: ##http://bikeportland.org/2013/12/11/oregonians-support-for-road-expansion-keeps-falling-98331?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BikePortland+%28BikePortland.org%29## Bike Portland##
Oregonians are increasingly uninterested in seeing roads expanded and more interested in ensuring proper maintenance of existing facilities. Image: ##http://bikeportland.org/2013/12/11/oregonians-support-for-road-expansion-keeps-falling-98331?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BikePortland+%28BikePortland.org%29##Bike Portland##
false

By more than a two-to-one margin, Oregon residents would rather maintain existing highways than expand them. That's one of the most interesting findings from a recent survey of state residents taken by the Oregon Department of Transportation.

Oregon residents' attitudes to transportation infrastructure seem to be changing quickly, reports Michael Andersen at Bike Portland. They increasingly favor priorities other than expanding the highway system:

As recently as 2007, almost 50 percent of Oregonians said it was more important "to expand the highway system to reduce traffic congestion" than "to preserve and maintain the highways Oregon already has." As of this year, that's fallen to 29 percent.

Meanwhile, for the first time on record, more Oregonians said that "adding sidewalks and bike lanes to existing streets" is "very important" than said "expanding and improving highways, roads and bridges" is "very important." In all, 40 percent of Oregonians gave high priority to more walking and walking facilities, while 34 percent said the same of road expansion.

In another new finding, 40 percent of Oregonians said that "reducing greenhouse gases" should be a "very important" priority for the state transportation agency. Another 38 percent said this is "somewhat important."

Let's hope the state of Oregon tailors its spending accordingly.

Elsewhere on the Network today: Transportation for America gives an update about how the federal budget negotiations underway right now might affect transportation. Systemic Failure describes how a Federal Railroad Administration rule actually punished a California community for making safety improvements. And The Architect's Newspaper explains how Cleveland urbanists fought a proposal for a McDonalds with a double drive-thru and describes the layout they are pursuing instead.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Friday Video: The London Neighborhood Where Bikes Outnumber Cars

...and how they got to that impressive milestone.

July 11, 2025

Friday’s Headlines Battle Galactus

Like the Marvel supervillain, U.S. interstate highway system seems to eat up everything in his path. A new book explores how to stop it.

July 11, 2025

New Report Shows Pedestrian Fatalities Drop — But Experts Say Not Enough

The Governors Highway Safety Association report showed a 4 percent drop in the number of pedestrian deaths last year, putting a slow on a dangerous trend — but advocates say the drop isn't nearly big enough.

July 11, 2025

Talking Headways Podcast: Localities Subsidize the State DOT

Adie Tomer of Brookings on how to improve regional coordination around infrastructure.

July 10, 2025

Five of the Ugliest Transportation Policies In the ‘Big, Beautiful’ Bill

Here's a rundown of some of the transportation provisions in the Republicans' reconciliation package, and what they might mean for your community.

July 10, 2025

Viva La Thursday’s Headlines

Why is French transit ridership up 10 percent since before the pandemic, while American transit ridership is down 23 percent?

July 10, 2025
See all posts