Transportation System Plan: 2023-25 Update

TSP Image

What is a TSP?

Like many cities, Milwaukie has an ongoing plan for improving how community members get around - the Transportation System Plan (TSP). The TSP also helps fulfill the city's other plans and is required for many types of state and federal funding. A partial update of the TSP was completed in 2013, and a comprehensive update was done in 2008. It’s now time for another comprehensive update, which we’re doing now through the beginning of 2025. That’s a big job, so the city will need the community's help!

Newest Engagement Opportunities!

Transportation System Plan Gaps Analysis Materials Review - Posted Tuesday, December 17

  • A new forum has been posted below! Please take a moment to review and share feedback on the city's bicycle and pedestrian gaps analysis. These maps identify where the city's transportation network is falling short of our community’s needs.

What the city has in mind for the update

  • Hearing from community members about their transportation needs.
  • Making sure our streets are safe and well maintained for all the ways people get around.
  • Identifying a network of sidewalks, bike lanes, and paths that make it easy to navigate the city.
  • Making sure everyone benefits from changes and upgrades, including people who have previously been left out.
  • Reducing vehicle miles traveled and greenhouse gases.
  • Identifying funding options to get the work done.

Why it's time for a comprehensive update

Some major ways things have changed since the last TSP comprehensive update:

  • Milwaukie has MAX Orange Line light-rail service.
  • The city adopted a Climate Action Plan to be carbon neutral by 2045.
  • The city adopted a Comprehensive Plan in 2020 that guides the growth and development of the city for the next 20 years
  • We’re working on our Neighborhood Hubs
  • The Safe Access for Everyone program is making sidewalk and bicycle improvements across the city

New State Rules - Climate Friendly Equitable Communities

It's also time for a comprehensive update to the TSP because state laws on transportation have been changed to decrease climate pollution and promote a transportation network that works for all Oregonians. These rules, known as the Climate Friendly Equitable Communities rules, require cities in the Portland Area to adopt transportation plans that:

  • Ensure the safety and comfort of all roadway users.
  • Include throughout the planning process community members who have historically been excluded from planning activities.
  • Identify how past transportation and land use policies have harmed underserved Milwaukians.
  • Determine through the planning process whether the TSP update improves transportation outcomes for underserved Milwaukians.
  • Reduce transportation-related climate pollution.

These new rules align with recent planning efforts of the city and the Milwaukie City Council's goals for 2023 & 2024: 1) Climate Mitigation and Resilience Action and 2) Equity, Justice, and Inclusion.


We’ll need your help throughout the TSP update!

Throughout the update process, there will be about seven different opportunities for folks to weigh in. You can currently provide feedback on the draft goals and policies for the TSP by taking the survey at the bottom of the page. The survey will be open until April 17th, 2024. The next opportunity to hear from folks will be in late spring / early summer, 2024.

Here is how the process works.

  1. Ideas will be shared with the community and we’ll ask for your feedback
  2. The city will take your feedback and make revisions
  3. Updated drafts will be shared with the community for another chance for community members to share their thoughts


We also have Advisory and Technical Committees

The city has an advisory group for the update. This committee was created through an open application process that sought representatives from across the city with different perspectives on transportation. The committee was appointed by City Council. See the city's website for the TSP Advisory Committee members and links to TSP Advisory Committee (TSPAC) meetings. You are welcome to attend these meetings and provide public comment.

A technical committee is also contributing to the planning process to ensure consistency with various regional, state, and countywide plans and policies. This group, the TSP Technical Advisory Committee (TSPTC), is comprised of folks from partner agencies that have technical expertise is transportation and land use planning. A link to materials for those meetings can be found here.

What is a TSP?

Like many cities, Milwaukie has an ongoing plan for improving how community members get around - the Transportation System Plan (TSP). The TSP also helps fulfill the city's other plans and is required for many types of state and federal funding. A partial update of the TSP was completed in 2013, and a comprehensive update was done in 2008. It’s now time for another comprehensive update, which we’re doing now through the beginning of 2025. That’s a big job, so the city will need the community's help!

Newest Engagement Opportunities!

Transportation System Plan Gaps Analysis Materials Review - Posted Tuesday, December 17

  • A new forum has been posted below! Please take a moment to review and share feedback on the city's bicycle and pedestrian gaps analysis. These maps identify where the city's transportation network is falling short of our community’s needs.

What the city has in mind for the update

  • Hearing from community members about their transportation needs.
  • Making sure our streets are safe and well maintained for all the ways people get around.
  • Identifying a network of sidewalks, bike lanes, and paths that make it easy to navigate the city.
  • Making sure everyone benefits from changes and upgrades, including people who have previously been left out.
  • Reducing vehicle miles traveled and greenhouse gases.
  • Identifying funding options to get the work done.

Why it's time for a comprehensive update

Some major ways things have changed since the last TSP comprehensive update:

  • Milwaukie has MAX Orange Line light-rail service.
  • The city adopted a Climate Action Plan to be carbon neutral by 2045.
  • The city adopted a Comprehensive Plan in 2020 that guides the growth and development of the city for the next 20 years
  • We’re working on our Neighborhood Hubs
  • The Safe Access for Everyone program is making sidewalk and bicycle improvements across the city

New State Rules - Climate Friendly Equitable Communities

It's also time for a comprehensive update to the TSP because state laws on transportation have been changed to decrease climate pollution and promote a transportation network that works for all Oregonians. These rules, known as the Climate Friendly Equitable Communities rules, require cities in the Portland Area to adopt transportation plans that:

  • Ensure the safety and comfort of all roadway users.
  • Include throughout the planning process community members who have historically been excluded from planning activities.
  • Identify how past transportation and land use policies have harmed underserved Milwaukians.
  • Determine through the planning process whether the TSP update improves transportation outcomes for underserved Milwaukians.
  • Reduce transportation-related climate pollution.

These new rules align with recent planning efforts of the city and the Milwaukie City Council's goals for 2023 & 2024: 1) Climate Mitigation and Resilience Action and 2) Equity, Justice, and Inclusion.


We’ll need your help throughout the TSP update!

Throughout the update process, there will be about seven different opportunities for folks to weigh in. You can currently provide feedback on the draft goals and policies for the TSP by taking the survey at the bottom of the page. The survey will be open until April 17th, 2024. The next opportunity to hear from folks will be in late spring / early summer, 2024.

Here is how the process works.

  1. Ideas will be shared with the community and we’ll ask for your feedback
  2. The city will take your feedback and make revisions
  3. Updated drafts will be shared with the community for another chance for community members to share their thoughts


We also have Advisory and Technical Committees

The city has an advisory group for the update. This committee was created through an open application process that sought representatives from across the city with different perspectives on transportation. The committee was appointed by City Council. See the city's website for the TSP Advisory Committee members and links to TSP Advisory Committee (TSPAC) meetings. You are welcome to attend these meetings and provide public comment.

A technical committee is also contributing to the planning process to ensure consistency with various regional, state, and countywide plans and policies. This group, the TSP Technical Advisory Committee (TSPTC), is comprised of folks from partner agencies that have technical expertise is transportation and land use planning. A link to materials for those meetings can be found here.

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    Transportation System Plan Update: Gaps Analysis

    As part of the Transportation System Plan (TSP) update, the city conducted a gaps analysis to identify areas where our transportation network is falling short of our community’s needs. This analysis was guided by new performance standards, including Pedestrian and Bicycle Level of Traffic Stress (see definitions below), and focused on access to the following key destinations in Milwaukie: schools, parks, grocery stores, Neighborhood Hubs, and the the Town Center.


    BLTS and PLTS defined:

    • Bicycle Level of Traffic Stress (BLTS): A measure of how comfortable and safe a roadway is for cyclists, based on factors like traffic volume, speed, and infrastructure design.
    • Pedestrian Level of Traffic Stress (PLTS): A measure of how safe and comfortable a roadway is for pedestrians, considering factors such as traffic speed, volume, and the presence of sidewalks or crosswalks.


    Using this framework, we identified areas within a 1/4-mile walking and bicycling distance of these destinations and identified transportation facilities where the existing conditions do not meet the City’s standards for low-stress walking and cycling (Stress Targets: BLTS Level 1 and PLTS Level 2).


    City of Milwaukie recommended BLTS and PLTS targets.   

    • BLTS 1 – Represents little traffic stress and requires less attention, so is suitable for all cyclists. This includes children that are trained to safely cross intersections (around 10 yrs. old/5th grade) alone and supervising riding parents of younger children. Generally, the age of 10 is the earliest age that children can adequately understand traffic and make safe decisions which is also the reason that many youth bike safety programs target this age level. Traffic speeds are low and there is no more than one lane in each direction. Intersections are easily crossed by children and adults. Typical locations include residential local streets and separated bike paths/cycle tracks.
    • PLTS 2 - Represents little traffic stress but requires more attention to the traffic situation than of which young children may be capable. This would be suitable for children over 10, teens and adults. All users should be able to use the facility but some factors may limit people using a wheelchair or mobility device. Pavement condition should be good with limited areas of fair condition. Roadways may have higher speeds and/or higher volumes. Most users are willing to use this facility.


    Note: The targets were recommended by the city's consultant and the TSP Advisory Committee for adoption through this TSP update. While the city will always strive to achieve PLTS 1 on pedestrian facilities (especially in sensitive areas like near schools where there are more likely to be vulnerable roadway users) the PLTS 2 target acknowledges that achieving PLTS 1 in an urbanized environment is a serious challenge. Limitations, such as available right-of-way, funding, and the presence of other right-of-way users (such as utilities), make achieving PLTS 1 prohibitively expensive in many instances.


    To better understand the most critical needs, we layered these walk and bike sheds to highlight locations where multiple key destinations—like a school and a park—are nearby, but transportation facilities do not meet BLTS 1 or PLTS 2. Figure 13B shows the outcome of this analysis for the city’s pedestrian facilities and Figure 16B shows the analysis for the city’s cycling facilities.

    Figure 13B: Pedestrian gaps and deficiencies near key destinations
    (key destinations = priority focus areas)

    Figure 16B: Bicycle gaps and deficiencies near key destinations 
    (key destinations = priority focus areas)


    The findings from this analysis will help the city prioritize future transportation projects and investments, ensuring we improve access and safety for all users while advancing equity, sustainability, and mobility goals.

    While the primary focus of this analysis was on pedestrian and bicycle facilities, consistent with the previously identified TSP goals and policies and the new state Climate-Friendly and Equitable Communities (CFEC) rules, we also evaluated key intersections for automobile flow and delay and analyzed the movement of freight throughout Milwaukie. You’ll be able to read the full existing conditions/needs gaps memorandum within the coming weeks.

    We encourage you to share feedback on this analysis and ask questions. You can also view the whole set of walk/bike-shed maps here.

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    (Traducciones de este información están disponibles en español. Para solicitar información o preguntar en español, favor de email weigell@milwaukieoregon.gov.)

    Reviewing Standards and Policies 

    As part of the TSP update, the city and its consultant team reviewed the city’s local street design policies and standards to see how they stacked up against regional best practices for creating livable streets. 

    Livable streets are:

    • Safe and comfortable places to travel for people of all ages and abilities
    • Designed to encourage slower travel speeds
    • Welcoming, spaces for people of all backgrounds
    • Places to interact and linger
    • Designed to foster a sense of community, ownership, and responsibility
    • Designed to protect the environment
    • Able to adapt to new mobility technologies
    • Resilient to changing climates and the impacts of weather events

    The review found that the existing policies and standards include a flexible policy framework, which is ideal for creating livable streets. The review also found some room for improvement and recommended that adjustments be made to Neighborhood Greenway principles and that the city consider adding policy guidance on unique street design treatments such as Woonerfs (see Figure 9 below).

    Neighborhood Greenway Recommendations

    To help guide future decisions regarding neighborhood greenways, it is recommended that the following performance guidelines be adopted

    • Vehicle speeds should be no more than 20 mph on all neighborhood greenways.
    • The ideal neighborhood greenway has a target volume of 1,000 motor vehicles a day or less.
    • Neighborhood greenways can function effectively with added design features with an average of 1,500 motor vehicles per day.


    Example Street Designs 

    The review created illustrations depicting standard street designs. The city can use different designs based on the type of road and how much space is available for improvements. Put differently, the city isn't choosing between these designs, rather, these design types can be applied depending on the roadway's intended purpose, available resources, and existing constraints. Updated versions of these graphics will be included in the final TSP. Learn more by clicking here



    Figure 1. Unenhanced Local Street

    Figure 1 illustrates an unimproved local street cross section that would apply to existing streets in the City. This cross section recognizes a minimum design allowance for specific situations where a full local street upgrade is not feasible or necessary and overall traffic volumes and speeds are very low.



    Figure 2. Local/Neighborhood Street with Sidewalks and On-Street Parking Figure 2 illustrates a local/neighborhood street cross section, enhanced to provide on-street parking and separate facilities for people walking. Bicyclists would share the roadway with vehicles. This cross section is appropriate for local and neighborhood streets with low traffic volumes and speeds. It could be a design application for a neighborhood greenway.



    Figure 3. Local/Neighborhood Streets with Sidewalks on Both Sides Figure 3 illustrates a local/neighborhood street cross section, enhanced to provide separate sidewalk facilities for people walking. Bicyclists would share the roadway with vehicles. This cross section does not include on-street parking and would therefore only be appropriate on certain neighborhood streets that are not anticipated to have on-street parking needs. This cross section is appropriate for low traffic volumes and speeds. It could be a design application for a neighborhood greenway.



    Figure 4. Low Volume Street


    Figure 4. illustrates a low volume street cross section. The Low Volume Street (LVS) standard is not intended to be used in lieu of one of the City’s local street standards, but is intended to facilitate infill development in situations where development to the assigned standard would likely preclude such development. Appropriate for situations where traffic volumes and speeds should be considerably lower than the standards that allow 20 MPH streets.


     
    Figure 5. Collector Street with Shared Use Path

     Figure 5 illustrates a collector street enhanced to provide separate facilities for people walking and biking on one side of the roadway while maintaining one lane of on-street parking. This cross section is appropriate for collector streets with moderate traffic volumes and speeds. It could be a design application in a constrained right-of-way setting when there is a need for enhanced bicycle accommodations. 

    Figure 6. Collector Street with Separate Pedestrian and Bicycle Facilities
     
    Figure 6. illustrates a collector street cross section, enhanced to provide more traditional sidewalk and bicycle facilities for multimodal travel. Right of way permitting, the bicycle lanes could be designed as buffered bicycle lanes. It does not include on-street parking. This cross section is appropriate for collector streets (and arterials is some settings) with moderate traffic volumes and speeds.



    Figure 7.Collector Street with Multiuse Path and Simple Sidewalk
    Figure 7. illustrates a collector street cross section, enhanced to provide a separate multiuse path for walking and biking on one side of the roadway and a simple sidewalk on the other. This cross section is appropriate for collector streets with moderate traffic volumes and speeds when there is a need for enhanced bicycle accommodations.


     
    Figure 8. Collector Street with multiuse path on both sides. 
    Figure 8. illustrates a collector street cross section, enhanced to provide separate facilities for people walking and biking on both sides of the roadway. This cross section is appropriate for collector streets (and arterials is some settings) with moderate to high traffic volumes/speeds and where there is a need for enhanced bicycle accommodations.



    Figure 9. Woonerf Design

    Figure 9 illustrates a woonerf design, which is a type of road design that blends the vehicular and pedestrian spaces into one shared space. Typically, there is no formal division between the pedestrian zones and the mixed travel way zones, creating a pedestrian-focused space that is open for vehicles but with the expectation that vehicular travel will be minimal and at much slower speeds. Woonerfs have the following benefits:

    • Creates a community-oriented space that is not dominated by vehicular travel.
    • Encourages multimodal travel.
    • Incorporates outdoor furnishings, landscaping, on-street parking, and lighting. These elements act as traffic calming devices to ensure slow travel speeds.

     



     

     



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    (Traducciones de este información están disponibles en español. Para solicitar información o preguntar en español, favor de email weigell@milwaukieoregon.gov.)

    Recent changes to the state rules governing transportation planning in Oregon emphasize and require the City of Milwaukie—and other metropolitan cities—to adopt a performance-based approach to TSP development. This means the city has to adopt performance standards.

    What is a performance standard? 

    Performance standards include two components:

    1. A measure, estimate, or projection of some characteristic of the transportation system.  
    2. A target threshold to determine if the city is making improvements to that characteristic of the transportation system.

    How does this change transportation planning? 

    The concept of using performance-management principles in transportation planning is not new. In fact, the city currently uses a standard that measures how long automobiles are delayed at intersections during the busiest travel times. While the city will likely continue to use that standard (or something like it) to measure the movement of automobiles, the new state rules require the city to adopt standards that cumulatively support reducing transportation-related climate pollution (like CO2 emissions from vehicle tailpipes). 

    At least one of the standards adopted must also support making it easier to get around without an automobile and advance transportation planning objectives like safety and accessibility. Because Milwaukie is part of a regional transportation network, climate pollution reduction targets are set by the regional planning authority, Metro. As such, the city will work with Metro to track progress on these targets.

    The city is considering adopting four performance standards. 

    These standards measure how certain aspects of the transportation system are working and establish targets for improving those aspects of the system.

    1.  Accessibility to public transit: The measure looks at the percentage of a population, jobs, or households living within a certain distance or travel time from a transit stop.

    2.  Bicycle Level of Traffic Stress (BLTS): BLTS classifies segments of roadways into different categories of stress based on factors that correlate to the comfort and safety of the bicyclist using that facility. Characteristics that might improve comfort and safety include separated bicycle lanes, specific signals for cyclists, less car traffic or slower speeds.

    3.  Pedestrian Level of Traffic Stress (PLTS):Like BLTS, PLTS classifies segments of roadways into different categories of stress based on factors that correlate to the comfort and safety of the pedestrian using that facility. For example, are there sidewalks, is there landscaping between the sidewalk and the vehicle travel lane, what's the speed limit, etc.  

    4.  System Completeness: System completeness identifies all the sidewalks, bike lanes, roadway connections, etc. throughout the city and identifies where we would like to increase those faciliites in the future.

    For those wanting to learn more about BLTS and PLTS, the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Agency in Tennessee created a StoryMap illustrating the concepts.

    How would a standard like "accessibility to public transit" be used?

    Milwaukie’s TSP will likely look at the percentage of households in the city that live within ¼ mile of a transit route that can be accessed by foot using sidewalks and other safe pedestrian routes like multi-use pathways. The analysis will also show which households are lacking good access to public transportation which in turn will reveal where there are gaps in the city's network of pedestrian facilities. 

    Using the percentage of households with good access to transit as a baseline, the city will be able to set a realistic target for what percentage of households should have better access to transit in the future if certain improvements are made. Since the city does not directly make decisions about transit routes (TriMet does that), the best way to improve access to transit from a transportation planning perspective is by providing new and better connections - making it easier to reach the routes that already exist.

    Want to learn more? Click here



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Page last updated: 24 Dec 2024, 04:01 PM