Pedestrian and Bicycle Strategic Funding Program

Helping Improve Infrastructure for Biking and Walking

The Oregon Transportation Commission approved $55 million for strategic pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure improvements in the 2024-2027 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP). This is part of a $255 million investment in the Public and Active Transportation Program.

PDF Program Overview

Program Goals

1. Address pedestrian and bicycle gaps on the state system such as missing sidewalks, bike lanes and crossings.
2. Prioritize projects at locations that provide an equity and safety benefit..
3. Identify cost savings through leveraging with other ODOT projects such as repaving or curb ramp replacement at high priority pedestrian or bicycle locations.

The increased funding for pedestrian and bicycle projects in the 2024-2027 STIP is intended to improve our progress on key performance measures by funding the necessary improvements on or along state highways, with a focus on priority locations identified through the Active Transportation Needs Inventory (ATNI) using data like essential destinations, household income, existing conditions, and crash risk factors. It supports improving safe and equitable access to active and public transportation, key initiative of the Strategic Action Plan. The program primarily focuses on the top 10% of priority locations as identified in the ATNI and the top 20% for Safe Routes to School (SRTS) projects in communities under 5,000 in population.

Funds may be used for a variety of improvements that primarily benefit walking and biking safety and access, however our priority is to improve sidewalks, bike lanes and crossings that will complete our network and comply with Blueprint for Urban Design pedestrian crossing spacing guidelines.

What Are the Next Steps?

• Use statewide ANTI to identify high scoring leverage and stand-alone project opportunities.
• Identify SRTS projects utilizing past ODOT SRTS applications that demonstrate strong community support and have a high ATNI score.
• Develop a draft list of projects (leverage with Fix-It and Americans with Disability Act (ADA) Programs and stand-alone projects) and review list for feasibility, readiness, geographic balance and programmatic targets like SRTS.
• ODOT Active Transportation Liaisons (ATLs) will work with Public Transportation Division and other ODOT region staff to develop project concepts for the list of improvements in their regions.
  

• Pedestrian and Bicycle Program manager will work with regional ATLs, ODOT district and area managers to refine the project list and draft business cases that document the identified problem, proposed solution, project risks and cost estimate.
  

• After scoping, the project list is refined and shortened due to updated project cost estimates. 
  
• The Oregon Transportation Commission ultimately approves the project list.
  

Additional Information

On January 21, 2021, the Oregon Transportation Commission approved $255 million of funding to Public and Active Transportation Program (formally Non-Highway Program) in the 2024-2027 STIP. The Public and Active Transportation Program includes a variety of sub-programs for public transportation services and capital projects, pedestrian and bicycle projects, SRTS education and infrastructure and Transportation Options programs.

A total of $55 million was allocated for pedestrian and bicycle projects and SRTS infrastructure projects that will address the areas of most need on the state system. The Pedestrian and Bicycle Strategic sub-allocation is $45 million in federal funding dedicated to address critical gaps in the state system for walking and biking. The ODOT SRTS infrastructure sub-allocation is $10 million in federal funding to help reduce pedestrian and bicycle network gaps with a 1 mile radius of a school. Since ODOT has set aside this targeted allocation for projects near schools, the agency has chosen not to apply for grants through the HB 2017 SRTS completive process during the 2024-2027 STIP cycle.

The Pedestrian and Bicycle Strategic and ODOT SRTS infrastructure program sub-allocation may be used fro projects on the state system beginning in 2024. The Public Transportation Division is preparing to compile needs lists, identify possible projects, develop design approaches and cost estimates, and prioritize the scoped projects for inclusion in the 2024-2027 STIP. The other sub-allocations are for completive local grants, programs that promote public and active transportation, and transit improvements that will use existing program structures.