PDX Agenda Tracker: Sidewalks, Safe Streets & the Price of Progress | March 24-27, 2025

Pedestrian infrastructure... Vision Zero... Urban Renewal... Anti-Displacement... Prohibiting anti-competitive rental practices... Alternative financing & homeownership models... & more!

Dear Readers,

There’s no Multnomah County Commission session this week, and it’s a light week at Metro, but a lot is going on with City of Portland Council Committees—so much so that you’ll have to click the link below to read the whole issue! The City’s website requires you to navigate to eight different pages to access this information, so I thought I’d make tracking them easier. From now on, I’ll include embedded links to all the live streams and videos and include the complete agendas. If I find an item notable, I’ll add commentary, and if I find relevant media coverage, I’ll include “Further Reading” under each entry. Coverage of the City Council sessions will remain the same—I’ll continue to hit the highlights and provide a link to the full agenda.

There are a lot of bright spots in this week’s Agenda Tracker. The City is finally moving to take responsibility for building and maintaining sidewalks in East and Southwest Portland, correcting decades of neglect. There’s also a push to prohibit algorithmic rent-setting software that has contributed to rising housing costs. Portland is exploring alternative housing finance and ownership models that could help break the cycle of speculative development. Meanwhile, Metro is working to increase access to its properties for film and TV production—a potential boost for Portland’s creative economy.

Of course, there are also major concerns, particularly around transportation funding and freeway expansion. The I-5 Rose Quarter project is back in the spotlight, with an amendment to incorporate $250 million in state-approved funding into the regional transportation plan. And while the City’s Vision Zero update highlights ongoing safety investments, traffic fatalities continue to rise, reflecting national trends. Some cities have made real progress on Vision Zero, but Portland isn’t one of them.

All that and more below!

With Love and Solidarity,

Chloe

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Portland City Council

Monday, March 24th | 9:30am

Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
Matters related to transportation and utilities; ratepayer-funded programs; and other infrastructure needs, programs, policies, and Bureaus.

1: Adopt the Locally Preferred Alternative for the 82nd Avenue Transit Project and Conditions for Approval (Resolution). The 82nd Avenue Transit Project is a long-overdue investment in one of Portland’s most dangerous and underserved corridors. This resolution formally adopts the Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) for improved transit service, setting conditions for its implementation.

For decades, 82nd Avenue has been a high-crash corridor lacking safe pedestrian crossings, reliable transit infrastructure, and accessible sidewalks—all while serving some of the city’s most diverse and transit-dependent communities. With TriMet and PBOT working together to transform the corridor, the LPA will guide investments in bus rapid transit (BRT)-style improvements, accessibility upgrades, and pedestrian safety enhancements.

This is a significant opportunity to ensure that 82nd Avenue is no longer treated as a state highway cutting through neighborhoods but as a people-centered, multimodal corridor that prioritizes equity, climate, and community well-being. However, we must remain vigilant to ensure that gentrification and displacement don’t follow the improvements—a concern already raised in similar projects across the city.

2: Vision Zero Program overview (Presentation). Portland adopted Vision Zero in 2016, committing to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries by 2025. However, as of 2023, the city recorded 69 traffic fatalities, marking the highest number in at least three decades. This alarming trend reflects a broader national increase in traffic-related deaths, underscoring the urgency of effective interventions.

Portland's Standing in National Context: While many U.S. cities have experienced rising traffic fatalities, some have achieved notable success with Vision Zero initiatives. For instance:

• Hoboken, New Jersey, reported zero traffic deaths for four consecutive years.

• Seattle, Washington, saw significantly reduced pedestrian and cyclist fatalities in 2024.

In contrast, Portland's increasing fatalities highlight the need to reassess current strategies and adopt best practices from more successful Vision Zero programs.

Key Factors Contributing to Portland's Challenges:

• Dangerous Road Culture: Local officials have noted a pervasive culture where drivers feel emboldened to operate vehicles recklessly, contributing to unsafe conditions.

• Infrastructure Deficiencies: Despite investments, areas like East Portland continue to suffer from inadequate pedestrian and cyclist infrastructure, disproportionately affecting low-income communities and communities of color.

Recommendations for Improvement: To align with cities that have successfully reduced traffic fatalities, Portland should consider:

• Implementing Aggressive Traffic Calming Measures: Cities like Hoboken have achieved zero traffic deaths by introducing reduced speed limits and redesigned intersections.

• Enhancing Enforcement of Traffic Laws: Increased enforcement (automated enforcement such as speed safety cameras and red light cameras) can deter reckless driving behaviors that lead to accidents.

• Investing in Safe Infrastructure: Prioritizing the development of protected bike lanes, pedestrian crossings, and accessible sidewalks, especially in underserved areas.

Portland's Vision Zero strategy requires a renewed commitment to systemic changes that prioritize safety, equity, and community well-being to reverse the current trend and move toward the goal of eliminating traffic fatalities.

3: Direct Bureau of Transportation to construct and maintain sidewalks while addressing pavement maintenance deficiencies throughout Portland, improving safety and accessibility for all residents through the Sidewalk Improvement and Paving Program (Resolution). This resolution directs the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) to take on the construction and maintenance of sidewalks in East and Southwest Portland, marking a significant policy shift in how pedestrian infrastructure is provided in these areas.

Historically, Portland has required developers to construct sidewalks, but East and Southwest Portland were developed without that requirement before annexation by the City of Portland, leaving many neighborhoods without safe, accessible pedestrian routes. Unlike other parts of the city, there was never an agreement that the City would build sidewalks in these areas, meaning residents have been forced to navigate streets without basic infrastructure for decades. This resolution changes that approach, acknowledging that these neighborhoods have been structurally underfunded and underserved and committing city resources to correct these disparities.

For too long, residents in these areas have lacked basic pedestrian facilities, ADA-compliant crossings, and safe routes to schools, transit, and essential services. East Portland has some of the city’s highest rates of pedestrian injuries and fatalities, while parts of Southwest Portland lack sidewalks altogether, forcing people to walk along narrow shoulders or unsafe, unlit roads.

This resolution is a step toward correcting these long-standing inequities, but ensuring its success requires:

• Prioritizing the neighborhoods with the greatest need, not just those with the loudest voices.

• Guaranteeing full ADA compliance, ensuring sidewalks are continuous, wide enough, and free from obstructions.

• Equitable funding allocation so East and Southwest Portland finally receive the investments other parts of the city have taken for granted.

This is a critical opportunity to make Portland a truly walkable and accessible city, not just for the urban core but for all residents. However, funding and implementation will determine whether this resolution is meaningful or just another empty promise. We need to hold city leaders accountable for delivering real improvements, especially in the communities that have been waiting the longest.

Further Reading

Councilors advance plan to add sidewalks in Portland's east and westside neighborhoods (OPB)

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Monday, March 24, 2025 | 12:00pm

Finance Committee
Serves as a subcommittee of the Council in its capacity as Budget Committee to make recommendations to the Council on budget amendments and adoption; reviews other financial and investment policies and structures of the City; and oversees the Bureaus addressing the City’s financial systems.

1: Technical Adjustment Ordinance discussion (Presentation).

2: Update on Portland Water Bureau interim borrowing strategy (Presentation). ​The Portland Water Bureau (PWB) is implementing an interim borrowing strategy to finance critical infrastructure projects, including the construction of a $2.1 billion water filtration facility. This facility is essential for bringing Portland into compliance with federal drinking water regulations concerning cryptosporidium, a naturally occurring parasite.

Financial Strategy and Ratepayer Impact:

• Interim Borrowing: PWB plans to utilize short-term financing options to manage cash flow for ongoing projects.​

• Federal Support: The bureau has secured a $319 million federal loan to partially fund the filtration facility.

• Budget Adjustments: In response to budget constraints, city officials are considering borrowing funds to spread out repayments over 15 years, aiming to achieve savings of approximately $19 million in FY 2025-26.

While these financial strategies are designed to mitigate immediate fiscal pressures, they may affect water rates. Residents could experience gradual rate increases as the city repays borrowed funds and invests in infrastructure improvements. The exact impact on ratepayers will depend on loan terms, project costs, and overall budgetary decisions.​

3: Tax Increment Financing Funds creation ordinances (Presentation). These ordinances establish new Tax Increment Financing (TIF) funds to manage revenue generated within designated Urban Renewal Areas (URAs). TIF funds will be used for infrastructure, affordable housing, and economic development projects to revitalize communities while preventing displacement. Ensuring equity, transparency, and community oversight in allocating funds will be key to avoiding past pitfalls of gentrification and uneven investment.

4: Create the 82nd Avenue Tax Increment Financing District Debt Service Fund (Emergency Ordinance).

5: Create the East 205 Tax Increment Financing District Debt Service Fund (Emergency Ordinance).

6: Create the Central Eastside Corridor Tax Increment Financing District Debt Service Fund (Emergency Ordinance).

7: Create the Lloyd-Holladay Tax Increment Financing District Debt Service Fund (Emergency Ordinance).

8: Create the Sumner-Parkrose-Argay-Columbia Corridor Tax Increment Financing District Debt Service Fund (Emergency Ordinance).

9: Create the Westside Tax Increment Financing District Debt Service Fund (Emergency Ordinance).

What Are Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Districts?

Tax Increment Financing (TIF) is a tool Portland uses to fund development in designated Urban Renewal Areas (URAs). When a TIF district is created, property tax revenue from that area is frozen at its current level. As investments lead to higher property values, the additional tax revenue (the “increment”) is redirected back into the district instead of funding citywide services like schools, emergency response, and street maintenance.

The idea is to spur economic growth, but in practice, TIFs have exacerbated gentrification and displacement—particularly for low-income residents, communities of color, and renters.

Tomorrow, I’ll be sharing a deep dive into how Portland’s TIF policies have fueled inequity, the fight for community-led solutions, and what needs to change. Stay tuned!

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Tuesday, March 25, 2025 | 9:30am

Arts and Economy Committee
Prosper Portland, TIFF districts, Venture Portland, and the Small Business Hub; economic development, tourism, and sports; the RACC, arts and culture, and music; recreational programming, including programs within Portland Parks and Recreation; and the needs, programs, policies, and Bureaus addressing Portland’s arts, economy, and business sectors.

1: Tax Increment Financing (Presentation). The Arts and Economy Committee heard presentations from Imagine Black, APANO, and Unite Oregon, three organizations advocating for more equitable TIF policies.

• Imagine Black criticizes how past TIF projects displaced Black communities while failing to deliver on equity promises. They called for legally binding anti-displacement protections in future TIF districts.

• APANO’s testimony on the Jade District TIF emphasizes community-led governance, small business protections, and a "pause mechanism" to prevent displacement before making significant investments.

• Unite Oregon frames TIF as "urban renewal repackaged," arguing that development must prioritize cultural preservation, affordable housing, and racial equity over property value increases.

2: Public comment on Tax Increment Financing (Public Hearing).

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Tuesday, March 25th, 2025 | 12pm

Homelessness and Housing Committee
Housing investments, permitting, and the continuum of housing supports; sheltering and the City’s role in homeless services; and the needs, programs, policies, and Bureaus addressing housing, homelessness, and homeownership.

1: Update on the Homelessness Response System Steering and Oversight Committee (Presentation). The Steering and Oversight Committee will provide an update on Portland’s Homelessness Response System, detailing ongoing efforts to address the crisis. The discussion focused on funding allocations, shelter expansion, supportive services, and long-term housing solutions. Key concerns remain around gaps in accountability, racial and economic disparities in service access, and the urgent need for more permanent housing options. Advocates continue to push for housing-first policies, tenant protections, and stronger community oversight to ensure resources are effectively deployed to those most in need.

2: Require the City Administrator to study alternative housing financing and ownership models and deliver a report of findings to Council (Resolution). This resolution directs the City Administrator to research and evaluate alternative housing financing and ownership models and report findings to the City Council. The study will explore cooperative housing, community land trusts, limited-equity co-ops, and other non-speculative housing solutions that could provide affordable, sustainable alternatives to traditional market-driven housing. With Portland’s housing crisis worsening, this initiative aims to identify equitable, community-centered strategies that promote permanent affordability, tenant stability, and pathways to collective ownership.

3: Amend Affordable Housing Code to add prohibition of anti-competitive rental practices including the sale and use of algorithmic devices (Ordinance). This amendment to the Affordable Housing Code would prohibit anti-competitive rental practices, including the use and sale of algorithmic rent-setting software that inflates rents and restricts competition. These data-driven pricing tools—used by corporate landlords—have been linked to artificially high rents and reduced affordability. By banning their use in affordable housing, the city aims to prevent price gouging, protect tenants from exploitative rent hikes, and ensure fairness in the rental market.

Further Reading

City Council’s First Policy Ordinance Could Ban Use of AI Software to Set Rents (Willamette Week)

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Tuesday, March 25, 2025 | 2:30pm

Community and Public Safety Committee
Includes community safety and violence prevention programs; all law enforcement officers of the city; Fire, BOEC, Portland Street Response, and other crisis response systems; and the programs, policies, and Bureaus addressing community and public safety needs.

1: Portland Police Bureau allocation of personnel time and budgetary impacts (Presentation).

2: Public comment on Portland Police Bureau allocation of personnel time and budgetary impacts (Public Hearing). This report examines how the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) allocates personnel time and the budgetary impacts of its operations. Key areas of focus include overtime spending, staffing shortages, resource distribution, and the financial strain of responding to non-emergency calls. With public safety funds stretched thin, there is growing pressure to prioritize community-based alternatives, expand unarmed crisis response teams, and ensure more transparent budgeting to align spending with Portland’s broader safety and equity goals.

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Thursday, March 27, 2025 | 9:30am

Climate, Resilience, and Land Use Committee
Zoning and other land use decisions; parks, urban forestry, and open space; climate change prevention and mitigation; community resilience; superfund cleanup; and the needs, programs, policies, and Bureaus addressing the City's zoning, environmental justice, and land use.

1: Overview of the City’s electrification plan (Presentation). This presentation outlines Portland’s electrification strategy, focusing on reducing fossil fuel reliance, expanding clean energy infrastructure, and transitioning city-owned buildings and vehicles to electric power. The plan aims to cut emissions, improve air quality, and support climate resilience, emphasizing equity and affordability to ensure low-income communities benefit from the transition.

2: Discussion on Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund budget and purposes (Presentation). This presentation reviews the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF) budget, focusing on funding allocations, project priorities, and equity impacts. The fund supports climate action, green job creation, and energy efficiency programs, particularly benefiting low-income communities and communities of color. Key topics include spending oversight, program effectiveness, and ensuring funds are distributed equitably to maximize community impact.

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Thursday, March 27, 2025 | 12:00pm

Labor and Workforce Development
Internal and external investments in internships, apprenticeship, and job training programs; apprenticeship and workforce utilization goals; workforce and workplace policies and worker protections; and labor policies.

1: City's return to office and hybrid work policy (Presentation). This update outlines the City of Portland’s approach to returning to in-person work, including its hybrid work policy for city employees. The discussion focuses on balancing operational needs, employee flexibility, and equity considerations, while addressing productivity, public service access, and the future of remote work in city government.

2: City's return to office and hybrid work policy (Public Hearing).

Testify on this item

4: Reinstatement of Fair Wage Policy Code Chapter for certain City service contracts (Presentation). This policy reinstates Portland’s Fair Wage Policy, ensuring that workers on specific City service contracts receive livable wages and fair compensation. The policy was previously removed under Ordinance 191973, passed by the City Council on November 20, 2024. While the reasons for its suspension were not detailed, its removal raised concerns about fair compensation for contracted workers in janitorial, security, and maintenance services. Reinstating the policy aims to prevent exploitation, promote equitable pay, and uphold labor standards for Portland’s contracted workforce.

5: Reinstatement of Fair Wage Policy Code Chapter for certain City service contracts (Public Hearing).

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Multnomah County Board of Commissioners

There is no session scheduled this week.

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Metro Council

Thursday, March 27th, 2025 | ⏰ 10:30am

Resolutions

3: For the Purpose of Increasing Access to Metro Properties and Supporting the Film and Television Industry in the Greater Portland Region (Resolution). This proposal aims to increase access to Metro-owned properties for film and television productions, supporting the growth of Portland’s creative economy. By streamlining permitting and reducing barriers for local filmmakers, the policy seeks to boost job creation, attract productions to the region, and showcase Portland’s unique landscapes and public spaces while ensuring community and environmental considerations are met.

5: For The Purpose Of Amending Three Related I-5 Rose Quarter Projects To The 2024-27 MTIP To Add $250 Million Dollars Of Approved Funding To The Projects (Resolution). This amendment adds $250 million in approved funding to three I-5 Rose Quarter projects in the 2024-27 Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Program (MTIP). It is important to clarify that this is not Metro allocating new funding to ODOT but rather an amendment to the MTIP to incorporate previously approved funds into the regional transportation plan.

The funding, managed by ODOT, will support various components of the project, including:

• Highway expansion elements such as auxiliary lanes.

• The initial phases of the planned highway cover are intended to reconnect the Albina district, a historically Black neighborhood displaced by past freeway construction.

• Bridge work and stormwater improvements.

While ODOT frames the project as a safety and mobility investment, critics warn it could exacerbate air pollution, displacement, and traffic congestion—raising concerns about equity, climate impact, and freeway expansion in a city committed to reducing car dependency.

Further Reading

• Portland Events and Film Office (City of Portland)

• The Best Places to Live and Work as a Moviemaker in 2025 (MovieMaker Magazine)

• BikePortland coverage of the I-5 Rose Quarter Project (BikePortland)

• I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project (ODOT)

• Albina Vision Trust—Transportation (Albina Vision Trust)

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In Other News

• Portlanders defend youth programs, parks, jobs at city budget sessions (OPB)

• Portland Street Response can respond to more 911 calls under new policy changes​ (OPB)

• Gov. Kotek, Mayor Wilson join forces to increase apartment construction in Portland (OPB)

• Portland's Tom McCall Waterfront Park envisions space for events, water sports with Metro grant (KGW)

• Final plans for downtown Portland's Darcelle XV Plaza revealed (Axios)

Wonk Out!

• The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America by Richard Rothstein (2017): In this groundbreaking book, Richard Rothstein exposes how federal, state, and local policies deliberately created and reinforced racial segregation in housing. Far from being the result of personal choices or economic disparities alone, segregation was engineered through redlining, restrictive covenants, discriminatory lending, and government-backed displacement. The Color of Law dismantles the myth of de facto segregation and lays bare the structural racism embedded in America’s housing system. Essential reading for housing justice advocates, policymakers, and anyone seeking to understand the roots of today’s racial wealth gap, this book makes clear that segregation wasn’t an accident—and neither is the fight to undo it.

• Just Action: How to Challenge Segregation Enacted Under the Color of Law

  by Richard Rothstein & Leah Rothstein (2023): Following up on The Color of Law, Richard Rothstein and Leah Rothstein move beyond historical analysis to provide practical steps for dismantling housing segregation and building more equitable communities. Just Action lays out policy solutions, grassroots organizing strategies, and legal avenues for challenging racial inequities in housing, zoning, and homeownership. The book is a blueprint for activists, policymakers, and residents seeking to undo the systemic discrimination that continues to shape our cities. If The Color of Law made the case for how segregation was deliberately created, Just Action provides the tools to fight back and create lasting change.

• We Live Here: Detroit Eviction Defense and the Battle for Housing Justice written by Jeffrey Wilson & illustrated by Bambi Kramer (2023): A powerful chronicle of grassroots resistance, We Live Here tells the story of Detroit Eviction Defense (DED) and its fight to keep families in their homes amid the city’s waves of foreclosure and displacement. Through firsthand accounts, organizing lessons, and striking visual storytelling, Jeffrey Wilson and Bambi Kramer highlight how ordinary people have built a movement to challenge banks, landlords, and speculative developers. This book is both a call to action and a guide for housing justice advocates, offering insights into direct action, mutual aid, and community-driven solutions to combat eviction and reclaim housing as a human right.

• Advocate: A Graphic Memoir of Family, Community, and the Fight for Environmental Justice by Eddie Ahn (2024): In this visually stunning and deeply personal memoir, Eddie Ahn shares his journey as an environmental justice advocate, community organizer, and son of Korean immigrants. Advocate weaves together family history, activism, and the fight for a livable future, showing how Ahn navigates the challenges of grassroots organizing, racial equity in environmental policy, and the power of collective action. Through rich illustrations and compelling storytelling, this graphic memoir brings environmental justice to life, making complex policy battles accessible, inspiring, and deeply human. A must-read for activists, policymakers, and anyone passionate about justice and sustainability.

• Right of Way: Race, Class, and the Silent Epidemic of Pedestrian Deaths in America by

  Angie Schmitt (2020): This book delves into the factors contributing to pedestrian fatalities and advocates for systemic changes to achieve traffic justice, aligning with Vision Zero principles.​