Transportlandia

Kanter, Ramos, Richmond

Transport-landia
How Portlands Physical, Political, and Economic Geography affect the way we get around.

Hannah Kanter, David Ramos, Dylan Richmond

UNST 109E - Portland FRINQ
Dr. Naomi Adiv
June 7th, 2016

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PSU is the largest public funded University in the state of Oregon, drawing commuters
and residents from both urban and rural communities. This and the incentives that the University
offers, affects which form(s) of transportation that students and staff utilize. Portland State
University public transportation ranges from vigilant bikers to those who consistently ride the
bus, but also peoples that only commute to PSU by driving. These, in the context of PSU being a
commuter university, hold weight when considering the question of how political, physical, and
economic geography affect the circumstances in which students and staff commute to Portland
State University.
Dr. Aaron Golub is a professor of Urban Studies and Planning at Portland State
University who rides his bike three miles to work everyday. In an interview conducted on May
18th, 2016 by a group of students at PSU, Dr. Golub explained that the university currently holds
the highest designation awarded by the League of American Bicyclists, classifying PSU as one
of the most bike-friendly universities in the entire country.
According to a Transportation Survey Update conducted in Spring 2013 by the PSU
Campus Planning Office, 12% of students commute to PSU via bicycle. Of these students, only
9% do so regularly. For employees, approximately 17% use their bikes to get to work. Of these
faculty members, 13% use bikes as their primary form of transportation. The study provides two
scatter plots, showing the commuting patterns of students and faculty members as well as the
ways in which they have changed between 2000 and 2012.

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Figure 1: According to the scatter plots, 9% of students regularly ride their bikes to school.
Despite a slight decrease in 2012, this is a significantly higher rate than the 3% of students who
rode their bikes to campus in 2000. For employees, there has been consistent increase from a
mere 5% in 2000 to 13% in 2012.
Additionally, this survey compares the change in bike storage occupancy between 2004
and 2013. The graphic has been attached below and demonstrates that although bike occupancy
has remained at an average 49.5%, the number of potential units has increased. Consequently,
the number of bike storage users has increased despite a lack in percentage growth.

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Figure 2: Despite a very minimal percentage increase over the last nine years, the
number of occupied bicycle spaces has increased from 212 to 816 in the same span of
time.
During a field assignment conducted by a group of Portland State students in the Portland
FRINQ (Freshman Inquiry), a Portland State University Parking & Transportation Services
representative provided the students with a booklet entitled Portland State University
Transportation Handbook. On page three of this handbook, it was reported that in 2014, the
average monthly cost of riding a bike is $23 a month. For the average student and staff member
(who only commute to campus nine months out of the year), that is approximately $207 per year.
Since the year 2000, there has been a steady increase in the number of students and
employees riding the bikes to and from school. What could be the cause of this trend? For
starters, Portland has one of the most effective bike infrastructures in the entire world. Dr. Golub
has spent time in three major metropolitan cities in the United States (Boston, Phoenix, and
Portland) and is familiar with the bike infrastructure of other major west coast cities such as
Seattle and San Francisco and he believes that Portland is by far superior in bike infrastructure.

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On a global scale, Portland may not rank as highly, but it is among the ranks of Amsterdam and
Copenhagen; two of the most bike-friendly cities in the entire world.
Additionally, Portland has been consistently recognized for its green and healthconscious culture; being one of the leading cities in promoting ecosystem and forest
preservation. A major part of this culture is riding bicycles as a way to lower carbon emissions
and promote health among citizens. When asked about the overall increasing bike culture in the
area, Dr. Golub suggested that although it is impossible to tell for sure, he believes that cyclists
are moving to Portland to take advantage of the bike culture just as often as non-cyclists are
moving here and being influenced by the popularity of biking in Portland.
More specifically, Portland State has put forth many initiatives toward promoting a
greener community and city. Currently, the PSU vision statement is to be an internationally
recognized urban university known for excellence in student learning, innovative research, and
community engagement that contributes to the economic vitality, environmental sustainability,
and quality of life in the Portland region and beyond. Aside from citywide culture, Portland
state has worked toward promoting a smaller carbon footprint, encouraging environmentally
friendly activities, and providing students with resources such as the PSU Bike Hub and a
massive number of bike storage units that are not widely seen as campuses across the country.
By 2030, the university aims to reduce the number of students and employees who drive to
campus, hoping that 20% of students and employees will chose to ride their bicycles to campus.

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Despite a steady increase of students and employees who use their bicycles to commute
to PSU, Figure 3 shows that 28% of students commute to PSU by driving at least once a
week. For employees, the number is 39%. Therefore, despite an increasing number of bike
riders, Figure 1 shows that commuting to PSU via car continues to be a preferred method of
transportation when compared to cycling. According to the survey, PSU has over 8,000 off-street
parking spaces located on campus with an additional 600 on-street spaces.

Figure 3: Although 28% of students drive to PSU, only 19% do so regularly. For employees,
although 39% drive to campus, only 24% do so regularly. Since 1996, however, it is clear that
the number of students and employees driving to PSU has declined substantially.

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Although PSU strongly encourages students to drive to campus, the ample amount of
parking spaces and the convenience and speed of a single-driver vehicle has allowed driving to
remain at a higher preference than walking or biking to school among students and staff. The
continuous popularity of driving is can be seen as surprising do to its immense cost (when
compared to other forms of transportation). On average, an individual will pay $620 per month
to regularly use a vehicle as a means of commuting. This includes gasoline, maintenance fees,
insurance, and parking fees (which as of 2014, range from $92 to $392 a term). For the average
PSU constituent (who commutes to and from campus nine months out of the year), it will cost
about $5580 to use a car for commuting to campus.

Figure 4: As titled, the graphic above illustrates the accessibility and frequency of off-street
parking spaces for those who choose to drive to Portland State. Additionally, it contains the
hourly and daily parking rates at PSU as of 2013.

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When it comes to commuting to campus, driving is not the most preferred method of
transportation among PSU students. According to Figure 1, Mass Transit (Bus/Light
Rail/Streetcar) is by far the most common form of commuting. Currently, three MAX Light Rail
lines run through the University District as well as twenty-three bus routes and three streetcar
lines. When asked what the most sustainable and effective form of transportation was during the
interview, Dr. Golub suggested that the buses would be the most effective, particularly given the
context of Portlands renowned transit system. He believes that the buses provide a middle
ground between driving and biking, and that the bus routes have an immense reach that allows
individuals from almost every neighborhood to get to where they need to go.

Figure 5: According to
the scatter plot
provided by the
Transportation Survey,
54% of students and
53% of employees ride
transit to and from
campus. Of these, 46%
of students and 42% of
employees use transit as
their primary form of
commuting.

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There are many reasons to explain why transit has always been one of if not the most
used way of commuting. The first likely reason is the effectiveness and reach of TriMet as
mentioned by Dr. Golub.

Figure 6: The map of the TriMet transit system thoroughly illustrates the systems reach from
Portland City Center to the outskirts of Gresham, Hillsboro, and even Oregon City.
Additionally, the cost of transit in Portland is rather inexpensive when its reach and capabilities
are taken into consideration. In Spring 2012, the average cost for a TrimMet FlexPass was $205. The cost
for a three-month pass at retail value would be $300 and the cost for a term-long parking permit sat at a
whopping $339. Overall, according to the Portland State University Transportation Handbook, the
average monthly cost to ride transit (without any long-term passes) is $73. For the average constituent
who comes to campus nine months out of the year, the total yearly cost for riding transit is $657. This
price is a 217.39% increase from the cost of using a bike to commute, however when the benefits of

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transit are taken into consideration, the extra cost is worth every penny. However, the price increase
between riding transit and using a vehicle to commute is an astounding 749.32%. Despite the many
luxuries of driving a vehicle, this price difference is one to take into serious consideration.
The following graphic helps visualize the difference in cost between a parking permit alone (not
considering other automobile expenses) in comparison to the cost of riding mass transit. Although the
original study considers employee prices, only one has been included below due to extremely similar
patterns.

Figure 7: The bar graph/ scatter plot hybrid above clearly demonstrates the difference in cost
(per term) between the TriMet Flexpass (dark blue), the additional cost to purchase the pass at retail
price (light blue) and the cost of a term-long parking permit on campus (green line).
Initial survey researchers also went out to campus to ask different students and staff the
following question: If you drive alone to campus, what benefits would encourage you to try another
option?

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The findings not only express what may cause more students to switch away from driving their
cars to and from campus, but the reason why mass transit commuter students have consistently been the
largest group of commuters to and from PSU for several years. The systems reach and the discount
passes provided by PSU have given students and employees incentives to take alternative forms of
transportation. The lack of responses to bike-based incentives (although possibly a result of the already
smaller cyclist population) further demonstrates the potential decline of cycling as pictures in Figure 1.
Could policy and system improvements further affect the number of constituents who use mass transit as
their primary means of commuting? The following section aims to address this question.
TriMet in partnership with Metro Regional Government, in constantly trying to reshape how the
citizens of Portland interact and live with public transportation. In 2016, TriMet both finished and
proposed multiple new projects for the coming years that will drastically effect how Portland State
University students and staff make their way to and from campus. For much of PSUs student and staff
population, the capability to live in the Inner Portland area is decreasing as housing prices increase. This
creates a need for a more comprehensive system for this community of people to commute to and from
Portlands neighboring suburbs and outer neighborhoods.
Together Metro, TriMet, the Oregon Department of Transportation, and the cities of Gresham and
Portland are coming together to initiate the Powell-Division Transit and Development Project. This
project aims to make commuting between Gresham and Portland safer, faster, and reliable in the hopes of
redistributing and lessening the stress on TriMets system. Currently, over 18,000 people utilize the
Powell-Division transit corridor every day; this is resulting in late and over crowded buses with standing
room only. In an attempt to lessen many of Portlands citizens commuting time, Metro is facilitating this
project so that the those who that commute using the 4-Division and 9-Powell buses can get to work and

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school safely and reliably. This is especially important in expanding opportunities for communities of
color, by creating reliable transportation to a verity of socioeconomic backgrounds.
In addition, TriMet has come out with a new fare ticketing system; Hop Fastpass that Portlands
bus riding citizens will be completely transferred to, before the end of 2017. Hop was designed to be
valid in the greater Portland-Vancouver area, it will be convenient and hassle free for those that do not
like to carry cash, but most important, you will not need a bank account. This will allow citizens of
Portland who live only on liquid assets to be able to access this innovation as well.
Though this is not the first time that TriMet has changed it ticketing system, in 2015 TriMet
released a mobile ticketing app that allowed for users to pay and store their fare on their phones.
However this was only readily available to a small percentage of Portlands public transit users, in the
dust were those who are homeless, underprivileged youth, or anyone who did not have a smartphone.
Fortunately TriMet is sill using paper tickets, and cash payment, however with their next phase of
ticketing options these will slowly be phased out. But TriMet has thought ahead they are making this
system more accessible to most if not all communities in Portland. Hop Passes will be reloadable with
cash at over 500 locations in the Portland Vancouver area; they will also be pay-as-you-go passes. This
means that no one person is shelling out $100/month for an adult bus pass. Rather once you reach the
point of a full days fare cost the rest of the rides will be free. This will be true with monthly fare too,
once you take the number of rides that would amount to a monthly bus pass, the rest of the month if free.
Allowing people who use the Hop Pass to only every pay $5/day or $100/month for adult fare.
Despite the wide variety of transportation methods available to Portland citizens and the many
policy improvements and developments that have been made and will continue to appear, it is important
to bring into question whether or not the transportation methods available benefit all communities equally
and how something such as transportation can affect the greater quality of citizens lives.

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Historically, race has played an immense role in the socioeconomic status and resource
accessibility of individuals. Therefore, the relationship between race and socioeconomic standing will be
used to illustrate the problems faced by less privileged communities in obtaining effective transportation.
Figure 8 illustrates that (unlike most other metropolitan cities in the US) the presence of racial
minorities and distance from downtown (where PSU is located) have a positive correlation. This means
that as distance from downtown increases, so does the number of racial minorities present. Moreover,
Figure 9 is from a study conducted by the Pew Research Center illustrating that the average median
income of a White family is much higher than their colored counterparts. Consequently, neighborhoods
with higher minority populations tend to have a lower average median income and tend to be located
further away from downtown Portland.

Figure 8: Non-Whites as % of Population (2010)

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Figure 9: Wealth Gap between White and Colored Families

A report published by the Metro Government titled You Are Here: A snapshot of how the
Portland region gets around in April 2016, two major issues surrounding public transportation in the
Metro area with regards to race and distance from downtown Portland are addressed. The first: disparities
and variation in transit cost by political and physical geography. The second: a lack of reliable transit
where it is needed most. As seen above, low-income citizens of color tend to live further away from
downtown Portland. According to Figure 14, citizens of color also tend to rely more on public transit.
Figure 15 shows that there is a positive correlation between an individuals distance from downtown
Portland and their lack of access to reliable and inexpensive transit.

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Figure 10: Average Wait Times for Public Transit by Geographic Location

Figure 11: Primary Modes of Transportation by Ethnicity

It is a reality that commuting in Portland is not as easy as it is generally characterized to be. For
many low-income families of color, purchasing and owning a vehicle simply is not a possibility despite

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their increased distance from downtown Portland. When it comes to priorities, paying for utilities,
groceries, medical bills, and other miscellaneous expenses come first. It has become increasingly difficult
for these families to make ends meet since the 2008 recession and since the beginning of Portlands
gentrification and housing crisis.
As a result of external influences, these families have been forced to resort to alternative forms of
transportation such as public transit and biking. To reiterate the focus of Figure 9, these families are also
more likely to be located 5+ miles from downtown Portland, making biking extremely difficult.
Additionally, as seen in Figure 11, those who are further from downtown Portland also have access to
public transit that is less reliable and safe than those who live closer and have ample access to other
forms of transportation that further facilitate their daily commute.
Ultimately, studying transportation to PSU and in Portland as a whole is not simply a matter of
who prefers to drive and who prefers to ride their bicycle. It is a matter of taking into consideration the
physical, political, and economic geographical factors that may allow or limit people from different
communities and backgrounds to access these forms of transportation. It is a matter of finding problems
within the system and calling for changes so that all citizens may have access to a safe, reliable, and
effective commute -- whether it be by foot or by mass transit.

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References
"2009 Transportation Survey Report." Portland State University Campus Planning. PSU Office
of Research and Planning, May 2009. Web. 15 May 2016 .
<https://www.pdx.edu/campus-planning/sites/www.pdx.edu.campusplanning/files/Student%20Commute%20Spring%202009_0.pdf>.
Altstadt, Roberta. "Coming in 2017: Hop on board with Hop Fastpass." TriMet. 3 Sept. 2015.
Web. 15 May 2016 . <http://news.trimet.org/2015/09/coming-in-2017-hop-on-boardwith-hop-fastpass/>.
Beebe, Craig. "The Rundown: 3 transportation dilemmas for the Portland region."Oregon Metro
Government. 18 Apr. 2016. Web. 25 May 2016 .
<http://www.oregonmetro.gov/news/rundown-3-big-challenges-portlands-transportationsystem>
Duffy, Lizzy. "National Transportation App Acquires Portland Ticketing Software."Oregon
Public Broadcasting. 30 June 2015. Web. 15 May 2016 .
<http://www.opb.org/news/article/national-transportation-app-acquires-portlandticketing-software/>.
Golub, Aaron. Personal interview. 18 May 2016.
Hurley, Brian, Indrani Boyle, Kate Petak, and Molly Bressers, Ian Stude, Sarah Renkens ."2013
Transportation Update." Portland State University Campus Planning Office. 2013. Web.
19 May 2016. <https://www.pdx.edu/campus-planning/sites/www.pdx.edu.campusplanning/files/2013%20Transportation%20Update_FINAL.pdf>. (Figure 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7)
Kochhar, Rakesh, and Richard Fry. "Wealth inequality has widened along racial, ethnic lines
since end of Great Recession." Pew Research Center. 12 Dec. 2014. Web. 25 May 2016 .
<http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/12/12/racial-wealth-gaps-great-recession/>.
(Figure 9)
"Map: Race and poverty in the Portland area." The Oregonian. n.d. Web. 25 May 2016 .
<http://projects.oregonlive.com/housing/maps/poverty-race/>. (Figure 8)
Powell-Division Transit and Development Project, claims Commuting between Gresham and
Portland could get faster, easier, and safer (Metro).
"TriMet System Map." TriMet. n.d. Web. 25 May 2016.
<https://trimet.org/pdfs/maps/trimetsystem.pdf>. (Figure 6)
"You are here: A snapshot of how the Portland region gets around." Oregon Metro Government.
18 Apr. 2016. Web. 15 May 2016 . <http://www.oregonmetro.gov/news/you-are-heresnapshot-how-portland-region-gets-around>. (Figure 10, 11)

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