Author: Brian Davis

  • A Primer on Trip Generation

    As a key factor in determining rates for Portland’s proposed street utility fee, the Institute of Transportation Engineers’ (ITE, henceforth) Trip Generation Manual has gotten a lot of love lately among local transportation wonks. It is worthwhile, then, to take a quick trip through the weeds of the manual to better understand where the opportunities…

  • In Support of a Street Improvement Fee

    On Thursday, I’ll be joining what I hope will be a large group of transportation enthusiasts and activists in attending PBOT’s Our Streets Town Hall. Motivated by a series of missed opportunities that have made our 2030 bicycle plan look more like a naïve aspiration than a realistic, achievable goal, and appalled by a recent…

  • Shedding Some Light on “Be Seen, Be Safe”

    Along with the shortening of the days and the return of the rain, it appears that the parade of retro-reflectivity brought about by campaigns such as Tri-Met’s “Be Seen Be Safe” is becoming an autumn tradition in these parts. The award-winning initiative, which encourages people walking and riding to dress for maximum visibility, probably sounds…

  • A Walktober Tour of Portland’s Crosswalks

    I’m joined in assembling this post by Kirk Paulsen, who took the photos within and contributed many great ideas. It’s October, or as your local walking advocacy group Oregon Walks has branded it for the last two years, “Walktober.” I agree wholeheartedly with the sentiment—there really isn’t a better time to go for a stroll than…

  • Meet the “P Design Vehicle”

    It is often said of traffic engineers that we’re an auto-centric bunch. I’m sure you’re aware of the list of sins—designing everything to minimize auto delay during the busiest 15 minutes and all that jazz. But what specific auto, pray tell, is at the centre of our auto-centrism? That would be what we in the…