Author: Kayla Kennett

Nicole’s Story: Championing Safe Routes to School in Clackamas County

Posted on by Kayla Kennett

In Clackamas County, where diverse geography and demographics present unique transportation challenges, our Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program is at the forefront, offering customized solutions with a strong focus on equity.

Our SRTS work in Clackamas County includes infrastructure safety assessment and evaluation, community engagement through events, education programming, a K-8 art poster contest, and creating action plans alongside communities. These initiatives empower students, families, and communities to recommend vital projects and activities, ensuring the safety and equity of all students, regardless of their background or location.

The driving force behind this program is Nicole Perry, our dedicated Clackamas County Safe Routes to School Coordinator.

A Personal Journey for a Safer Community

Nicole’s personal journey within the Clackamas County Safe Routes to School program began when her eldest child started kindergarten. They intentionally moved to be within walking distance of their local school. However, she soon realized that while she had a relatively complete pathway system for her kids, some neighbors on the other side of the school did not. This prompted Nicole to work alongside Safe Routes to School advocates, securing grants, creating action plans, and organizing encouragement events at Linwood Elementary/Sojourner School in Milwaukie.

Advocacy That Creates Lasting Impact

Nicole continued her involvement in Clackamas Safe Routes to School as a Confluence AmeriCorps member, serving Clackamas County. Her advocacy efforts focused on House Bill 2017, which played a crucial role in securing cyclical grant funding crucial to sustain the program and support the Linwood Ave Improvement project. This project stands as Nicole’s proudest accomplishment, as it had a profound impact on her community.

“The Linwood connection is the proudest one for me as it is literally my community. I live in the neighborhood. The improvements were completed well after my children went to school there, but my neighbors are using them with their kids and the entire community benefits, including my dog!”“I believe that everyone deserves safe, reliable access to the places they want to go, and that we need more options to make this a reality. When someone can’t access work, community or recreation, just because they can’t drive or don’t have a car, it has countless ripple effects on their health and well-being.”

Impact on Safety, Participation, and Community Engagement

Over the years, Nicole has seen her efforts lead to increased community involvement and higher participation of kids in active transportation, all while raising safety awareness. Her motivation to continue stems from the program’s increasing longevity and the growing interest from school districts and cities in collaborating on solutions to transportation challenges. Nicole is passionate about teaching kids how to safely navigate their communities and is optimistic about the revitalization of programs that encourage active transportation choices.

“There are so many ways kids can get to school and around their community, and there needs to be resources to teach them how to do so safely. Clackamas County is considering multiple modes of transportation. By prioritizing pedestrians, bicyclists, and other wheel-operated contraptions, the awareness of all users grows. I envision my role as a conduit of information and opportunities for people to grow their knowledge and put forth action toward more active transportation choices.”

A Promising Future

Looking ahead, Nicole envisions a promising future for the Clackamas Safe Routes to School program. Today, she supports the program full time as a staff member of The Street Trust. She is hopeful for the resurgence of programs like Safety Town and crossing guard initiatives, and anticipates additional pedestrian and bicycle education opportunities. The program’s focus on multiple modes of transportation in Clackamas County is set to raise awareness among all users, encouraging active transportation choices.

Get Involved

To learn more about the Clackamas Safe Routes to School program visit: https://www.clackamas.us/engineering/srts.html

To learn more about how you can support Safe Routes to School, contact [email protected].

Recap of the 2023 Alice Awards

Posted on by Kayla Kennett

On Saturday, October 14th, the Oregon Zoo became a habitat for one of our favorite species—transportation visionaries. The 2023 Alice Awards brought together nearly 200 people who share a common commitment to help create a safer, more accessible, and more sustainable transportation system. 

Together, we enjoyed an evening filled with inspiration, community, and generosity, raising an astounding $70,267 through sponsorships and individual donations to further our mission.

 

 

Highlights

The program kicked off with a special video message from Congressman Earl Blumenauer, a national champion for bike and pedestrian issues. In his remarks, he emphasized the importance of community-based transportation advocacy and extended his sincere thanks to our award recipients for their dedication to improving Oregon’s transportation system.

Congratulations again to our 2023 Alice Awards winners and finalists. Learn more about them here.

Then, Poison Waters brought her signature style and charisma to the stage as our emcee. She helped pay a heartfelt tribute to her close friend, Darcelle XV, who was posthumously recognized with the Lifetime Achievement Award.

We were also delighted to have auctioneer Amanda Valley, who led an exciting and successful live appeal, generating dozens of individual donations.

The evening culminated with the long-awaited results of the Alice Awards Raffle. One participant walked away with a brand new Tern E-Cargo bike, complete with a front rack and rear bags, courtesy of Clever Cycles. Another lucky winner received a car rear rack for two bikes, thanks to ReRack Portland. Finally, a weekend getaway to the Society Hotel was awarded to our Last Hero donor.

Thank you to our local business community for making these prizes possible.

 

 

 

Thank You!

The resounding success of the 2023 Alice Awards would not have been possible without the dedication and support of numerous individuals and organizations. We extend our deepest gratitude to everyone who attended, our generous sponsors, and the staff and volunteers who worked tirelessly behind the scenes.

Your contributions will reach far beyond this event’s success. As we look to the year ahead, we’re filled with hope, knowing that the momentum generated by your investments of time, talent, and resources will inspire others to join the movement, make donations, and further our cause. Together, we can continue building a transportation system that’s safe, accessible, and sustainable for all.

 

Thank you to our 2023 Alice Awards Sponsors

 

 

Announcing the 2023 Alice Awards Winners

Posted on by Kayla Kennett

The Alice Awards honors individuals and organizations shaping Oregon’s transportation landscape, leading with a commitment to The Street Trust’s mission to create a complete, safe, low-carbon, and multimodal transportation system for enhanced accessibility and equity.

The Street Trust is proud to announce the following 2023 award recipients:

The 2023 Alice Award recipient is The City of Tigard. This award acknowledges their outstanding work in building a multimodal transportation system that promotes a healthy and prosperous community. Their contributions include implementing an innovative e-bike sharing program, reducing speed limits, creating safe routes to school, and advocating for improvements on “orphan highways,” notably Hall Boulevard. The City of Tigard’s dedication to safety, accessibility, and sustainability sets an inspiring example for the region.

Walter “Darcelle XV” Cole is the 2023 recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award. His dedication to better bicycling and safer streets in Portland spanned decades, starting with his involvement in the Bicycle Transportation Alliance in 1992. His enduring advocacy for improved bicycling infrastructure and safer streets in Portland continued steadfastly. Although Darcelle XV is no longer with us, his legacy lives on through the positive impact he had on the city and the cycling community.

Metro Councilor Juan Carlos González is the 2023 recipient of the Elizabeth Jennings Graham Award. He has shown exceptional dedication to championing transportation justice and equity, particularly through his roles on the Metro Council and Joint Policy Advisory Committee on Transportation (JPACT). His work truly embodies the spirit of the award, making a lasting impact on transportation justice in the region and creating a more equitable and accessible transportation system for all.

Shawne Martinez is the recipient of the 2023 Safe Streets for All Award for his unwavering dedication to promoting safer streets and sustainable modes of transportation, driven by his commitment as a parent to provide a healthier lifestyle for his daughter and combat climate change. His innovative approach, including documenting his transition from a diesel pickup to eco-friendly transportation, and advocating for responsible driving, sets a remarkable example and significantly contributes to improving street safety for all.

Recipients Reflects on Their Motivations

Dave Roth, Principal Transportation Planner at City of Tigard, shared his vision for Tigard’s mobility future:

“Our community is working together to ensure that everyone can participate, prosper, and thrive, regardless of their identity, experience, age, ability, or preferred mode of travel. We’re building a vibrant, equitable, and healthy city for generations to come, with safe, sustainable, and accessible mobility options at the core of our decisions.”

Poison Waters, a close friend of Walter “Darcelle XV” Cole, reflects on the legacy of this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award recipient:

“Darcelle taught me to be a person, not just a personality. Locally, he was part of numerous nonprofits, worked with the homeless long before it became a crisis, and always supported the houseless in our community. He and Roxy spent nearly five decades building their business, raising funds for charities, caring for friends affected by HIV/AIDS, and advocating for LGBTQ rights.”

Metro Councilor Juan Carlos González shares his commitment to creating an equitable and accessible transportation system:

“As the youngest and first elected Latino Metro Councilor, my commitment is unwavering in ensuring that underrepresented communities have a seat at the decision-making table. I’ve dedicated myself to advocating for safe, equitable, and accessible transportation systems, especially in neglected areas like TV Highway. Equity, accessibility, and safety are at the forefront of my vision for our community.”

Shawne Martinez, the 2023 Safe Streets for All Award recipient, reveals the motivation behind his advocacy for safer streets and sustainable transportation:

“Becoming a parent brought tremendous positive change to my life! I realized that driving a big stinky pickup truck was harmful to my daughter and everyone else around us. I made transportation choices to promote a healthy lifestyle. I want to be able to tell my daughter that I did everything I could to end car dependency and fight climate change.”

In addition to our winners, we’d like to recognize the following finalists who were nominated for an award this year!

 

 

Meet our Development Director, Brittany Morris!

Posted on by Kayla Kennett

Last month, we welcomed a new member to The Street Trust team! As Development Director, Brittany Morris (she/her/dia) will lead fundraising and supporter relations, creating unique opportunities for individuals, families, and organizations to invest in our mission.

How can you help to create a safer, more sustainable and equitable transportation system? Contact Brittany at [email protected]to explore your options.


Brittany moved to Portland eight years ago: 5,000 miles by bicycle from her home state of Florida. It was a formative experience that added to her already formidable leadership skills, developing her patience, grit, and sense of wonder.

She immediately fell into Portland’s nonprofit scene, working in the Schools United Neighborhood program at Buckman Elementary School managed by Impact NW. Her role as site coordinator involved some small fundraisers and sparked her initial interest in development work. She later worked as development associate, hosting large events, conducting major donor cultivation, and more.

Brittany comes to us from another transportation nonprofit, Community Cycling Center, where she was most recently Development Director. When asked what inspired her to shift focus to multimodal transportation, Brittany said:

“I believe that everyone deserves safe, reliable access to the places they want to go, and that we need more options to make this a reality. When someone can’t access work, community or recreation, just because they can’t drive or don’t have a car, it has countless ripple effects on their health and well-being.

Outside of her day job, Brittany continues to pursue that mission by volunteering and organizing activities for Adventure Cycling Association, Cycle Oregon, Radical Adventure Riders, BikePOC PNW and Next Up. She’s excited to be at a point in her career where she has the time and skills to give back and mentor others in the nonprofit community.

What do you most enjoy about working at The Street Trust?

I enjoy being a part of a dynamic team of people who aren’t afraid to ask difficult questions and present creative solutions. It’s inspiring!

Lately, I’ve been leading this year’s Alice Awards, The Street Trust’s annual award ceremony honoring champions for the future of transportation. I hope to see you there on Saturday, October 14th at the Oregon Zoo! Tickets and nominations are open at the link below.

 

Get Tickets

 

The Metro RTP Update is Happening Now

Posted on by Kayla Kennett

On July 10th, Metro published a whopping 572 page dossier on the policies, projects, and funding necessary to meet its vision for the region’s transportation system for the next two decades.

This government document is officially known as a Regional Transportation Plan (RTP). It is the blueprint that guides investments for all forms of travel – driving, transit, biking and walking – and the movement of goods and services throughout greater Portland.

The plan identifies nearly $43 billion in investments in operations, maintenance, and preservation of the transportation system through 2045. The plan includes another $25.5 billion to manage/optimize and expand the region’s highway and transit systems, improve access to freight destinations and complete gaps in biking and walking connections and regional trails that provide important access to transit, downtowns, schools, services and other community destinations.

The Mix of Investments in the Public Review Draft Regional Transportation Plan Project List

Usually, RTPs are updated every five years, as required by federal law. The 2023 Metro RTP update started 18 months ago and must be completed by Wednesday, December 6th.

The plan is currently in its draft stage, where public comments and questions are welcomed. Now through Friday August 25th, Metro wants to hear from YOU! Visit our Community Engagement page to explore your options.

Add your voice to the RTP