Project Purpose

The purpose of the Project is to develop the Gorge Regional Transit Strategy, which will be a roadmap for a regionally coordinated and integrated public transportation system in a rural 5-county, bi-state region adjacent to the large metropolitan areas of Portland/Vancouver.  The second of two phases has launched and will build on and seamlessly continue work completed in Phase I.

Phase I, completed in February 2022, strengthens partnerships and analyzes existing local transportation plans in the Columbia Gorge to begin building a collective regional vision. The goal of Phase I was to combine the goals, policies, and prioritizations of local transportation planning efforts in the Columbia Gorge to establish a foundation for a regional strategy and a collective vision for public transportation. Phase I objectives included strengthening partnerships, completing local plan assessments, and synthesizing goals and policies into a high-level regional vision.

Phase II will focus on a more comprehensive implementation strategy including further data analysis, funding and financial planning, assessment of potential regional organizational structures, and operational and policy strategies.