A transportation-themed course with an emphasis on land use, mobility, social justice and racial equality. 

*Registration for the next class will open Summer 2020*

What:    A 10-week course sponsored by the Portland Bureau of Transportation 
When:   Thursdays Oct. 3rd - Dec. 5th, 2019, 6:40 - 8:40 p.m.
Where:  Portland State University, Fariborz Maseeh Hall B128 (Registered Participants Only)
Who:     Designed for transportation enthusiasts to learn about evolving mobility and transportation
              opportunities in the city.

     

      

 

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ABOUT

Have you ever wondered the answers to these questions: 

1. How many unpaved streets are there in Portland and where are they located?

2. What is statistically the unsafest street in Portland and what design factors lead to this "distinction"? 

3. Could charging tolls on some streets and highways help to regulate traffic flow in the greater Portland area? 

4. Could the Columbia and Willamette Rivers be used as transportation corridors for high-speed hydrofoil-based commuter transport? 

This course will touch on some of these questions and more in the framework of studying the planning and development of transportation systems for the City of Portland and the region. Emphasis will be on aspects of land use, mobility, and social justice, including racial equality. 

The Portland Traffic & Transportation Course was created in 1991 by Portland's then-Transportation Commissioner Earl Blumenauer (currently Oregon Congressman) and Rick Gustafson, former Metro Executive Officer and Oregon House of Representative (currently Vice President of a project management consultancy). 2019 marks its 28th consecutive year, now led by Thuy Tu (see Instructor Bio below) and is rebranded as "The New Evolution". 

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SYLLABUS

View the 2019 Course Syllabus 

The Portland Traffic & Transportation Course: The New Evolution will provide a platform for students to advance their technical knowledge while being sensitive to place and community within the Portland metro area. Students will have the opportunity to engage with community-based organizations and industry professionals on questions of policy, planning, design and implementation of equitable transportation systems. It will provide the history of Portland’s transportation systems ending with their current status and a view to future planning needs.

Guest lectures will be included together with a project of special interest to each student. 

The weekly class discussions will include aspects of equity and diversity, livability and affordability, community engagement, sustainability and resilience, and innovative technology.

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REGISTRATION INFORMATION

REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED FOR 2019

The course is FREE if taken for no credit. 

Limited space for 30 students is available for the 10-week class during the fall term at Portland State University. All applicants will be notified of their status the week of September 16th. Registration does not guarantee placement in the class. The 2019 class is a transitional year from registration systems of the past and some applicants were given priority based on racial and geographic demographics, in addition to 2017/2018 wait-listed students and PSU direct enrollments.

Portland residents will receive a full scholarship paid for by the Portland Bureau of Transportation for this non-credit course. Deadline for scholarship application is September 6th, 2019. No exceptions.  

You may also take the course for one undergraduate or graduate credit at PSU. Contact the Urban Studies and Planning Department for more information. To register as a paid non-credit/audit or non-admitted one-credit class, contact the PSU Admissions Office.

To register for credit as a full-time PSU student, you must be selected to participate via the lottery first. Then, register as you would for any other undergraduate or graduate PSU course.

Questions?

Michael Espinoza
Active Transportation & Safety Division
503-823-7083
michael.espinoza@portlandoregon.gov

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LIVE & ARCHIVED VIDEOS

Anyone is welcome to watch the class recordings learn from the content.

2019 STREAMING VIDEOS

Watch it live Thursdays at 6:40pm. After registering (free service), you will receive a link to the webinar via email.  Recordings of the class will also be posted the next day at the link below on YouTube. Search for the "Portland Traffic & Transportation" playlist. 

 

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INSTRUCTOR BIO

 

The instructor, Ms. Thuy Tu, has twenty years of experience as a Senior Transportation Planner and Civil Engineering Project Manager. She is an innovative collaborator, progressive communicator, educator and believes in people-focused urban design concepts and methods.

She graduated from Benson Polytechnic High School and earned a Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Portland where her studies were focused on traffic and transportation. 

Now the principal and founder of her own consulting firm, she has been an adjunct professor at the University of Portland, at the Portland Campus of the University of Oregon’s School of Architecture and Allied Arts, and a mentor of project management and civil engineering for the Portland State University Student Chapter of Engineers without Borders. Thuy has also led a course on Master Planning for Resiliency for the Lents Community and Vision Planning for 82nd Avenue.