A proposal in Congress would undermine the Portland area's ability to build a balanced transportation system that provides travel options and protects air quality, Metro Council President Tom Hughes said today.

Metro's Active Transportation Plan will identify a main network of on- and off-street bicycling and walking facilities, as well as develop policies that support active transportation. The plan will also prioritize projects and recommend a funding and implementation strategy.

Metro Councilor Rex Burkholder and Burgerville representatives announced the winners of the Nutcase Helmets design contest on Saturday, Jan. 21 at the Hawthorne Blvd. Burgerville. A panel of judges, including representatives from Burgerville, Metro, Nutcase Helmets and Work for Art, joined KGW meteorologist Matt Zaffino, an avid cyclist, to select eight winners from the more than 400 entries.

Local policies designed to preserve farmland and make livable neighborhoods have made the Portland area well prepared to reduce emissions related to climate change, but more work will be needed to meet state targets and maintain the quality of life the region is striving for.

Community members who live in the Southwest corridor area, between Portland and Sherwood, are invited to help develop a common vision for communities and the Southwest Barbur Boulevard/99W corridor.

Metro recently expedited approval of federal and state air quality reviews to help a package of road improvements stay on pace to be finished in time for the expected opening of Intel's D1X facility next year.

Metro invites the region to view and comment on the upcoming four-year schedule of federal transportation investments in the Portland area. The four-year schedule, known as the 2012-2015 Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Program, encompasses all federal spending on transportation, including highways, public transit, pedestrian and bike projects in the three-county metropolitan area.

Metro planners are wrapping up the first phase of their study of the region's greenhouse gas emissions, focusing primarily on exhaust from cars and light trucks. The work was prompted by legislation at the state, which required the Portland region to reduce its per capita vehicle emissions by 20 percent by 2035.

Metro councilor emcees press conference featuring a spectrum of community activists. They had different ideas for a solution for the Columbia River, but generally agreed that the government-endorsed project was a boondoggle.

At a work session Tuesday, Metro Council discusses whether the Tualatin Valley Highway should be thought of as an arterial or throughway, a definition that will help officials planning for the the future of the road.