Last week at the regular Joint Policy Advisory Committee on Transportation (JPACT) meeting, two members of our Regional Flexible Funds Task Force made a presentation on their work. Steve Ganiere from Alliance Packaging in Beaverton and Stephen Gomez from the Bicycle Transportation Alliance explained to the gathering of regional elected leaders and agency directors how they had spent the past few months coming to a shared understanding of the complex challenge of balancing freight mobility and access for bicycles and pedestrians.

I want to take this opportunity to thank the members of that task force for their commitment, creativity and common sense. Most of the members attended all five of the two- to three-hour task force meetings. They represent trucking and rail firms, manufacturing, hospitals, education, bike and pedestrian activists, underserved communities and more. They started from very different perspectives, spent many hours trying to explain and understand each others' issues, and found they had more in common than not.

This was a bit of an experiment. In the past, we would have convened the Regional Freight Task Force and the Active Transportation Partnership separately.

As chair of JPACT, I proposed that bringing them to the table together, and adding new faces that had not been in either group before, might provide more insight and give us a better outcome. Together, this new group helped us set priorities for how to spend the scarce federal dollars our region allocates to non-road projects—the so-called "regional flexible funds." They also established criteria for judging which projects make the most sense for funding. This was hard work. I encourage you to follow the link to read their report.

Read the report

Next steps in the funding process will include working with transportation staff across the region to help design the best projects to fit those criteria. Stay tuned.  

In the meantime, February offers several opportunities to get out and enjoy our beautiful surroundings. Metro is pleased to provide you with this list of events and activities. Please read more below and follow the links for additional information and registration.

Prowling for Owls
Whooooo goes there? Come to the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge to find out about the owls that make the refuge their home. During a night hike, learn about the mysterious lives of our nocturnal neighbors, discover their habitat and learn about their amazing adaptations for life at night
7 to 9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 18
Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge
19255 SW Pacific Highway
Learn more


Landscaping for conservation
Save time, save money and help out the environment by letting nature do your gardening. Join Stephanie Wagner for a landscaping for conservation workshop at Tryon Creek Nature Center. Discover how your garden can function more like a natural system
1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 19
Tryon Creek Nature Center
11321 SW Terwilliger Blvd.
Portland, OR 97219
Learn more


Portland Fix-It Fair
It's Fix-It Fair season! For 24 years, free Fix-It Fairs have helped area residents save money, live healthier and connect to valuable resources for sustainable living. Fix-It Fairs offer day-long exhibits, hourly how-to classes and free giveaways. Meet at Jefferson High School
8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb 26
Jefferson High School
5210 N. Kerby Ave.
Portland, OR 97217
Learn more
 

Winter birds at Smith and Bybee Wetlands
The winter birds are really settled in at Smith and Bybee. The most obvious winter visitors are the numerous waterfowl and raptors that hang out at the lakes until spring. The year-round residents as well as a few winter songbirds are easier to see because all the leaves are gone. Suitable for adults and children 10 and older. Bring binoculars or borrow a pair on site
9:30 am to noon Saturday, Feb. 26
Smith and Bybee Wetlands Natural Area
5300 N. Marine Dr.
Portland, OR 97203
Learn more


More things to do, brought to you by GreenScene
Metro GreenScene provides a comprehensive calendar of free and low-cost nature activities, gardening workshops, volunteer ventures and community events offered all around the region by Metro and dozens of other organizations.

View the online calendar
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