Shirley Craddick

Metro receives federal funds every two to three years for transportation projects in the region as part of the Regional Flexible Funds program. During this current three-year cycle, there is about $94.58 million in flexible funds available for area projects. Metro and the cities and counties across the region are working to select among 29 proposed bike, pedestrian, freight and road projects. The final decision will be made in the fall, but we need your input now. Public comments on which projects to fund are being taken through 5 p.m. on June 7. Project descriptions are available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese and Russian.

If you want to hear the latest about trail projects taking shape across the region, attend the Regional Trails Fair, from 1 to 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 8, at the Metro Regional Center, 600 NE Grand Avenue in Portland.

The Oregon Zoo Foundation has been awarded a $10,000 grant from the Nike Employee Grant Fund to help introduce low-income and minority youth to the benefits of outdoor camping and conservation, officials announced this week.

Metro announces the recipients of $2.1 million in funds awarded through the Regional Travel Options grant program. These fourteen grants will support projects that increase opportunities for residents to use transit, carpool, ride their bicycles or walk.

With today's growing preference for walkable communities and locally owned and operated businesses, historic streets and districts are re-emerging as the heart of the community that draw people together and help rebuild local economies. Learn how Metro's Development Center acts as a public partner in two programs for revitalizing downtowns and main streets that offer strategies from small – such as lighting and window display techniques – to grand, such as a comprehensive revitalization curriculum for a commercial district.