3 Questions with Lynn Peterson
Metro Council President shares a few personal transportation stories that inform her vision for the region's transportation future
Leading up to her appearance at the 2023 Oregon Active Transportation Summit, we’re featuring 3 Questions with Lynn Peterson. Below, Lynn shares about a few of the streets that have shaped her life and work so far.
1. Tell me about the street you grew up on.
Ravenswood Road in Madison, Wisconsin. There was about 1.5 miles between our house and the nearest intersection, with continuous sidewalks, so mom would let us ride our Big Wheels all the way down and back, unsupervised.
2. What’s your favorite street in the world and why?
When I was a transportation advocate at 1000 Friends of Oregon, I worked on the new south Deschutes bridge crossing [Bill Healy Memorial Bridge] to connect the east and west sides of Bend. It’s also a great connection for cyclists and pedestrians traveling between Farewell Bend Park and the Old Mill District along the Deschutes River Trail.
3. If you could snap your fingers and change one thing about our streets, what would it be?
Medians everywhere! There are 64 places in an intersection you can die, and only four parts on a roundabout. They clearly signal where you can turn left, and don’t allow for continuous left turns. They increase safety, predictability, and movement for all users.
Before beginning her political career, Lynn was a transportation planner and advocate. In a new book, she shares the experience, research and practices for transportation equity that inform her role at Metro, and dives into local and national case studies. Guests of next week’s Summit will have the opportunity to attend an in-person reading and Q&A on Wednesday, April 26 at 3:30pm.
Registration for the 2023 Oregon Active Transportation Summit will close on Saturday, April 22nd.
What Can I Do?
If you can do one thing this week to reclaim streets for people, do this.
Take Metro’s RTP Survey
Public engagement for the 2023 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) is happening now! Have a say in what is prioritized by taking this five to ten minute survey online.
What is the RTP and why does it matter?
The RTP identifies the greater Portland region’s transportation needs and guides investments for all forms of travel—driving, transit, biking and walking—and the movement of goods and services.
The last time the plan was updated was in 2018, and a lot has changed since then. The climate crisis and traffic violence have accelerated, and will continue to accelerate until we align project priorities with our vision of a complete, safe, low-carbon, multimodal transportation system.
Transportation agencies across the region have already identified investment priorities for the draft project list. See which projects are in your community or the places you travel.
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Thanks for reading #OurStreets!