Welcome to the Transportation Problems and Policy Class Blog at Portland State University

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For the next ten weeks this blog will highlight the efforts of the Transportation Problems and Policy class at Portland State University. The site will primarily be used as a resource for students in the class, but anyone is welcome to read and comment on the content.

The class is being led by Joe Broach in the Department of Urban Studies and Planning. Please direct general questions about the blog or course to him. Thanks for reading!

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Invisible Cyclists

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Today if you were to ask anyone in Portland Oregon to describe to you what a typical Oregonian cyclist looks like, you will probably get the description of a white, hipster, and privileged man. It would be very rare that you got the description of a minority and undocumented person. Under Oregon laws, undocumented residents or people who are not citizens of the United States are not allowed to get a driver license or Identification card. Therefore many undocumented people in Oregon must rely on public and active transportation for their transportation needs and mobility. Portland offers different types of public transportations and infrastructure for biking for people who are dependent on public and active transportations; however, once you step out of Portland, the go into the suburbs or rural communities, one might be lucky if you find a bus stop near sight. Undocumented residents don't bike because of the benefits to the environment, or because of the positive impacts to their...
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Bicycle Parking/Storage Arrangements

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Bicycling culture experienced within the urban area has been used as the modern mode of transport. As the active mode of transportation, bicycling integrates physical activities, hence making it an alternative attractive urban transport compared to the automobile. Cycling has been associated with public health benefits that range from physical and mental health improvement. Health benefits include a reduction in obesity, decreased cases and risks of cardiovascular diseases among others. Cycling contributes to environmental benefits such as reduction of noise and air pollution as well as greenhouse gas emissions. As the number of cyclist increases in the urban areas, there is a need for enhancing the cycling infrastructure. Cycling infrastructure increases the potential benefits that are associated with bicycling as the mode of transportation ( Reynolds et al, 2009 ). One influencing factor in cycling decision is the presence of secure and convenient bicycle parking. In order to enco...
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