As we approach Thanksgiving, we're taking a moment to count some of the things we're grateful for! At Portland State and in our surrounding community of Portland, Oregon, we're thankful for:
Outstanding students who get involved with hands-on projects that benefit communities
At PSU, students don't just study in classes: They take their learning to the streets. In both the Maseeh College of Engineering & Computer Science and the Toulan School of Urban Studies & Planning, transportation students get involved with hands-on projects that result in real-world impacts. This year alone, civil engineering capstone students have worked to reimagine Southwest Portland's Sheridan Street and the upcoming Bridgeless phase of Burnside Street. Masters of Urban & Regional Planning (MURP) students have also taken on the Bridgeless Burnside project, building on the work of earlier students to transform the street during the bridge closure.
Transportation scholarships recognize the outstanding work of PSU students, and even students from other universities come to PSU to solve real-life transportation challenges using applied computing skills. At PSU, students take our motto seriously: Let Knowledge Serve The City!
World-class faculty from many disciplines who conduct cutting-edge research with transportation impacts
One of the things we appreciate about Portland State is the faculty's enthusiastic embrace of multidisciplinary work. PSU researchers and instructors approach transportation from all angles; the urban planning faculty and engineering faculty aren't the only ones working to solve transportation challenges.
In the past twelve months alone, PSU faculty from the College of Education, Sociology, Geography and Computer Science have made strides toward improving transportation systems across the state of Oregon and beyond. This type of interdisciplinary collaboration is a hallmark of PSU. Here are some recent project examples:
- College of Education: PSU Works With TriMet To Improve Wayfinding
- Geography: Mapping Oregon’s Wildlife Corridors
- Sociology: Building a Diverse Highway Construction Workforce
- Computer Science: Applying Machine Learning Methods to Estimate Bike Counts
Practitioners and community partners who put research into practice
Once research is completed at Portland State, it doesn't just sit in a vault somewhere. Transportation professionals in our region are proactive about putting research into practice, ensuring that our communities benefit from cutting-edge techniques and the latest knowledge & best practices.
In 2025, the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) received PSU's inaugural Public Impact Partner Award, in recognition of the long history of research partnership between PSU and PBOT. Decades' worth of applied research partnerships mean that people traveling in this city are using some of the nation's most innovative, multimodal transportation infrastructure.
The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) also regularly puts PSU research to work; most recently in 2024 the agency used research led by Christopher Monsere of PSU which compared methods used to remove pavement markings and evaluated driver confusion when encountering "ghost lines." The agency has updated its construction specbook, reflectivity standard, and traffic line manual to mandate evidence-based limits on the amount of reflective pavement material left after marking removal procedure.
Also in 2024, PSU researchers partnered with TriMet to evaluate the design of a new shared-use bus platform that incorporates a sidewalk-level bike lane. The project, led by TREC Research Associate Nathan McNeil, assessed how well the new design is working for transit riders and other road users along Portland's Southeast Division Street.
A wide variety of community partners work with PSU students as part of the Masters of Urban & Regional Planning (MURP) program, as well as the Better Block PSU program.
Educators who are preparing the next generation of transportation professionals
Each year, PSU's graduating class emerges equipped with tools to continue to improve the world of transportation and land use. The many outstanding faculty members at PSU lead the nation in preparing graduates to lead the industry, and we're grateful for their combined dedication and expertise.
It's not only college students who are receiving this education, either: In addition to teaching undergraduates and graduate students, there are also stellar faculty ready to teach students from other universities, K-12 students, and even professionals through continuing education. At PSU, people from all over the country come to learn advanced computing techniques, explore advanced infrastructure in Europe through our study abroad program, and learn advanced bikeway design; and a free high school camp lets students experience a behind-the-scenes look at Portland's transportation system.
A regional transportation consortium to share data and tackle challenges with the research community
Finally, PSU is grateful to be a member of PacTrans, the Pacific Northwest Transportation Consortium. The consortium has at its disposal many unique data sets, several interactive simulators, and a significant number of innovative labs. PacTrans is made up of distinguished researchers from across the seven universities that collectively address the Strategic Goals highlighted by the US Department of Transportation (infrastructure, safety, innovation, and accountability) with a focus on data-driven solutions for the mobility needs of people and goods in the Pacific Northwest.
PacTrans heavily invests in mobility and safety research to address transportation issues in the region and nationally, including funding research projects led by PSU faculty, The 2025 PacTrans Region 10 Transportation Conference was also held at Portland State University on October 10, with attendees from all over the Pacific Northwest.
Portland State University's Transportation Research and Education Center (TREC) is a multidisciplinary hub for all things transportation. We are home to the Initiative for Bicycle and Pedestrian Innovation (IBPI), the data programs PORTAL and BikePed Portal, the Better Block PSU program, and PSU's membership in PacTrans, the Pacific Northwest Transportation Consortium. Our continuing goal is to produce impactful research and tools for transportation decision makers, expand the diversity and capacity of the workforce, and engage students and professionals through education, seminars, and participation in research. To get updates about what's happening at TREC, sign up for our monthly newsletter or follow us on social media.
