The Transportation Research and Education Center (TREC) at PSU is committed to teaching university students the latest available information on multimodal, active, equitable and safe transportation and urban design. Developed as part of various university transportation courses, the below curriculum modules help to further this objective.
| Curriculum Module | Description | Developed by | Materials for Download |
| Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plans | Creating a Master Plan for bicycling and pedestrians is one of the first steps in achieving active transportation goals. This module explores the unique needs of pedestrians and bicyclists and the elements present in a complete Master Plan. Steps to creating the Master Plan and the components that make up a plan will be explained. Example plans from other cities will be explored to highlight these components. | Lynn Weigand, Ph.D., PSU | Curriculum Module: Overview, Lecture Notes, Slides, Three Assignments, and Related Resources |
| Bicycle and Pedestrian Programs and Design Movements | There is an array of programs and initiatives within the fields of transportation, planning and public health that relate to or support pedestrian and bicycling policies and infrastructure, and education and encouragement programs. This module will introduce different movements in transportation and design that lend themselves to more bicycle and pedestrian oriented planning. | Lynn Weigand, Ph.D., PSU | Curriculum Module: Overview, Lecture Notes, Slides, Two Assignments, and Related Resources |
| Bicycle Facility Design | Bicycle facilities range from conventional bike lanes to coordinated wayfinding systems, all acting to improve the safety and comfort of bicyclists. This module will review different types of facilities available to jurisdictions to improve their bikeway network. They are drawn from international best practices and this module gives an overview of when and how they can be used. There are two separate lectures, one focused on types of facilities and the second focused on bike parking only. | Lynn Weigand, Ph.D., PSU | Curriculum Module: Overview, Lecture Notes, Slides, Three Assignments, and Related Resources |
| Data Collection | This module will review some of the methods and reasons behind conducting research on bicycle and pedestrian planning. Research on bicycle and pedestrian planning helps answer questions about behavior, needs, and will help set benchmarks to determine the progress and success of a program. From answering questions about users to facilities, this research can improve the outcomes of a bicycle or pedestrian facility and network. | Lynn Weigand, Ph.D., PSU | Curriculum Module: Overview, Lecture Notes, Slides, Two Assignments, and Related Resources |
| Education and Encouragement Programs | This module looks at ways different organizations are educating and encouraging youth to be safe bicyclists and pedestrians. Education and encouragement activities for this age group take a variety forms and intend to impart healthy habits for life. Since children see, hear, and process information differently than adults, education programs must be crafted specifically with the child’s developmental ability in mind. | Lynn Weigand, Ph.D., PSU | Curriculum Module: Overview, Lecture Notes, Slides, Three Assignments, and Related Resources |
| History of Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning | This module will begin by looking at the history of bicycle and pedestrian travel, or active transportation, and ways in which it has been designed and funded in the United States. Active transportation choices have economic, health, and environmental benefits which makes it increasingly relevant to communities across the United States today. Finally, there will be a discussion on different organizations and institutions which are collaborating and working on improving bicycle and pedestrian transportation. | Lynn Weigand, Ph.D., PSU | Curriculum Module: Overview, Lecture Notes, Slides, Assignments, and Related Resources |
| Pedestrian Facility Design | Pedestrians can be viewed as the foundation of the transportation system as essentially every trip begins and ends with pedestrians. This is a diverse group with different facilities needs. There are four primary design elements for pedestrians that will be discussed. Strengths of different facility types, how to plan for the American with Disabilities Act (ADA), and theories such as Universal Design will all be discussed to give planners and advocates a better idea of how to create a welcoming pedestrian environment. | Lynn Weigand, Ph.D., PSU | Curriculum Module: Overview, Lecture Notes, Slides, Two Assignments, and Related Resources |
| Trail Design | Trails are increasingly being used as a vital component to the bicycle and pedestrian network and are seen as an asset to the community. Traditionally, trails in communities were primarily for recreational purposes. Now they are providing needed connections between communities and a safe place to ride. This module will look at the variety of trail types and what components are necessary for a successful trail project. | Lynn Weigand, Ph.D., PSU | Curriculum Module: Overview, Lecture Notes, Slides, Two Assignments, A Form For Collecting Counts, and Related Resources |
| Transportation Facilities Design | This is a class required for students acquiring a graduate degree in transportation engineering. It introduces common facility design concepts for transportation infrastructure. | Karen Dixon, Ph.D., Oregon State University | Curriculum Report: Syllabus, Reading Lists, Instructions For Class Projects, Lectures Notes and Supplemental Materials |
| Bike & Ped Engineering Curricula | This is a slide deck offering an overview of how to integrate bicycle and pedestrian topics into transportation engineering curriculum, both in the classroom and in the professional sphere. | Miguel Figliozzi, Ph.D., PSU Chris Monsere, Ph.D., P.E., PSU | Lessons Regarding Projects For The Classroom & Connecting With The Profession |
| Misc - History of Bike & Ped Planning and Engineering | These presentations offer a brief historical synopsis of the emergence of bicycle and pedestrian-oriented transportation planning, both in general as well as specific to Portland, Oregon. | Susan Mason, Ph.D., Boise State University Peter Koonce, P.E., PSU | Bicyclist Planning For Engineering 108 Brief History Of Portland Pedestrian And Bicycling Evolution Part #1 Bicycle & Pedestrian Design And Planning Topics For Curriculum Part #2 Bicycle Design And Planning Topics For Curriculum Part #3 |
| Bike & Ped Counting | These materials provide templates for recording counts of bicycles, pedestrians, and motorists, and their turning movement counts (TMC), as well as a presentation on bike/ped count programs. | Krista Nordback, Ph.D., P.E., PSU |
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| USP 465-565 Ped & Bike Planning Lecture | This class examines the importance of walking and bicycling as means of transportation that equitably advances health, economics, access, and quality of life. We will consider the possibilities when politics, policies, planning, projects, programs and people focus on prioritizing our public ways for people. We will draw heavily on Portland’s experience, but also include research and practices from other US and international cities. | Drusilla van Hengel, Ph.D., PSU | Syllabus, Readings, and Curriculum Modules |
| CE 493-593 Bike & Ped Infrastructure | Design and operational concepts in the engineering design of bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure. This course covers on-road and shared path locations. Specific topics include design details of bikeways, basic geometric design, intersection and signalization considerations, and ADA requirements supporting non-motorized modes. | Chris Monsere, Ph.D., P.E., PSU | Request Access to this Google Drive Folder for Assignments, Design Guides, Projects, and Instructor Resources. |
| CE 351 Transportation Systems | This course is an introduction to the principles of transportation engineering with a focus on highway engineering and traffic analysis. Topics include vehicle fundamentals and road vehicle performance, geometric design, pavement design, and fundamentals of traffic flow and queuing theory. Linkages beyond the highway mode are included. | Avinash Unnikrishnan, Ph.D., PSU | Syllabus, Reading List, Course Objectives and Resources |
The curriculum modules and resources shared here are offered to you conditioned on your acceptance without modifications of the Terms. Your use of the curriculum modules constitutes your agreement to all such Terms.
- To reproduce or make copies of the modules: any reproductions or copies must contain proper attribution to the Transportation Research and Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University, and at a minimum, the TREC logo.
- To distribute the modules or module adaptations: any reproductions or copies must contain proper attribution to TREC, and at a minimum, the TREC logo.
- To create and reproduce adaptations (work based on the curriculum modules): provided that any such adaptations or changes, including any translation in any medium, takes reasonable steps to clearly label, demarcate or otherwise identify that changes were made to the original modules. For example, a translation could be marked "The original curriculum modules were translated from English to Spanish." If significant adapations are made (e.g. language translation) that may benefit other users, please contact us at asktrec@pdx.edu to determine whether this update could be added to the project resources.
Anna is a low-vision parent, nondriver and author of 
Ray Delahanty is the creator behind 
Author of Roadways for People: Rethinking Transportation Planning and Engineering, Lynn Peterson’s career has led her on a journey from building projects to building communities that work for everyone. Lynn’s 30-year-plus transportation career has covered an impressive range of experience. From building and designing roads to serving as an elected and appointed official in both Oregon and Washington, respectively, she has worked on policy and implementation of transportation projects and trained State DOTs on forward-thinking transportation planning processes. Nationally recognized as a transportation and land use integration expert, she understands the pitfalls of being a White urban woman working with communities that are culturally and racially different from her own. She also recognizes that in order to do her best work, she must always strive to keep an open heart and mind in order to understand the perspectives of individuals in her communities.
Elise Roy is a deaf human centered designer, former lawyer, and motivational speaker who works in the vanguard of the disruptive innovation movement. She is a passionate proponent of the notion that when we design for disability, we often develop solutions that are better than when we design for the norm. A highly skilled public speaker, she has given talks at Microsoft, the U.S. Institute for Peace, the United Nations, and the World Bank. Her TEDx talk, "When we Design for Disability, We All Benefit," has over 1.2 million views. Elise’s deafness has always given her a heightened awareness of how profoundly design shapes the social, emotional and physical environment and this led her to study human-centered design in Maryland Institute College of Art’s (MICA) Social Design program. She completed a master’s degree with a thesis that investigated the barriers that exist for individuals with hearing loss in the fabrication technology and design realm. In 2016 Elise founded Elise Roy & Associates, a social enterprise that helps organizations analyze problems from the vantage point of people with disabilities to disrupt markets and industries. The organization is founded on the notion that when we design for extremes we come up with better solutions than when we design for the norm.
The inaugural Ann Niles Active Transportation Lecture was given in 2013 by Jean-François Pronovost, vice president for development and public affairs at advocacy group Vélo Québec. One of the most notable projects for Vélo Québec is La Route Verte (The Green Route), a 5,000-kilometer-plus bicycle route across Canada's largest province. La Route Verte crosses rural areas, towns and cities and incorporates all types of bikeways. The route got its start in 1992, when Pronovost was organizer of the Velo Mondial conference. There, Vélo Québec presented a vision and plan for what cycling could be at the turn of the century. The efforts paid off in 1995, with the provincial government investing $88.5 million and tasking Vélo Québec to plan and build the route. La Route Verte is now the most extensive bike route in North America.
