In recent years, cities and counties all across the United States have invested in bicycle and pedestrian counters. Having reliable data on non-motorized traffic can help jurisdictions make informed decisions about infrastructure investments, measure the effectiveness of biking and walking initiatives, and improve safety. 

But having a bike-ped count program is just the beginning. 

Once counts have been collected, cities face new challenges. How can multiple agencies share data among themselves? How can data be standardized and compared? And what is the most effective way to communicate what the numbers mean?

Enter Bike-Ped Portal, the comprehensive non-motorized data management system for manual and automated non-vehicular multi-modal counts housed at Portland State University (PSU). This specialized data lake and management system is designed to make sharing data—within an agency, with partners at other agencies, and with the public—easily accessible. The newest feature we've added is a regional dashboard for the Portland, OR and Vancouver, WA metropolitan area.

DATA QUALITY

Agencies who use Bike-Ped Portal may have counters from different vendors, or use more than one platform to manage data. That's why Bike-Ped Portal is able to accept data in multiple formats, whether that's a spreadsheet with manual counts, output from automated counters, or APIs such as EcoCounter. Once the system receives new data, it is converted into a standardized format. Quality control tools are available, along with the ability to add correction factors and data annotations.

Registered users have access to all the data in Bike-Ped Portal, making it possible to run almost any type of analysis depending on goals and needs. No matter what the end user is looking to analyze, Bike-Ped Portal's quality checks and tools offer confidence that the underlying data is good. Researchers and practitioners can get what they need from one place, making Bike-Ped Portal a "one stop shop" for raw counts, AADNMT (Average Annual Non- Motorized Traffic), data tools, and visualizations.

For one example of what Bike-Ped Portal can do, TREC Adjunct Research Associate Kyu Ri Kim developed a case study exploring the relationship between volumes, crashes, and speeds. See presentation "Where do Bike/Ped Crashes Occur?" Kim presented this project in a meeting of the PORTAL Users Group (PUG), to be held September 5.

CUSTOM TOOLS AND DASHBOARDS

Bike-Ped Portal does more than reduce the time and effort required to manage multiple data sources, format, standardize, validate, and share data openly. TREC's transportation data team can also build custom analytical tools and dashboards to help data tell a story. Transportation Data Program Manager Tammy Lee, and Senior Research Associate Basem Elazzabi, who head up TREC's transportation data program, work with agencies to build tools which meet their specific needs, help reduce redundancies and standardize reporting.

Portland Region Dashboard

Recently added to Bike-Ped Portal is a dashboard for the Portland, OR and Vancouver, WA metropolitan area. To access this dashboard, visit the explore page and select "regions" on the right, then choose the region. Users can see activity on a particular segment broken down by month, year, and day, or use the map to select individual detectors and counters.

Another example of a regional dashboard is one that the Bike-Ped Portal team created for the Washington, D.C. National Capital Region, working with Virginia Tech and the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center (HSRC). The BikePortal National Capital Region dashboard allows users to see all the region’s bike data together in one place.

GET INVOLVED

Interested in becoming a Bike-Ped Portal user? Reach out to us at bikepedportal@pdx.edu, or sign up to receive emails about upcoming meetings of the  Portal Users Group (PUG). Different levels of membership are available, including an edit level with access to edit data; a view level with viewer-only access, or a public user level where any interested researchers can download data for free. Learn more about Bike-Ped Portal and its companion data archive, PORTAL, both housed at Portland State University.

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 going on at TREC, sign up for our monthly newsletter or follow us on social media.

Last month at Portland State University (PSU), two students showcased their work on transportation topics in a Summer Research Symposium held by the Virtual Alternative Research Experience for Undergraduates (altREU) Site on Computational Modeling. The altREU program, led by PSU Engineering & Computer Science professor Christof Teuscher, is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and offers undergraduates experience in designing, programming, and using computers to benefit society.

While students in the altREU program worked on subjects ranging from crime analysis to predicting stock market trends, two participants chose to focus their efforts on multimodal transportation. Linden Faye and Allie Hopper dedicated their time in the ten-week program to autonomous vehicles (AVs) and nonmotorized data, respectively. Learn more about their projects below, and join us in congratulating these two students on their excellent work!

Linden Faye, Hofstra University

Major: Mathematics with Concentration in Computer Science

PSU Faculty Advisor: Liming Wang

Project Title: Modeling the Impact of Autonomous Vehicles on Travel and Land Use with an Agent-Based Approach

"In my reading, I was fascinated by the complexity and challenges involving autonomous vehicles. Despite the enthusiasm of embracing new technology, there is fierce discussion over autonomous vehicles among policymakers. City planners need a simulation tool to anticipate and proactively manage the effects of AVs. This has inspired me to develop an agent-based modeling (ABM) approach that simulated the behaviors of individual agents (workers, employers, etc.) to assess potential impacts of AVs on urban areas like Portland."

Linden's project focused on the effects of AVs on transportation networks. Using statistical analysis, geographic information systems, and data visualization, he developed and applied a strategic planning model of transportation using Portland as a case study. His research paper has been accepted by the NARSC 2024 committee, and he is going to present this ongoing project at the 71st Annual North American Meetings of the Regional Science Association International, Nov 13-16, 2024 in New Orleans. Watch the recording of his presentation for more details.

Allie Hopper, Carleton College

Major: Computer Science with a minor in Spanish

PSU Faculty Advisor: Sirisha Kothuri and Tammy Lee

Project Title: Capturing and Modeling Non-Motorized Counts at Intersections using Ultralytics YOLOv8

"I was interested in the program after reading about it on the official NSF site, particularly because of the focus on using computing to help the community. I've never worked in transportation before, so it was a great opportunity for me to learn more about all the hard work that goes into making everything work in Portland! Overall I'm grateful to have had this experience, and can only hope that some of the work can help reduce some of the resource burden of non-motorized counts and help improve safety, infrastructure, and planning."

Alllie's project focused on bicycles and pedestrian count data at intersections. Using Python and over forty thousand images from a EuroCity Persons Dataset, she trained a computer model to predict nonmotorized counts with a high degree of accuracy. Watch the recording of her presentation to learn more. She also presented her work to a group of transportation data professionals in a recent meeting of the PORTAL Users Group (PUG), September 5. 

Portland State University's Transportation Research and Education Center (TREC) is home to the U.S. DOT funded National Institute for Transportation and Communities (NITC), the Initiative for Bicycle and Pedestrian Innovation (IBPI), PORTAL, BikePed Portal and other transportation grants and programs. We produce impactful research and tools for transportation decision makers, expand the diversity and capacity of the workforce, and engage students and professionals through education and participation in research. To get updates about what's going on at TREC, sign up for our monthly newsletter or follow us on social media.

As plans move forward for an earthquake-ready replacement of Portland's Burnside Bridge, several Portland neighborhood associations and the Better Block PSU program are taking the opportunity to reimagine a segment of West Burnside street. 

With bridge closure and construction anticipated to begin as early as 2026 and last for several years, the temporary period of reduced traffic on Burnside will offer a unique chance for the neighborhood to test out some designs and placemaking strategies aimed at making the area more people-friendly.

"Currently, West Burnside street acts as a barrier separating the northwest and southwest portions of the Central City from each other, and discouraging movement between them," said Xavier Stickler, chair of the Downtown Neighborhood Association's Land Use and Transportation Committee. He, along with Sean Sweat of the Pearl District Neighborhood Association and Mary-Rain O'Meara of the Old Town Community Association Board, applied to the Better Block PSU program to request the assistance of Portland State University students with connecting those neighborhoods and making Burnside more pedestrian friendly.

"We can use the closure period as a test bed; a pilot for what we want the street to be in the future," Stickler said.

In the Spring term of this year, students in a Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning course began investigating the area, outlining possible design approaches and drafting a public engagement plan. As we head into the Fall term, students in an Active Transportation Studio course will build upon that work. Meanwhile, the neighborhood associations are in the process of reaching out to adjacent businesses to get their ideas and feedback as well.

"Grounded in this project is the recognition that we've already got some challenges in our neighborhood. We want more foot traffic and ground floor activation. We want there to be better connectivity between downtown and Old Town. Now we're going to have a major thoroughfare close for at least five years. So how can we be proactive about looking at opportunities for improvement and engagement during that time? That's why we've been really excited to engage with the students," O'Meara said.

WHAT HAS BEEN DONE SO FAR?

Students in the Spring 2024 course created a set of preliminary materials for the project:

• Existing Conditions Report
• Public Participation Plan
• Project Decisions and Performance Measures

The team members were Joshua Miller, a Masters of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP) student; Shane Morrison a Post-Baccalaureate student studying Community Development & Sustainable Urban Development; Ilan Gerould, an undergraduate studying Geography and Cartography; and Alex Gill, a dual graduate student in the MURP and PSU-OHSU Masters of Public Health programs.

At the start of the term, the team met with project champions Stickler, Sweat and O'Meara as well as Ryan Hashagen, one of the community volunteers leading Better Block PDX, who was able to introduce them to more community stakeholders.

"Our next step was to do some observations, so we did a few bicycle and pedestrian counts on the street in different locations. Basically starting at the park blocks and moving towards the bridge, we sat at three intersections along that segment just to see what kind of activity was going on there and what we would expect to change during the project when the bridge is down," Morrison said.

Zeroing in on two locations along Burnside—the Park Blocks and Third Avenue—the team outlined several possible design approaches.

The most ambitious option for the park blocks includes a shared bike and bus only lane in each direction, buffered by bollards from car traffic, with parklets, food carts, pedestrian-scale lighting and raised crosswalks. A second option also focuses on the park blocks, with relatively more easily implementable changes that would still improve safety and human connectivity.

For Third Avenue, the students proposed removing a right turn lane in front of Dante’s and turning it into a public parklet, as well as expanding the median and painting a street mural in the intersection.

A final option, which the students termed "Burnside Sunday Parkways," would include temporary placemaking installations to enhance Portland Sunday Parkways. In this scenario, local businesses and organizations could partner with the city to provide cultural programming, create educational opportunities, and prepare for increased business activity along with the increase in bike and pedestrian traffic.

Gill was excited to work on this project because they travel along that stretch of Burnside street on a daily basis. "That's where I do most of my drive to work. So I'm interested in improving it for obvious reasons. If you're making pedestrian friendly spaces, that's also helpful for drivers. Having physical barriers to slow cars down and tell them, this is not a space that's entirely just for you? I want that as a driver," Gill said.

WHAT'S NEXT?

There are three phases of the Better Block PSU project pathway.

Phase 1—Spring term 2024: In this phase, students Miller, Morrison, Gerould and Gill worked with the project champions to conduct activity and behavior monitoring in the area, collect data, and develop the community engagement plans and performance measures.

Phase 2—Fall term 2024: This fall, students in the Active Transportation Planning and Design Studio will develop design alternatives and cost estimates.

Phase 3—Winter and Spring term 2025: In the final phase, the project will move from the Urban Studies and Planning department to the Civil Engineering department. A student or students in civil engineering will use their capstone project to develop an engineering plan with designs and other materials that can help with the city permitting process.

Bridgeless Burnside is one of two Better Block PSU projects currently making its way along this pathway; the other is a redesign of South Sheridan Street on behalf of the International School of Portland.

Image from Google Streetview

Portland State University's Transportation Research and Education Center (TREC) is home to the U.S. DOT funded National Institute for Transportation and Communities (NITC), the Initiative for Bicycle and Pedestrian Innovation (IBPI), PORTAL, BikePed Portal and other transportation grants and programs. We produce impactful research and tools for transportation decision makers, expand the diversity and capacity of the workforce, and engage students and professionals through education and participation in research. To get updates about what's going on at TREC, sign up for our monthly newsletter or follow us on social media.

Transportation networks are a vital lifeline essential to the functionality of modern society. A newly published research report offers a new methodology for assessing transportation network vulnerability and resilience, with a particular focus on incorporating social vulnerability into the analysis.

Why? Vulnerable populations—such as people with low income, minorities, or seniors—could suffer higher levels of adverse impacts from disruptions. Road closures and other transportation network interruptions due to earthquakes, floods or other disasters may disproportionately affect these groups of people.

The research project, "Integrate Socioeconomic Vulnerability for Resilient Transportation Infrastructure Planning," by Liming Wang, John MacArthur, and Yu Xiao of Portland State University (PSU), addresses a critical gap by integrating socioeconomic vulnerability indicators into the evaluation of transportation infrastructure vulnerabilities.

The report demonstrates this novel methodology using the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area as a case study.

WHAT DOES THE METHODOLOGY OFFER?

The new methodology proposed by the research team combines spatial analysis, network modeling, and social vulnerability indices to identify critical links in the transportation system. It assesses the impact of potential disruptions on accessibility to essential services such as hospitals, emergency shelters, schools, and community centers.

The study considers multiple natural hazards, including earthquakes, floods, and landslides, providing a comprehensive risk assessment. A key innovation of this project is using social vulnerability measures to show how different groups are affected, making sure that resilience planning is equitable.

The research reveals that some links (i.e. particular roads or bridges) while not as critical for the overall network, can have substantial localized impacts on specific communities, particularly those with high social vulnerability.

The method, then, is designed to answer three main questions:

1. Which areas and links are the most susceptible to disruptions in the transportation system?
2. Which links are the most critical to the function of the transportation system as a whole and to specific areas?
3. Considering the socioeconomic vulnerabilities of people, which links are most impactful to socioeconomically vulnerable populations in a disaster?

By answering these three questions, policymakers and transportation planners can better prioritize infrastructure investments. They can use this method to to retrofit, repair, and reconstruct the most crucial links first, enhancing overall network resilience for everyone.

The methodology developed can be used for scenario planning, allowing stakeholders to evaluate different mitigation strategies and their potential impacts on network resilience and social equity.

While the study focuses on the Portland area, the approach is designed to be adaptable to other urban areas, contributing to broader efforts in transportation resilience planning. The research also identifies limitations and areas for future investigation, including the need to consider multi-modal transportation, incorporate business vulnerability, and address data uncertainties.

ABOUT THE PROJECT

Integrate Socioeconomic Vulnerability for Resilient Transportation Infrastructure Planning

Liming Wang, John MacArthur, and Yu Xiao; Portland State University

• Download the Final Report (PDF)

Photo by pikappa/iStock

The National Institute for Transportation and Communities (NITC) is one of seven U.S. Department of Transportation national university transportation centers. NITC is a program of the Transportation Research and Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University. This PSU-led research partnership also includes the Oregon Institute of Technology, University of Arizona, University of Oregon, University of Texas at Arlington and University of Utah. We pursue our theme — improving mobility of people and goods to build strong communities — through research, education and technology transfer. To get updates about what's going on at TREC, sign up for our monthly newsletter or follow us on social media.