News Blog: How Transportation Demand Management helps Portlanders out of traffic jams today and into the future

(Sept. 15, 2025) As Portland grows and changes, so does our transportation system. The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) is constantly working to upgrade and improve the city's transportation network to support the efficient movement of people and goods. Concrete, asphalt, electrical equipment for signals and streetlights are all components of keeping people moving throughout the city, but there is also another important component to that work - Transportation Demand Management, or TDM.

What is Transportation Demand Management? At its core, TDM is the implementation of strategies to make more efficient use of our existing transportation infrastructure so we can move more people in the same amount of roadway space. In other words, the goal of TDM is to keep traffic down and make it easier for Portlanders to choose other options besides driving in single occupancy vehicles which can clog streets and create traffic jams.

TDM uses incentives and disincentives that help shift drive-alone trips to walking, biking, rolling, and transit, thus freeing up space on our streets for the people who need to drive and the freight companies and services that are essential to our economy. The goal of TDM is not to force everyone to walk or ride a bike but instead support people to use the mode of travel that makes the most sense for the trip they are taking.

As the city prepares to serve future generations, there is a continuing challenge to maintain the natural environment, economic prosperity, and overall quality of life. If in 2035 the percentage of people who drive alone to work remains the same as it is now (nearly 60 percent), traffic, carbon emissions, and household spending on vehicles and fuel will all worsen significantly. In order to serve the city now and into the future, our transportation system must provide Portlanders safer and more convenient ways to walk, bike, and take transit for more trips.

PBOT relies on a toolkit of strategies that address the multifaceted nature of human travel behavior, employing strategies that reduce travel demand or redistribute demand in space (the right-of-way space), in time, or by mode. The bureau's Way to Go Plan outlines nine Strategic Program Areas that represent the toolkit:

Some of the bureau's key TDM work includes:

• Helping Portlanders to discover and use the city's multi-modal infrastructure through events like Sunday Parkways, community bike rides, and scavenger hunt games.
• Providing information and encouragement through a suite of Walking and Biking Maps and guides (SmartTrips)
• Nudging Portlander's who have recently moved discover the transportation options in their new neighborhood (SmartTrips).
• Encouraging Portlanders learn to ride bicycles, ride safely in the city, and find community in the biking world (Portland By Cycle)
• Innovative incentive programming like Transportation Wallets that helps to reduce the cost of non-driving transportation options like TriMet, Portland Streetcar, and bike and e-scooter share and increase their accessibility and appeal.
• Provide bike-share (BIKETOWN), e-scooter (BIKETOWN, Lime), and streetcar transportation services.
• Supporting students and families to walk, bike, and roll to and from school through education and infrastructure improvements. (Safe Routes to School)
• Working with Portland employers to offer incentives and programming that helps reduce drive alone commutes. (Employer Commute Information)
• Right-of-way management that balances the demands on the City's largest asset. (Corridor Safety Projects, Rose Lane Projects
• Sending price signals to manage demand and demonstrate true costs of transportation choices. (Area Parking Permits)
• Ensuring people biking have end of trip facilities to park their bike to shop, eat, and visit. (Bike Parking)

This week practitioners across the country are celebrating National TDM week. In that spirit, PBOT invites Portlanders to think about their transportation options and see if there's one small change you can make to help add to a vibrant and healthy city. Check out these events and programs for inspiration on where to start:

• Order free maps and transportation information through PBOT's Portland SmartTrips program.
• Find beginner bike rides and learn to ride events.
• Try out BIKETOWN 's fleet of electric pedal-assist bikes that make riding up a hill a breeze.
• See the city from a new perspective while riding a scooters via Lime or BIKETOWN
• Are you an employer in the city? Let us help you with your transportation challenges and employee commute program. Schedule a 1-1 consult with a PBOT transportation specialist.
• Ready to try a commute to downtown?Join us on a City Bike Bus for a beginner friendly morning group ride to downtown, the last bike bus of 2025 is on Wednesday, Oct. 8.
• Plan a trip on transit by checking out these tools for planning your route. Heading to a Timbers or Thorns match? Remember you can use your Providence Park match-day ticket as your fare on transit, including TriMet buses, MAX, LIFT and Portland Streetcar.