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Transportation Options Program

The Transportation Options, or TO, program focuses on implementation of the Oregon Transportation Options Plan, including: managing demand across the transportation system; educating students and the public on travel options and how to safely use them; connecting veterans, low income populations, communities of color, and others with ways to get to and from work or school; supporting vanpooling; and more.

Examples of Transportation Option implementation activities include:

  • Administration of federal grant funds and collaboration on transportation option program priorities with local transportation options partner programs. These programs are often housed within a local transit agency, city, county or Metropolitan Planning Organization.
  • Support congestion mitigation for major Oregon Department of Transportation construction projects, safety corridors, and congestion points. The TO Program supports ODOT Regional offices in providing outreach and education around specific issues or projects to reduce impacts and delays and/or promote safety.
  • Management of the statewide ride matching database, Get There, to help people connect with carpools, vanpools and other travel options. The ride matching database is an essential tool for local and regional partners, and provides information on fuel savings and reductions of vehicles miles traveled.
  • Management of the an annual event, Get There Challenge, to help the public become familiar with their transportation options and support carpooling, vanpooling, biking, walking and transit. ODOT manages the annual event in collaboration with our local and regional partners.

Find Transportation Options Programs in Your Area

Visit Get There or browse the information below:

North Willamette Valley

Mid Willamette Valley

Southwest Oregon

North Oregon Coast

Central and Eastern Oregon

What are Transportation Options?

Transportation options programs connect people to transportation choices, allowing them to bike, walk, take transit, drive, share rides, and telecommute. Transportation options programs do not address capital infrastructure or service investments – like sidewalks, bike lanes, and transit service. Rather, they provide information and resources to help people learn about their travel options for all types of trips. Transportation options is also sometimes referred to transportation demand management, or TDM.

Investments in transportation options can provide numerous benefits to our existing transportation system as well as communities across Oregon. From cost savings to improved health, transportation options programs offer proven benefits to communities large and small.

"What are the Benefits of Transportation Options?" (2-Page Brochure)
"What are the Benefits of Transportation Options? (Complete Brochure)

​Visit the Get There Oregon For Partners page for recent Transportation Options tools, materials, how-to guides and case studies!

In 2015, the Oregon Transportation Commission adopted the first statewide TO plan that provides policy guidance for state and local partners to enhance and expand transportation access for all Oregonians while ensuring that transportation investments are efficient and support broader community goals like growing the economy and improving personal and environmental health.

Oregon Transportation Options Plan Executive Summary
Oregon Transportation Options Plan

Oregon is home to diverse transportation options partners and programs. While ODOT is leading a number of statewide efforts to support and encourage transportation options, local partners across the state work on the ground to implement programs. Each local partner customizes their programs to meet the unique needs of the local population, the geography of the community, and the transportation services and infrastructure available.

Our local partners work with ODOT region offices to address congestion or safety problems with targeted outreach and education.

The adoption of the Oregon Transportation Options Plan in 2015 put transportation options on equal footing with other state mode and topic plans. Since the adoption of the plan, ODOT has been working internally and externally to coordinate, manage, fund, and support TO program investments.

Transportation options, also known as transportation demand management, helps to preserve the functionality of the state system and is called out as a strategy in the Oregon Highway Plan, as well as many other state, regional and local plans and codes.​

Partner Resources

Encourage your community or workplace partners to become more active, healthy and sustainable by participating in this year’s Oregon Get There Challenge from Oct. 3-16, 2022.

Get There Challenge

In May of 2022 the Oregon Transportation Commission approved funds for a three year pilot program for Innovative Mobility Grants. For more information, visit the Innovative Mobility Program website.

ODOT’s Transportation Options Program offers Transportation Options Sponsorships of $5,000 or less for qualified activities. These sponsorships were previously called Immediate Opportunity Grants.  Examples of eligible activities include:

  • Transportation focused community events such as Open Streets, Bike Rodeos, etc. 
  • Activities to engage historically underserved communities in active or multimodal transportation outreach or education
  • Purchase of bike racks, helmets, locks, etc. associated with bike and pedestrian safety outreach
Please complete and submit the sponsorship request form

The Transportation Options Program also provides scholarships for transportation options professionals to attend conferences or other trainings. Please consult the TO Program Scholarships Guidance for 2024 and fill out the scholarship request form​.

All government photos are open for use to our TO partners. Check out the Transportation Options collection on ODOT’s flickr stream. Select Albums and find the following groups of photos and videos: Transportation Options: Biking; Multimodal Photos; Safety Messages; and Pedestrian and Bicycle Friendly work zones: a demonstration. Also see the PBIC Image Library for more free photos.​

Contact

Email EmailHope Estes
Transportation Options Program Manager
Telephone971-375-8987

Related Links

Oregon Transportation Options Plan
Bicycle and Pedestrian Program
Innovative Mobility Program

Find a ride! Get there with carpool, vanpool, walking, biking and transit options. Register at Get There.