TriMet – Â鶹ĘÓƵ Wed, 01 Nov 2023 03:38:29 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 /wp-content/uploads/2019/04/cropped-favicon_logo-32x32.jpg TriMet – Â鶹ĘÓƵ 32 32 Sustainable Urban Design Framework Studio /projects/sustainable-urban-design-framework-studio-3/ /projects/sustainable-urban-design-framework-studio-3/#respond Wed, 01 Nov 2023 03:38:29 +0000 https://portal.epicn.org/case-stories/sustainable-urban-design-framework-studio/ Read More... from Sustainable Urban Design Framework Studio

]]> Tigard, a suburb of Portland, Oregon, is interested in a new urban design vision as a new MAX light rail line is proposed to extend through the city. TriMet and the city of Tigard partnered with a University of Oregon graduate architecture seminar and design studio to envision a new plan and identity for the city. The city of Tigard sees this new transit line as an opportunity on many levels. Tigard aims to be the “most walkable city in the Pacific Northwest,” which could include a shift from its current identity as a transit line transfer point into a destination for visitors and commuters. With a new light rail line making travel to downtown Portland and surrounding
suburbs easier, the city of Tigard sees opportunity for growth and development, and the potential to redefine some of its city goals.
Student teams of three to four members tackled these issues and presented proposals for a new town center in Tigard. Though each team proposed unique schemes, there are similar issues and goals. Some key focus areas include:
• Creating a public “place” and identity where the MAX light rail stops in Tigard
• Creating a connection to the existing town
• Celebrating Fanno Creek, a natural area and trail system located west of downtown
• Re-designing Hall Boulevard to become safer and more accessible for pedestrians
• Redefining the city grid and creating more manageable block sizes
The following proposals have various approaches to urban design and the future vision for the city of Tigard, but all make an effort toward sustainable urban design. Through effective street design, stormwater management, pedestrian-focused public spaces, mixed-use development strategies, and more, these proposals aim to develop Tigard into a place where people want to live, develop, and enjoy public spaces.

]]> This studio project was organized around the plans for a new TriMet light rail line to Tigard, Tualatin, and Washington County. Though this Southwest Corridor project is still in the early phases of planning and design, the studio collaborated with TriMet planners and the City of Tigard to visualize the future of a site that is likely to become a major station area. In addition, the site is seen as a critical location for a Park and Ride structure as this point marks where traffic into Portland drastically increases. The merge from Pacific Highway (99W) onto Interstate 5 (I-5) lies one-half mile east of the site, and the intersection of the two sees daily congestion and long waiting traffic.
This site provides opportunities beyond transit. Older development near the site has potential to be acquired by the project for use as Park & Ride, LRT station, and for potential development of parking and transportation-related uses. Other adjacent sites can be critical
purchases for developers given the benefits of the transit station. The City of Tigard supports plans for these future developments that include sustainable transit-oriented design, and restoration of environmental assets, such as Red Rock Creek, as opposed to box commercial development that maintains an auto-oriented focus. Students were tasked with considering the area surrounding the future station site as well as places that may be developed in later phases.
The class divided into groups of various sizes, each focusing on a different approach to the transit-oriented development (TOD) proposed around the new TriMet station. Most teams developed 80- and 40-scale designs to create a cohesive master plan across the site before taking a more individual approach on an area with a smaller extent and more detail. Groups included:
• “Stormwater Impacts”, Chrissy Stillman
This design focuses on Red Rock Creek as its own entity. Chrissy calculated on and off-site storm water entering the creek, its ephemeral flooding zones, and the impacts of more hardscape in the area. Much of her design strategies for reducing the
“flashiness” of the creek occurred east of the study area toward I-5.
• “68th and Rock Creek Parking Structure”, Kailee Bell
This design focuses on the opportunity of an off-site parking structure west of SW 68th Parkway that could provide rooftop amenities and access to a multimodal path along the bridged rail line leading into the station. This alternative solution frees up space
for transit-oriented development in the site south of the station by providing at least half the required parking within a reasonable off-site distance.
• “Place over Parking”, Thomas Copper and Nick Sund
This design focuses on the maximum integration of parking in a high-density transit-oriented development site adjacent to the light rail station. This team focused on TOD1, the second thing likely to be built by developers after the station.
• “Positively Tigard” Adam DeHeer and Yumna Imtiaz
This team focused on a design of the station and the transit-oriented development with an approach of impact mitigation and sustainability. This group focused on the station plaza and TOD1 and worked closely with Chrissy Stillman for assessing storm
water impact of their design proposal.
• “Tigard Terraces”, Brianna Heese, Emma Stone, Bocong Li, and Tori Murphy
This team focused on the topography of the site to integrate a medium density transit-oriented development. The team proposed designs for the station plaza, TOD1, Red Rock Creek, and TOD2 to meet the long-term phasing goals of TriMet and Tigard.
Students generally found the site challenging in terms of balancing programmatic requirements with creating livable and enjoyable spaces. The student designs offer the best attempts to combine the two goals and do so in many ways. The required amount of parking was a challenge, and most students found that the best way to create a functioning transit-oriented development was either to invest in a parking structure below development or to site the parking across SW 68th Parkway. Additionally, if Tigard and TriMet desire sustainable and ecological designs, many teams suggest partnering with developers now and planning for elements to be incorporated. Finally, Red Rock Creek presents a potential flood problem for nearby development. Teams recommend multiple ways to reduce the flashiness of the creek, such as capturing stormwater on site for any new development.

]]> This project was designed by ALBA Consulting. ALBA Consulting is an academic exercise
comprised of four members of an undergraduate capstone class in engineering at Portland
State University during winter and spring terms, 2018. ALBA Consulting strives to be a steward
of sustainable solutions by engineering effective future assets for the communities we serve.
The group sorted itself into professional roles, including: a Project Manager, an Assistant
Project Manager, a Scribe, and a Quality Control Technician. Furthermore, each member also
had a technical role providing supplemental content generated in AutoCAD, GIS, and Excel.
The following design report consists of preliminary facility designs and an alternative analysis
for the TriMet Southwest Barbur Boulevard Stormwater Capstone Project. Over the course of
six months, ALBA consulting prepared a construction cost estimates, a construction schedule, a
drawing set, calculations, and site hydrographs in addition to other deliverables for this project.
This capstone project was developed from the ongoing Southwest Corridor Light Rail Transit
(SWC) Project, which is presently underway at TriMet. The purpose of the SWC Project is to
connect downtown Portland, Tigard, and Tualatin with public transportation, thus providing a
more convenient way for people to commute within the area while also reducing the number of
personal vehicles on the roads. This project is currently in the preliminary design phase, and
many aspects of the project have not been finalized, therefore, this report will focus on only one
aspect of the overall project: the light rail line alignment option. The chosen alignment option
runs along Barbur Boulevard, with a focus on a one-mile-long segment, south of downtown
Portland. This particular alignment option was chosen for the purpose of addressing the issues
of stormwater drainage from Barbur Boulevard and Interstate 5 into Stephens Creek. Currently,
stormwater that flows into Stephens Creek has a high level of pollutants from the highways.
This compromises the quality of the stream and increases erosion and toxic sediment levels
in the creek. The objective of ALBA Consulting’s portion of the project is to provide TriMet with
stormwater designs and analyses for the Barbur Boulevard alignment option. This information
can be used to assist TriMet with their design of the alignment along Barbur Boulevard, with
the goal of treating and detaining stormwater onsite to meet the criteria of predevelopment
discharge levels. Treating stormwater onsite reduces the load on the conveyance pipes and
helps recharge the groundwater system. The stormwater from the chosen section of the
boulevard will then be discharged at the approved outfall for Stephens Creek. By treating the
stormwater from the possible expansion on the boulevard, improvements in the water quality at
Stephens Creek are expected.
ALBA Consulting focused on the preliminary design of planters and ponds for this project.
Planters and ponds were chosen because of their low maintenance costs, ability to improve
greenspace, and effectiveness at managing stormwater. The recommendation is planters are
placed along the length of Barbur Boulevard to meet pollution reduction requirements. Since
planters alone will not meet detention requirements (due to low soil infiltration rates in the
surrounding area), ponds were chosen as the preferred facility to meet detention requirements.
Therefore, the preliminary design of one planter and one pond was conducted. The locations
of potential planters along the length of the boulevard were identified, as well as two additional
pond locations. Due to elevation and space constraints along the new road development, no
location large enough to install one pond to detain all the stormwater from this section was
found on the boulevard itself. As a result, the design of one pond was selected to treat water
from approximately one-third of the road section in the southeastern end of the area. Additional
ponds or other detention facilities will be needed to meet the total detention requirements for
the stormwater from this section of Barbur Boulevard as well. The planter that was designed
using a presumptive approach calculator online showed that the planter was able to meet
pollution reductions requirements. Based on this information, it is assumed that planters
placed along the length of the boulevard will be adequate to meet the total pollution reduction
requirements of the road section considered.
The information provided in this report is intended to be used as a preliminary design for
stormwater detention and treatment along Barbur Boulevard if this alignment option is chosen.
All designs were based on preliminary site assessments from previous geotechnical reports of
the surrounding area as well as a hydrograph based on estimated values for the Portland area
as found from the Stormwater Management Manual (SWMM, 2016). Further analysis of the site
should be conducted in order to ensure that all facilities are sized appropriately.

]]> The Southwest Corridor Plan introduces MAX light rail to outer Southwest Portland, Tigard, and
other Portland-area suburbs along the I-5 corridor. As part of this project, TriMet and the city of
Tigard are investigating a Park and Ride facility near the MAX stop planned for Tigard’s central
business district (CBD). This report examines the viability of this Park and Ride, analyzes a
number of scenarios for its implementation, and makes broad recommendations for Tigard’s
parking strategy in light of its land use visions.
The report was produced in collaboration with University of Oregon’s Sustainable City Year
Program and TriMet’s Southwest Corridor planning. The research and writing for this report
was done by Portland State University students as part of the USP 544: Urban Transportation
Planning course. The project was led by Dr. Aaron Golub, Professor of Urban Studies and
Planning at PSU.
The report concludes that building a Park and Ride will be necessary to meet projected
demand for transit parking in the next 20 years, and that it will be most effective in conjunction
with an on-street metered parking program and shared parking in downtown Tigard lots.

]]> The following report documents design concepts that address stormwater management for the TriMet Southwest Corridor (SWC) light rail project. Students in the University of Oregon’s Landscape Architecture course on stormwater management worked with TriMet and its Southwest Corridor partners as part of the Sustainable City Year Program (SCYP). Students were divided into teams and tasked with proposing concepts for stormwater infrastructure at certain stations of the future SWC line.
The stations addressed were as follows, from north to south:
• The Woods Corridor, Team 1
• 13th Avenue Station, Team 2
• 50th Avenue Station, Team 3
• Tigard Triangle Station, Team 4
• OPS Facility Station, Team 5
This report outlines and identifies key concepts produced by each team for each of the above stations. Although the overall purpose of the project was to design at each station, the class was also asked to approach their projects with the “triple bottom line” in mind. Therefore, each team approached their stormwater design concepts with social, economic, and environmental considerations. The report is divided into sections based on the assigned SWC stations. Each section’s design concept includes technical details of stormwater infrastructure and illustrative examples to reinforce their ideas

]]> Solar power is growing in the US. By 2017 nearly 2% of the total US generation capacity was provided by
solar power. The Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), has helped to grow the industry since 2006. Prices
have been falling, more than 70% since 2010, attracting more interest as individuals look for ways to
reduce their carbon footprint. Residential rooftop solar is not always an option for individuals looking 1
for clean energy options. Renters, homeowners with unsuitable property characteristics or who choose
not to install on their property, and those not financially able to install their own systems can all benefit
from community solar projects. Community solar is a central solar array, where multiple individuals can 2
purchase a portion of the energy produced by the system. Subscribers may purchase the output from a
single panel – typically a one-time up-front cost, or a set production amount each month. The purchased
solar output offsets the subscribers bill each month, typically lowering overall energy bills. The solar 3
array, and all subscribers need to be within the same utility service area. The utility is typically
responsible for providing virtual net-metering, to account for subscriber’s portion of the community
solar array on each monthly bill.
There are multiple benefits to a community solar project. More individuals can participate in purchasing
solar energy due to economies of scale that decrease unit costs of site assessments, equipment and
installation, and soft costs. Participation is open to people at a much lower investment, and allocations
can be transferred to other utility customers if a subscriber moves out of the service territory. The
community model also allows for optimization of site location, and is easier for utilities to manage than
multiple rooftop arrays. By structuring project as reduced utility bills rather than investment expecting
return – less likely to be classified as a security. Oregon has recently developed rules for community solar projects, as directed by Senate Bill 1547. As
defined in this bill community solar projects must be located within the state, and projects and their
subscribers must all be within the same utility service territory. A single subscriber is defined based on
address, and some subscribers may have multiple addresses. Any single subscriber is allowed to buy in
up to their average annual electricity consumption, but cannot exceed 2MW across the program. Any
one participant (with multiple addresses) is allowed to be part of multiple projects, with limits of up to
40% of any single project, and a 4MW cap for the overall program. Each project has a maximum
allowable size of 3MW. Additional allocation requirements include at least 50% of participation must
come from residential or small commercial subscribers, and 10% of each project must be allocated to
low-income households.

]]> During winter and spring terms 2018, graduate and undergraduate students in Professor Brook Muller’s terminal studio completed analytical research and urban design proposals for the Marquam Hill site. The urban design schemes encompassed a larger expanse – an east-west transect of southwest Portland that included the Willamette River, South Waterfront, Lair Hill, Barbur Boulevard (“the front porch to OHSU”), Terwilliger Parkway, and beyond. Students examined the implications of two proposed MAX line extensions located on either Southwest Naito Parkway or Southwest Barbur Boulevard, as well as the potential consequences to surrounding neighborhoods and the city in general.
Holistic design proposals for a highly complex project of enormous potential were developed by students in the studio class. Students were composed of an interdisciplinary group from architecture, urban design, transportation planning, landscape architecture, and
historic preservation

Read the final student report delivered to the local gov/community partner.

Sustainable City Year Program Contact Info
Megan Banks
Sustainable City Year Program Manager
mbanks@uoregon.edu
(541) 346-6395

University Faculty Contact
Brook Muller
Architecture
Associate Professor
bmuller@uoregon.edu

Local Government / Community Contact
Dave Aulwes
TriMet
Senior Transit Corridor Design
aulwesd@trimet.org
503-358-7825

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