Bend Transportation Forum

With an estimated 30,000 more people—and their cars—moving to Bend in the next 10 years, we have to find better ways to get around. Already traffic is jamming up busy intersections for blocks and with little funding for roads, experts expect back-ups that could stretch for miles in sections of the city during peak traffic times.

We know we don’t want congestion, pollution, or to spend our time stuck in traffic, but these concerns may become our reality if we don’t plan well. So what is our collective transportation vision? Better public transit? More bike paths and sidewalks? Wider roads? And most importantly: How will we pay for it?

Bend 2030 wants your help as we tackle the transportation issue at a free public forum from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturday, April 11, at Ponderosa Elementary School. This interactive event is part of the Bend 2030 Livability Series, which brings our community together to find solutions to our most important issues. Seniors, students, bike riders, daily commuters, families and everyone else is invited to join us as we shape Bend’s future together.

Attendees of the April 11 forum will get a firsthand look at just how much our city is poised to grow in the coming years. They’ll hear about possible solutions to alleviating traffic concerns and the options for funding those solutions such as a gas tax, utility fee and transit-funding district. Most importantly, attendees will have a say in Bend 2030’s recommendations to decision-makers on the right way to move ahead on our transportation issues.