Oregon Used State Funds for Innovative Mobility Programs

Oregon took advantage of a state-level program to make important investments into shared micromobility systems across the state, including capital investment funding, planning funding, and technical assistance.

Oregon has a long history of shared micromobility. Portland’s BIKETOWN launched in 2016 and is run by the Portland Bureau of Transportation, operated by Lyft Urban Solutions, and sponsored by Nike. It runs an all-electric fleet of about 3,000 bikes across more than 240 stations, with an equity program, BIKETOWN for All, funded by the city’s Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund. In 2024 Portland made its e-scooter program permanent after piloting since 2018, and now has roughly 3,500 shared scooters citywide from Lime and Lyft Urban Solutions. Together, shared bikes and scooters carried about 1.8 million trips in 2024. Outside Portland, shared micromobility systems are currently operating in Bend and Eugene.

The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) has supported shared micromobility initiatives through the Innovative Mobility Program (IMP), created in May 2022 by the Oregon Transportation Commission. The program drew on the rare flexibility of the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, initially pairing $10 million in federal funds with $10 million in state dollars for a $20 million total covering 2022 through 2027. Its stated goals are to improve access to public and active transportation for historically underserved communities, reduce the number of car trips Oregonians make, and cut greenhouse gas emissions.

To date, the program has  funded a wide range of projects. It offered two cycles of micro-grants of up to $15,000 to nonprofits, local governments, tribes, transit providers, and others, and it has supported bike and scooter lending libraries, community events like Sunday Parkways, and safety education. It has also made larger awards, including a $200,000 grant to PBOT in 2025 to develop policy for curbside micromobility charging, and several other investments in shared micromobility across the state. 

Unfortunately in 2025, due to state budget constraints, $5 million was directed away from the IMP to help close ODOT’s budget gap. However, the redirection does not affect funding already obligated, and a limited amount of funding remains available, with a final call for projects expected later this year.

Oregon seized the chance to use a one-time influx of funding to launch ambitious programs quickly, and was able to make important investments in shared micromobility. These investments showed the positive impact that state funding can have, but in order to create shared micromobility systems that are well supported, it’s important that states also  utilize ongoing, sustained funding models to better support this important and growing mode of public transportation.