January 11, 2023

Hello to all who value active and public transportation!

We want to share the latest with you on our new Innovative Mobility Program, or IMP.  You may have heard we recently awarded our first round of micro-grants. Soon we’ll move forward with contracted services and large competitive grants, with the latter set to open in late 2023.

What we’ve been up to

In the summer of 2022, ODOT staff conducted community engagement to build awareness of the IMP, identify barriers that prevent or discourage community-based organizations from applying for state or federal funds, and identify transportation needs and gaps for historically underserved communities. See a summary of how we are incorporating community feedback here. Our team will continue to conduct equitable and targeted community engagement to inform program design and implementation.

IMP micro-grant applications opened in late 2022 and are now available on a rolling basis with no deadline for application. Check out our recent press release on the first round of approved micro-grants.

It’s nice to meet you!

Dorian Pacheco is our new Innovative Mobility Program manager, who, among other things, is overseeing the development, implementation and partnership engagement of the IMP. Her professional background includes multi-lingual community outreach and engagement, auditing and program evaluation. Dorian holds an Master of Public Administration from the University of Washington and is deeply committed to promoting equity. We are also hiring an Innovative Mobility Program coordinator and will post the position online soon. 

Additional updates on program development and timeline will be available soon.

Ready now: Request for Proposal

Today, we released an Intermediate Request for Proposal (RFP) for the Innovative Mobility Program. We are seeking a consultant to coordinate with staff on the development, planning, and implementation of the IMP large competitive grants program. You can review the information on OregonBuys (Bid Solicitation number S-73000-00005418). Responses are due January 27.

About the Innovative Mobility Program

The Innovative Mobility Program is a new initiative from the Oregon Department of Transportation that aims to improve access to public transportation, reduce the number of trips Oregonians make by car, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The IMP has a special focus on social equity and helping historically excluded groups get where they need to go more quickly, cheaply and safely. The IMP is funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, passed by Congress in November 2021, as well as state of Oregon funding. The program has a total of $20 million for grants, contracts and program administration from 2022-2027.

If you need more information or have any questions, please contact Dorian Pacheco at [email protected] or 971-428-7564. Thank you!

Child on bike path

Helmets and adaptive bikes are examples of things that can be funded through the IMP