Powell-Division Transit Project
The Powell-Division Transit Project was a collaboration between the Cities of Gresham, Portland and the Metro Regional Government to implement the goals for their Title VI Civil Rights Plan. MCC and partners Cogan Owens Greene and Design and Culture Lab provided multicultural community engagement support to reach diverse, low income, seniors, people with disabilities and limited English proficiency in the 16 mile corridor. We developed a discussion leaders' format and helped schedule 11 culturally specific discussions, conducted a youth organizer business canvass, created interactive displays and a postcard mailing. Communities included Bhutanese, Tongan, Russian, Latino, African, African American, Chinese and Vietnamese. Youth canvassers conducted more than 200 business interviews in English, Spanish, Vietnamese and Chines, and helped code and summarize results. In a refinement phase, we conducted culturally-specific transit rider focus groups. These were conducted in Chinese, Vietnamese, Spanish, Russian and English with the African Immigrant, Tongan, Bhutanese, African American, Native American, youth and people with disabilities. These focus groups provided applied feedback to the Powell-Division Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) planning team in a number of areas.
City of Portland Focus Group and Canvass Outreach Report (June 2015)
