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U.S. Department of Transportation U.S. Department of Transportation Icon United States Department of Transportation United States Department of Transportation

Oregon Coast Trail Action Plan

Introduction

The Oregon Coast Trail (OCT) parallels all 362-miles of the Oregon coast.  Sections of the trail are on federal lands or connect to federal trails. While maps depict a complete route and the OCT was declared hikable in 1988, to make connections between accessible beaches and developed trails, portions of the OCT follow the shoulder of HWY 101 or follow local roads. These sections, or gaps , include about 40 miles, or 10 percent of the entire route. Some of these portions gaps are unsafe and many hikers opt for a car, shuttle, or public transportation to make connections; other hikers skip these sections entirely.  Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD), Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), federal land managers, local governments and trail advocates are working together to close these gaps and increase the safety for pedestrians and motorists alike.

This project, therefore is to develop an Action Plan for closing the observed OCT connection gaps. This work includes:

  • North, Central, and South Coast Segment Declarations of Cooperation
  • A Declaration of Cooperation for long-term governance of the OCT
  • A final planning document incorporating Declarations of Cooperation, addressing all aspects of Oregon House Bill 3149, and developing, as possible, conceptual drawing and cost estimates to advance future design and construction of the remaining OCT

Scope

The project is led by a joint project management team composed of FHWA, OPRD, Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, Association of Oregon Counties, and Oregon Solutions, housed in the College of Urban and Public Affairs at Portland State University. a component of Portland State University's National Policy Consensus Center. The project is guided by a project advisory group composed of regional stakeholders. The key tasks are to:

  1. Summarize existing trail conditions
  2. Convene stakeholders by coastal segment
  3. Analyze trail connection alignments
  4. Develop conceptual designs and future cost estimates
  5. Develop long-term maintenance and management strategies
  6. Identify long-term design, construction, and maintenance funding
  7. Establish long-term trail governance

How to Engage

The projects anticipated timeline is two years (December 2020 through December 2022), with advisory group, site visit, stakeholder, and public engagement throughout. To stay up to date on the project, visit this project page regularly and contact the Project Co-Managers, Cole Grisham (FHWA) and Paul Reilly (Oregon Park Recreation Department) for more information.

Project Documents and Resources

As the Study progresses, new documents and materials will be added here. Check back regularly for new documents.