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Improving work zone safety on busy roadways filled with construction workers, heavy equipment,...
How the Portland Bureau of Transportation Uses RapidPlan to Improve Traffic Control Planning
The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) is the agency responsible for maintaining and managing the city’s transportation infrastructure across Portland, Oregon, USA. PBOT plans, builds, and maintains the city’s network of streets, signals, sidewalks, and bridges to ensure safe and efficient mobility for residents and businesses. The Bureau oversees more than $8.4 billion in public assets, including:
- 4,842 lane miles of streets
- 2,520 miles of sidewalks
- 922 signalized traffic intersections
- 55,477 street lights
- 157 bridges
- 26 miles of roadside barriers
- 1753 parking meters
- Six parking garages
- 331 miles of bike lanes
Adopting RapidPlan to Streamline Traffic Control Planning
Since 2015, an increasing number of PBOT divisions have adopted RapidPlan to meet their evolving traffic control planning requirements. The software was introduced to the team and quickly gained wide approval for its usability and professional output.
Before adopting RapidPlan, many team members relied on tools like Adobe Pro to create plans manually.
"Prior to using RapidPlan, I used Adobe Pro exclusively. This was a clunky and time-consuming way to create and edit traffic control plans. For example, if I wanted to add cones to a plan, I needed to place each cone individually on the plan with a stamp."
-Alex Furnish, Senior Engineering Associate at PBOT
From Manual Drawings to Digital Efficiency
Chon Wong, PBOT’s Permit Construction Manager, explained that his division ensures the safe use of public rights-of-way for construction and other activities that close parts of streets or sidewalks.
“Before RapidPlan, some team members were manually developing our drawings,” said Wong. “The volume of temporary street-use permits was increasing, and we needed to use our time more efficiently. We needed a solution that was fast, user-friendly, and produced professional-looking traffic control plans.”
-Chon Wong, Permit Construction Manager at PBOT
Alex Furnish, Senior Engineering Associate, echoed the same sentiment. She said they chose RapidPlan because it was the most user-friendly solution and created great-looking plans. We were also impressed with the customer service. She highlighted how RapidPlan made it easy to produce clean, professional plans in just a few clicks—without requiring extensive training.
“The biggest benefit has been the ability to produce more plans in a day and spend less time on revisions. Our drawings now look professional, and because many of our contractors also use RapidPlan, the review and revision process has become much faster.”
-Alex Furnish, Senior Engineering Associate at PBOT
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According to Alex, the path that led PBOT to RapidPlan was a straightforward one. They consulted several traffic control companies in the region to learn what methods those organizations used to create professional-looking traffic control plans and how satisfied they were with their tools. Alex explained that they chose RapidPlan because it was the most user-friendly solution and consistently produced great-looking plans. They were also impressed with the customer service provided.
She described her experience using RapidPlan as intuitive and efficient—easy to create a clean plan in just a few clicks without needing extensive help. The main advantages for her have been the ability to produce more plans per day and spend less time on revisions. RapidPlan also helped PBOT achieve professional-quality drawings for the Temporary Traffic Control Manual.
In another division, John Wilson, Traffic Engineer in PBOT’s Temporary Traffic Control Unit, described their earlier process as “slow and inefficient.”
"The software is excellent. It’s easy to use, and zero training was required. I can create a traffic control plan in record time.Besides, plans are clearer and more professional, and the sign manifest ensures the correct signs are delivered to the site. I even use it to create work orders and schematics.”
-John Wilson, Traffic Engineer at PBOT
In 2017, PBOT used RapidPlan to create the drawings and layouts featured in their inaugural Temporary Traffic Control Plan Manual, demonstrating the software’s long-term integration into their planning process.
Results from PBOT After Switching to RapidPlan
After adopting RapidPlan, PBOT reported substantial improvements in their traffic control planning workflow. The team saved significant time in plan preparation, increased overall productivity, and streamlined the review and revision process. Their plans became noticeably more professional, and team members were able to get started with minimal training.
Key Outcomes
- Saved significant time in traffic control plan preparation
- Increased plan output and overall productivity
- Accelerated the review and revision process
- Improved the quality and professionalism of traffic control plans
- Required minimal training for users to get started
