AUSTIN (KXAN) -

Monday and Tuesday, the Downtown Austin Alliance hosted Rick Williams, the executive director of Portland’s Lloyd Transportation Management Association to share ideas on successful traffic solutions in the peer city.

“I think you have have the same elements in place and you’re on the same path and process that we were on,” said Williams Tuesday as he wrapped up his visit in Austin.

The Lloyd District is a vibrant, booming part of Portland with roughly 23,000 employees. The goal is to double that in the near future, but Williams said city leaders needed to come up with traffic solutions so as not to create gridlock on the road.

“We’ve identified the growth we want, what type of growth we want” said Williams.

In 1994, Williams says more than 90 percent of people in Portland rode downtown in their cars.

But leaders started asking workers where they lived by using surveys, and the city, businesses, and transit agency started offering financial incentives to ride buses and the train.

“We’ve taken drive alone from 90 percent to 46 percent since 1994,” said Williams.

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