Fanno Creek Trail Connections – Planning to Built
Thursday, September 18th, 2025; 12:00-1:30 p.m.
RSVP: Darren Hippenstiel dhippenstiel@kittelson.com
Fanno Creek Trail is a regional trail that extends from Tualatin to Portland, passing through Tigard, Beaverton and unincorporated Washington County. The vision dates back to 1975; a 15-mile walking and biking trail from the Willamette River in Southwest Portland to Fanno Creek’s confluence with the Tualatin River. The trail, which supports about 200,000 users per year, provides an important regional commuter route, a tourist destination, and a multi-use recreational trail that connects key destinations around the City of Tigard. The Fanno Creek Trail Connections Project constructed three new segments, and improved a fourth segment of the regional trail including both on-grade and elevated portions on boardwalks and bridges, as well as trailheads and rest areas. This presentation will follow the project through successes and challenges from navigating federal funding, planning and design, and construction.
Presenters:
Zach Morris (City of Tigard – Project Manager)
Katie Gillespie (ODOT – Local Agency Liaison)
Peter Craig (KPFF – Civil Engineer)
Ben Johnson (GreenWorks – Landscape Architect)
About the Presenters:
Zach Morris is a Senior Project Engineer in Tigard’s Public Works Department where he manages capital improvement projects from “cradle to grave,” with a focus area in transportation and trails. He has 19 years of public and private sector experience, having worked for a general contractor, developer, and multiple local public agencies.
Katie Gillespie is a Transportation Project Manager in the Project Services Local Agency Unit at Oregon Department of Transportation. She specializes in supporting local governments with the administration of federally funded projects, ensuring compliance with state and federal regulations and effective management of federal funds. Katie has over 20 years of project managerial experience.
Peter Craig is civil engineer with 22 years’ experience managing and designing transportation projects. Peter enjoys working with public agencies throughout Oregon and SW Washington to help people get around their communities.
Ben Johnson is a landscape architect who enjoys working with public agencies in search of meaningful design solutions that simultaneously benefit both people and the environment. Ben has 25 years of experience leading multi-disciplinary teams on parks and recreational planning projects integrating natural systems with thoughtful, resilient design.