Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT)
Portland Sunday Parkways
The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) is the city agency responsible for planning, building, managing, and maintaining Portland’s transportation system. Guided by a mission to keep Portland moving safely and sustainably, PBOT develops programs that make streets more accessible, connected, and enjoyable for everyone.
PBOT partnered with Avenue to grow awareness of its community-centered initiatives, including Portland Sunday Parkways, a series of free citywide events that open streets for people to walk, bike, and roll. Together, we set out to strengthen local engagement, highlight neighborhood connections, and inspire more Portlanders to experience active transportation as a simple and joyful way to explore their city.
The Results
11.7 Million Impressions
107k Unique Facebook Live Participants
+400% increase in Instagram Following
Portland Sunday Parkways has long brought neighbors together to celebrate active transportation and local community. When the COVID-19 pandemic halted large gatherings, PBOT faced the challenge of keeping that connection alive while supporting local businesses hit hardest by the shutdown.
Avenue needed to reimagine their signature event in a way that still encouraged movement, connection, and neighborhood pride. The solution was to transform Sunday Parkways into a virtual experience that allowed Portlanders to explore their city safely from home while staying engaged with the community.
The Challenge
Reimaging Sunday Parkways to keep the community connected during the pandemic.
Paid Social Research & Ongoing Management
Our team built and managed paid campaigns that promoted Sunday Parkways events to target audiences across social platforms. By combining real-time performance insights with ongoing creative and audience testing, Avenue optimized reach and engagement week over week, ensuring each message inspired Portlanders to stay active and connected from home.
Services Implemented
Organic Social Research & Ongoing Management
Avenue developed a holistic organic and paid social strategy across Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to amplify the Portland Sunday Parkways pivot to “Sunday Parkways at Home.” Through audience research, tailored messaging, and consistent content planning, we helped PBOT connect with Portlanders in meaningful ways and keep community engagement strong during a time of physical distancing.
The Solution
To meet PBOT’s goals, Avenue designed an integrated strategy that combined organic social media with paid social campaigns:
Organic Social Research & Management
Conducted research and benchmarking to identify growth opportunities and inform platform strategy
Built a content roadmap with themes, messaging, and creative recommendations to strengthen community engagement
Managed ongoing content planning and posting across Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, with weekly calendars and tone/visual guidelines
Advised PBOT on post copy, optimizations, and scheduling while providing regular reporting on content, social, and event performance
Monitored digital community activity, responding to comments and sharing insights to guide future engagement
Paid Social Research & Management
Conducted paid media research and competitive benchmarking to align PBOT’s goals with the most effective social platforms and campaign approach
Developed a strategic media plan outlining audiences, campaign structure, budgets, and platform recommendations to guide paid launch efforts
Built and launched campaigns in Meta Business Manager, including audience creation, ad group setup, A/B testing, and collaboration on creative and landing pages
Monitored campaign performance daily and weekly to adjust targeting, bids, and creative for improved reach and efficiency
Provided monthly reporting with insights and next-step recommendations, supported by weekly email snapshots of paid performance trends
By combining targeted paid media strategy with community-focused storytelling, Avenue helped PBOT expand awareness of Sunday Parkways and strengthen its connection with Portland residents.