[0]City wide problem, city wide solutionThe asset value of Portland's transportation system is approximately $7.1 billion. The city owns an operates 3,949 lane miles of roads, 157 bridges, 992 traffic signals, eight million square yards of sidewalks, 37,352 improved corners and over 53,000 street lights.
Our system needs investment. Our system is only effective if we can safely and efficiently move people and freight through our system. 380 people died and 2,662 serious injuries have occurred because many of our many fixable safety challenges that can not be addressed due to lack of funding for maintenance and safety.
Portland, like most Oregon cites, relies on the state gas tax as its primary source of funding to maintain and operate our local streets and bridges. The gas tax has steadily eroded as a funding source and has not been increased since 1993. As a result, many of our assets have fallen into disrepair and important services have been cut. Over the last seven years Portland Office of Transportation has had to make cuts in service totaling $42.4 million. These cuts have resulted in reductions in services, unaddressed safety needs and a growing percentage of the City's transportation infrastructure that is in poor and very poor condition.
Portland is not alone in this problem. Many local government are also at the breaking point and have needed to develop local funding mechanisms to supplement state funds for transportation maintenance and safety improvements.
To find a solution to this problem, which is expected to grow by $ 9 million this year and exponentially thereafter, Sam started a conversation with the community in June. Sam assembled an 89 person stakeholder committee to tackle the issue and make a recommendation to council. The ordinance that Sam filed today reflects the recommendations of the committee and a balanced solution to our transportation funding crisis.
While there are numerous documents attached to this site to illustrate the implementation of the program and the solutions it delivers, there are some simple principles involved in the plan. First, rather than a system completely funded by gas tax revenues, all users of the system pay. Those that use the system more pay more. And importantly, the burden is shared equally between businesses and residents.
Sam has not asked for a blank check. The Office of Transportation has prioritized projects according to need and safety. An Oversight Committee will be formed and charged with annually reporting to council on the project budget, administrative costs, M/W/ESB utilization and the development of the project list.
Key components of the Safe, Sound and Green Streets Program are: a significant investment in the bicycle network, reducing the conflict between bikes and cars; improvements to the signalizations of lights, reducing green house gases and congestion while improving driving times; and repairing all the arterials in poor and very poor condition.
I encourage you to review the information and related blogs on the issue. The matter will be before council on January 9, 2007 at 2:00 PM. We hope to see you at the council hearing and look forward to your support.
Safe Sound and Green Streets Town Hall Powerpoint Presentation [0]
Support Multnomah County Raising Funds for the Sellwood Bridge
- Resolution [0]
Review Funding for State Gas Tax Resolution
- Resolution [0]
Create Safe Sound & Green Streets Independent Oversight Committee - Ordinance
- Ordinance [0]
Street Maintenance and Safety Fee
- Ordinance [0]
Exhibits
- Exhibit 1 - Safe Sound and Green Streets Budget [0]
Exhibit 2 - Safe Sound and Green Streets Project Maps Paving [0] | Safety [0] | Signals [0] - Exhibit 3 - Rate Calculation [0]
- Exhibit - Trip Generation Rates by NAICS SIC and County Property-Use Codes [0]
- Exhibit A - January 9 PowerPoint Presentation to Council [0]
- Exhibit B - Safe Sound and Green Streets Green Incentives [0]
- Exhibit C - Safe Sound and Green Streets TAC Memo [0]
- Exhibit D - Safe Sound and Green Streets Stakeholder List [0]
- Exhibit E - Mailer [0]
- Exhibit F - Mailer Newspaper [0]
- Exhibit G - Appeals Process [0]
- Exhibit H - Safe Sound and Green Streets Finance Committee Memo [0]
- Exhibit I - Appendix Excerpt [0]
- Exhibit K - Safe Sound and Green Endorsement Letters [0]
- Exhibit M - Safe Sound and Green Streets Proposal Overview [0]
- Exhibit L - Draft Monthly City Utility Bill Resolution [0]
Related Blog Posts
- Safe, Sound, and Green Street Town Halls [0]
- Next Part of the Transportation Equation: Developing a Solution [0]