The Joint Transportation Preservation & Modernization Committee met on Monday, May 8 and received a presentation that recapped the recommendations of the five work groups. Recommendations were wide ranging: first, the investment program would cover a 10-year period, and could potentially be re-upped for another 10; second, a variety of revenue streams would pay for improvement to the transportation system; and third, all areas of the state and all transportation modes will receive funding for system improvements.
Maintenance and preservation of the road system, the primary need of most of Oregon’s counties, would be funded by gas tax, title and registration fee increases.
Congestion and freight mobility projects would be funded from an excise tax on new vehicles and local revenue raised within Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPOs). Transit would be funded by a .0001 percent payroll tax. Bike and pedestrian off road commuter facilities would be funded by an excise tax on adult bicycles, a carve out of ConnectOregon, and revenue from State Parks.
The focus was on having the committee members agree on aspects of the proposal so that a “straw man” bill could be drafted and hearings on the draft could be held.
Discussions will continue, with meetings scheduled for May 15th & 17th. You can watch the hearings live time, or an archived version at your leisure. Click here to view the meeting you are interested in watching. Be sure to check out the ‘Meeting Materials’ tab so you can clearly see the PowerPoint presentations and document handouts.
Contributed by: Susan Morgan | AOC Transportation Policy Manager