The Oregon Transportation Commission recently considered how to allocate the $412 million of flexible funding Oregon received as part of the federal infrastructure package.
“These resources will help us make vital improvements to our transportation system. But this funding should also be viewed in context,” Commission Chairman Robert Van Brocklin said. “We face a $5 billion bridge maintenance backlog… We can make progress on many of our goals, but we cannot solve the vast majority of our funding problems with the money from this legislation. We also need to pursue other revenue sources to produce sustainable transportation funding to invest in a reliable, diverse transportation system.”
A total of $800 million is federally directed to transit, community priorities, bicycle, and pedestrian projects, repairing and replacing aging bridges, constructing new electric vehicle charging stations, investing in projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increasing the transportation system’s resiliency, and improving transportation safety.
This leaves $412 million unallocated. The commission heard residents and elected officials propose uses for the funds. Proposals included road repair and maintenance, highway enhancements, public transportation, bicycle, and pedestrian projects, and Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility.
The commission will hold meetings on the topic on Feb. 17, March 10, and March 30.