Transit funds may become a ballot issue
Even though TriMet knows the key to increasing ridership is offering more frequent bus service, it may not come anytime soon.
Denise Farwell / Portland Tribune
TriMet knows that frequency is the key to increasing bus ridership.
Since 2002, the regional mass transit agency has seen almost all of its bus ridership increase on its frequent-service lines that run every 15 minutes.
Despite that, TriMet cannot substantially increase bus service for at least another five years because of commitments to help fund new rail lines and increases in senior and disabled citizen services.
TriMet has committed to helping fund the Portland Mall/Interstate 205 MAX project, the Washington County commuter rail project and Portland streetcar extensions in the South Waterfront area.
It also anticipates that, as the population ages, the cost of its Lift Paratransit program, which provides service to seniors and the disabled, will increase from around $27 million this year to almost $47 million by 2014.
Although the 2005 Oregon Legislature authorized a one-tenth of 1 percent increase in TriMet’s payroll tax over the next 10 years, it will not produce enough excess revenue to expand bus service until 2012.
This is the case even though TriMet already has identified the first five lines for increased service, including popular routes to downtown from Beaverton, Tualatin, Gresham and Southeast Portland.
The dilemma is just one Portland-area problem that may prompt Metro to place a transportation funding package on the November 2008 ballot. Although discussions still are in the early stages, elected officials from throughout the region recently met at Metro for a briefing on the funding problems facing all transportation agencies that serve the area, including the Oregon Department of Transportation.
During the May 16 briefing, officials from throughout the region talked about unfunded transportation projects needed to serve their growing communities.
Road projects include the so-called Sunrise Highway connecting I-205 to Damascus; a connection between Interstate 84 and U.S. Highway 26 to serve Pleasant Valley; and additional lanes on Oregon Highway 217.
Unfunded transit projects include the long-planned light-rail lines connecting Portland to Milwaukie and Forest Grove.
“The big question is, how do we get out of the mode we’re stuck in of just talking about these projects, and taking action?” asked Multnomah County Chairman Ted Wheeler, who cited fixing the aging Sellwood Bridge as one of his priorities.
The answer is not going to be easy. Part of it depends on whether the 2007 Oregon Legislature substantially increases transportation funding before it adjourns this summer. The state’s 24-cents-per-gallon gas tax has not increased since 1991. Legislative leaders still are debating whether to raise it this session or study the issue further.
Cash may come from all over
“If the Legislature does something ambitious before the end of the session, then we might not have to do anything ourselves,” said Metro Councilor Brian Newman, who is leading the regional discussions about the potential ballot measure.
If the Legislature does not act, however, Metro staffers already have identified several regional funding sources for discussion. As outlined in a memo distributed at the May 16 meeting, they include:
• A regional gas tax collected in most of Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington counties.
• An increase in systems development charges assessed against builders to fund infrastructure improvements.
• A tricounty motor vehicle registration fee.
• A property tax levy to fund road construction and TriMet vehicle replacements.
Because the voters would have to approve the package, Metro is in the process of retaining a public opinion research firm to determine which elements have the greatest support.
Customers need to know
It is far too early to know what elements would be part of the package and exactly how much money it could raise. According to Newman, if such a package is placed on the ballot, it should be accompanied by a list of projects that it would fund.
“People need to know what they are buying,” he said.
Choosing the projects also is a complicated process. Metro is updating the regional transportation plan, which guides future transportation in the Portland area. The council recently extended the deadline for finishing the plan from December 2007 to June 2008.
The extension was approved in large part to coordinate the plan with the New Look, an internal review of whether current land-use policies are adequate to accommodate the 1 million more people expected to move here over the next 20 years.
“If we’re going to add 1 million more people … we need to know where they’re going to live, where the jobs are going to be, and that’s where we should spend the transportation money,” said Wood Village Mayor David Fuller, who co-chaired the May 16 meeting with Metro Councilor Rex Burkholder.
Job projections also made
As part of the effort, Metro has asked cities and counties within its jurisdictions to update their population projections.
Cities and counties have submitted period projections to Metro for several years as part of the regional government’s growth management responsibilities. The most recent regional populations projections were made after the last update.
Now Metro is asking how many new residents and jobs each jurisdiction can accommodate, given the expected population influx over the next 25 years.
“When you are trying to decide where to spend transportation dollars, it makes a lot of difference whether Portland is planning on 18,000 new housing starts or 45,000,” Metro Councilor Robert Liberty said at the meeting.
The Portland Bureau of Planning submitted its new projections to Metro in September. At that time, it estimated the city will gain roughly 53,900 households and 150,400 jobs by the year 2030.
Many of them will rely on transportation projects that have yet to be funded, including new roads and light rail in the South Waterfront area.
“Every community has these sorts of problems. We need to decide whose responsibilities they are,” said city transportation Commissioner Sam Adams.
jimredden@portlandtribune.com