Portland Weighs 12 Dollar Monthly Transportation Fee as Road Repair Backlog Hits 6.6 Billion Dollars
PORTLAND, Ore. — After Portland’s Transportation and Infrastructure Committee unanimously approved a proposal to create a Transportation Utility Fee and a Street Damage Restoration Fee last week, the City Council is considering creating two new fees to help fund its Bureau of Transportation (PBOT).
PBOT is currently facing a funding crisis, with a growing list of delayed projects and deteriorating roads.
Source: Portland PBOT local transportation funding open house sections on funding challenges, utility fee, and street damage fee
Dailytidings.com
On Friday, the backlog of PBOT maintenance projects was valued at $6.6 billion, while 64% of busy streets are in poor or very poor condition.
The two proposed transportation fees are:
- The committee gave preliminary approval to levy a Transportation Utility Fee at a rate of $12 per month on water and sewer bills of Portland residents. This would deliver an estimated $46.7 million annually.
- The Street Damage Restoration Fee, expected to deliver $7-$22 million annually, would be charged to utilities and other companies that excavate a roadway for any project, repair, or construction.
The City Council will likely consider the fees in April.