Without the extension, the city’s transportation bureau faces a $32 million shortfall.
This month, voters in Portland, Oregon will decide whether to renew a local gas tax that would fund the Portland Bureau of Transportation’s road maintenance budget, reports Alex Zielinski for OPB.
“Voters first approved the 10-cent-per-gallon tax in 2016, to address a mounting road maintenance backlog. It was renewed in 2020. The tax has generated nearly $150 million for PBOT over eight years.” Zielinski explains that the tax funded pedestrian crossing signals, sidewalks, speed bumps, lighting, and other safety improvements on some of Portland’s most dangerous streets.
“If voters agree to extend the tax for four more years, it will generate just over $70 million to address street maintenance and safety projects. It includes $24 million for street paving, $9 million to improve pedestrian safety on busy streets, $6 million for potholes, and $4 million to maintain street lights and signals, among other projects.” Otherwise, PBOT faces a $32 million budget deficit and will likely have to cut down on services.
FULL STORY: Portland gas tax renewal goes to voters in May
Audit: Portland’s Vision Zero Needs More Data, Funding
A city audit found that the program has failed to reduce traffic deaths and could benefit from a more systematic approach. Meanwhile, PBOT says it needs more state funding to support road safety projects.
Portland, Ore. Voters Will Be Asked to Reauthorize Gas Tax in May 2020
Originally approved by 52 percent of voters in May 2016, the 4-year, 10 cents per gallon city gas tax has outperformed revenue projections. Funds are split between road maintenance and bike and pedestrian projects.
Traffic Deaths Reach Three-Decade High in Portland
In spite of the city's commitment to Vision Zero goals, more people died on Portland's streets than anytime in the last thirty years, with unhoused people most vulnerable to traffic violence.
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.
The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.
Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire
In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.
San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.
Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives
A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.
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Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research