East Multnomah County leaders call for action on transportation funding
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As the Legislature works to fill a massive transportation budget gap, officials from east Multnomah County are pressing lawmakers to pay for projects in the Portland metro area they say have been underfunded for decades.
Why it matters: Mayors from Gresham and Wood Village said the roads and bridges in their communities are deteriorating and that state funding is crucial to leveraging federal funds to update and maintain important infrastructure.
Case in point: A retaining wall on the Stark Street Bridge, 2 miles east of Troutdale, collapsed last September, forcing the closure of the span.
- Crews found 6- to 8-inch holes in the deck of the bridge and another retaining wall in danger of failing, which some area leaders attributed to deferred maintenance.
- Ultimately, it took six months for the span to reopen.
State of play: The Oregon Department of Transportation is facing a $354 million deficit for its next two-year budget, which starts July 1.
- Democratic lawmakers have floated plans to close the gap by increasing gas taxes and adding other road user fees.
- Republicans released a plan last month that would see roughly $730 million in cuts to public transit, bicycle projects and agency staff, with most of those savings going toward road maintenance.
- Democrats hold a supermajority in both chambers, though, so it's unclear whether any of the Republican proposals will make it into the final legislation.
What they're saying: At a press conference Monday, the mayors of Gresham, Troutdale and Fairview, along with Multnomah County Commissioner Vince Jones-Dixon, said their part of the county has seen a lack of road maintenance funds for many budget cycles.
- "It's been a frustrating underinvestment for decades," Gresham mayor Travis Stovall said. "There has to be an overinvestment starting now."
- And he stressed the age of infrastructure in his city, noting it's much easier to maintain what's there than to replace it entirely.
- "We have to ensure we can get folks to where they live, where they work and where they get educated," he said.
What's next: The Joint Committee on Transportation is expected to hold a public hearing on the status of the transportation package sometime this month, though an exact date has not been set.