How Much for Roads and Highways in a Proposed Portland-Area Transportation Funding Measure?

A regional transportation tax could be on the 2020 ballot in Portland and surrounding communities in Oregon. How much of that money created by the new tax, should it pass, will go to transit and how much will go to cars is an open question.

1 minute read

May 5, 2019, 9:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Tilikum Crossing

Christopher Boswell / Shutterstock

"The multi-billion-dollar regional transportation measure expected to be on the 2020 ballot [in the Portland area] may dedicate 50 percent of funds toward highway and road infrastructure," reports Elise Herron.

The details of the funding structure of the bill are still a work in progress. Herron says some in "car-skeptical" Portland thinks the share of funding devoted to automobile infrastructure is too high.

Lynn Peterson, president of the regional government Metro, says polling is clear on the preference for a 50-50 split.

Rachel Mohahan reported in February on the initial efforts to place a transportation funding measure on the ballot, going into additional detail about the region's transportation funding needs.

Monday, April 22, 2019 in Willamette Week

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