Cash is roadblock for road upgrades

Costs of congestion are well-known, but fixes go unfunded

By Jim Redden

The Portland Tribune, Dec 9, 2005, Updated Oct 30, 2009

Although traffic congestion is hurting businesses throughout the Portland area, transportation officials say they have no money to begin building the new roads or additional lanes that could speed shipments and deliveries.

Approximately $630 million is spent on transportation projects and operations in the metropolitan region every year, split almost evenly between road and mass transit projects.

But, according to officials, the road money is not even enough to pay all maintenance needs, and most of the transit money cannot simply be shifted to roads because of transportation funding policies.

“We have to be realistic and admit we’re not going to be able to substantially increase our transportation budgets. The voters are not willing to pay more money for more construction projects,” said Rex Burkholder, a member of the Metro Council, the regional government charged with setting transportation funding priorities in most of Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington counties.

Burkholder chairs a committee that is preparing to update Metro’s Regional Transportation Plan, a document approved by the council that sets spending priorities for the next 20 years. The review is expected to result in the council’s approving a revised plan by December 2007.

“The list is already much larger than we can afford,” Burkholder said.

A recent report found that congestion is a real and growing problem throughout the metropolitan region. It identified 18 transportation bottlenecks in the three counties that are hurting the economy.

“Congested corridors are everywhere. Not just in Portland, not just downtown, but everywhere Ñ which means that it affects businesses and residents everywhere,” said Glen Weisbrod, president of the Boston-based Economic Development Research Group, which conducted the study, titled “The Cost of Congestion to the Economy of the Portland Region.”

According to Weisbrod, the problems will worsen as more people move to the region. Metro, the regional government charged with managing growth, predicts that around 1 million more people will settle in the Portland area by 2025.

“Congestion-related problems can be expected to worsen exponentially. The more vehicles you put on the road, the greater the problems that are caused by accidents and other delays,” he said.

Despite the consequences, a draft Oregon Transportation Plan released late last month predicted state spending will not keep up with population increases that are already straining the road system. Oregon voters have repeatedly defeated ballot measures to raise the state’s 24-cent-per-gallon gas tax, the primary transportation funding source.

“About $1.3 billion more in revenue per year is needed to maintain and expand the publicly owned components of the state, regional and local transportation system,” said the draft report, which will be finalized next year.

The report said that up to $8.1 million a year in state funds can be shifted from transit to road projects Ñ a small fraction of the current road needs.

The Portland Office of Transportation is already facing a $5.5 million shortfall in next year’s budget. The deficit is projected to grow to $11 million in the following five years because of an anticipated reduction in state gasoline tax money.

The office will sponsor a public forum to discuss the potential shortfalls from 5:30 p.m to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Plaza Conference Room of the World Trade Center, 121 S.W. Salmon St.

According to Burkholder, transportation leaders need to consider such ideas as charging tolls for driving during rush hours, which would discourage unnecessary vehicle trips at peak travel times.

“The world has changed, and we need to be creative,” he said.

A big list of problems

The congestion study was funded by local governments and businesses on behalf of the Portland Business Alliance, Metro, the Port of Portland and the Oregon Department of Transportation. It grew out of a Transportation Investment Task Force appointed by former Metro Executive Mike Burton in 2002.

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