2024 Transportation Funding Trip to Washington, DC
Thirty-nine representatives comprising of Metro, ODOT, TriMet, City of Portland, Multnomah County, Clackamas County, City of Lake Oswego, City of Wilsonville, and Washington County met with our federal delegation between May 14th and May 16th. The Washington County contingent included Hillsboro Mayor Steve Callaway, Hillsboro Transportation Systems Division Director Mat Dolata, Tualatin City Engineer Mike McCarthy, Washington County Senior Government Relations Manager Erin Doyle, Washington County Land Use and Transportation Policy Analyst Jessica Pelz, and I. The trip included meetings with:
- Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden and Representatives Earl Blumenauer, Andrea Salinas and Lori Chavez-DeRemer
- Congressional staff from Senators Wyden and Merkley and Representatives Salinas and Suzanne Bonamici
- A panel presentation from Senate and House Committees’ staff
- A speakers panel at US Department of Transportation (USDOT)
- Speakers from the Eno Center for Transportation and the Brookings Institute
One of the main conversations was the reauthorization of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA)/Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). We were told to apply for as many grant opportunities as possible and for getting those grant dollars obligated as soon as possible.
Gratitude was conveyed for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and our federal partners’ help bringing more than $1 billion back to the region. The $600 million funding for the Interstate Bridge and $478 million for Rose Quarter are especially notable.
We asked about the possibility of federal action towards a new vehicle miles traveled-based policy to replace reliance on gas tax funding for transportation improvements nationwide. USDOT staff said they would research programs already underway in several states, including Oregon.
The region’s representatives presented bus rapid transit as one of the core components of the future transportation system connecting communities throughout the greater Portland area as well as the need to keep streets paved, bridges standing, and traffic signals working. TriMet is trying to better identify transit options that will put more people on transit instead of single vehicles and give residents the opportunity to choose transit as a convenient and reliable option.
I asked for support to make the federal grant application process easier for our small cities, which often lack staff to compile the materials necessary for a competitive application. An example is a grant to eliminate the at grade railroad crossing at Tualatin-Sherwood Road and Boones Ferry. I stated the cities along Highway 99 are looking at ways the state highway can be safer for people commuting through Sherwood/Tualatin/King City/Tigard, and that we need to do a deep dive into the planning work to address safety concerns and promote smarter/better development along the route.
In conclusion, it was noted by federal elected officials and staff that an entire metro region working together to solve transportation issues is very uncommon and made the delegation unique in their minds.
