ODOT’s recommended STIP funding scenarios seek ‘Non-Highway’ compromise

A project in the current STIP (2021-2024) will add bike lanes to this section of Lombard in north Portland.
(Photo: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)
The Oregon Transportation Commission (OTC) will make an important decision at their meeting on Tuesday (12/1). As we shared last week, the Oregon Department of Transportation is asking the OTC to approve how $2.2 billion in transportation funds should be allocated in the 2024-2027 timeframe. It’s the first step in the process to update the “STIP”, the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program.
In the weeks and months leading up to tomorrow’s meeting, ODOT staff presented the public with five funding “scenarios”. While most of the funds are already spoken four, about one-third or $600 million of the ($2.2 billion) total is at play in this allocation debate. While the lines between them often blur, the categories these funds can be placed i are “Fix-it” (maintenance), “Enhance” (new highway projects), “Safety” (focus on injury/fatality reduction), and “Non-highway” (bicycle, walking, and transit-focused projects).[Read more…]