The future of Oregon’s transportation system
As the Oregon Legislature looks for how to pay for it, BEST executive director Rob Zako argues for one that is safe, clean, fair, and accountable.
In a recent discussion with Oregon House Speaker Julie Fahey (D-Eugene) and others, BEST Executive Director Rob Zako outlined a future for Oregon’s transportation system.
He is a member of the Joint Committee on Transportation’s “Back to Basics” Maintenance & Preservation workgroup, one of three workgroups that are helping the Oregon Legislature develop a transportation package to consider during their 2025 session.
Pragmatic and Long-Term
We concur with Rep. Fahey told Dick Hughes for Oregon Capital Insider:
On seeking the pragmatic instead of the perfect: “There isn’t going to be any one thing that is proposed in that package that every person loves. Any piece of that package, someone could raise their hand and say, ‘I don’t like this about that.’
“But the entirety of the thing needs to hang together. And when I say it needs to hang together, one of the goals is to modernize our funding system for transportation. I talked about the gas tax. What is our transportation funding system going to look like in 20 years and 30 years? When there’s kind of a transition to EVs or other changes in how we drive?
“We don’t need to be there today, right? But we’ve got to figure out, what are the steps to get us to a system that will work in 20 years? Otherwise, the problem will be even worse.”
Vision
Fortunately, we do not need to reinvent the wheel. Last year as part of the Oregon Transportation Plan, the Oregon Transportation Commission adopted a vision for our transportation system:
Oregon’s transportation system supports all Oregonians by connecting people and goods to places in the most climate-friendly, equitable, and safe way.
This vision aligns with Move Oregon Forward’s platform:
Safe. Clean. Fair. Accountable. Transportation for a thriving Oregon.
Fix It First
Just as a homeowner needs to replace a leaky roof before adding on a new room, Oregon needs to maintain the transportation system we have before expanding it. Specifically, we need to spend sufficient money to preserve declining roads sooner to avoid having to spend far more to reconstruct them later. Allocating less money would be penny wise and pound foolish.
Safe
Even as we commit to preserving the “life” of pavement, we must do more to protect the lives of people. Although a human life is priceless, we actually do place an economic value on it whenever we decide investment priorities. When the Legislature assesses the economic benefits and costs of different investments, it should account for the costs of lost lives. Following guidance from USDOT, the value of the 587 lives lost in 2023 was $13.2 million each, or a total of $7.7 billion. This figure should be weighed against, for example, the economic cost of delays. For most roads, for example, state highways through communities, we must design for safety over speed.
Clean
Oregon is already seeing the economic and human effects of climate change. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from transportation rests on a three-legged stool: 1) Increase fuel efficiencies, switch to renewable fuels, and transition to electrify electric vehicles. 2) See more low-carbon trips by investing in public and active transportation. 3) Reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT) by planning land uses closer together.
Fair
We must balance who benefits and who pays. On the benefits side, there must be safe (see above) and practical transportation options for all Oregonians, including the estimated third that do not regularly drive, whether due to age, ability, or income. In general, who pays how much should align with who benefits (including fairness between light and heavy duty vehicles). But we also want to incentivize the kind of transportation system we want to have. Moreover, those least able to pay must nonetheless have access to daily needs.
Accountable
Lastly, investments in transportation must deliver not only projects and programs but cost-effectively provide the health, safety, equity, economic vitality, environmental, and other livability outcomes Oregonians want to see. To know and trust this is the case, transportation decisions must be made transparently. Where money comes from and goes to must be clearly and simply available.
Conclusion
Happily, these key issues are not unrelated special interests but rather aspects of the unified vision that the Oregon Transportation Commission has already developed.
Now the Legislature needs to determine how to fund implementation of this vision.
References
- Oregon Transportation Plan
- Move Oregon Forward Platform
- Transportation for America Policy Platform
- Better Outcomes: Improving Accountability & Transparency in Transportation Decision-Making (Rob Zako, Ph.D. and Rebecca Lewis, Ph.D., University of Oregon, 2017)