Analysis

BEST joins Move Oregon Forward in the Capitol

By Rob Zako
April 14, 2025

On Thursday, April 17, BEST will be asking lawmakers for safe, clean, fair, and accountable transportation options for all.

Although all politics might be local, most transportation funding comes from state (or federal) sources. To see better transportation in the greater Eugene-Springfield area, BEST co-founded Move Oregon Forward. We know we are better when we speak and act together.

Now on Thursday, April 17, in Salem, BEST advocates will be joining others from around the state to speak with state lawmakers about the need for safe, clean, fair, and accountable transportation options for all Oregonians.

Move Oregon Forward

Healthy, affordable, and thriving communities run on their transportation: streets that youth can cross safely to school, where older adults can get their daily exercise, people using mobility devices can get everywhere they need to go, and transit gets you there and back on time. We need to invest in safe, well maintained, and financially sustainable transportation options for all Oregonians while advancing our livability goals.

The Move Oregon Forward campaign is powered by active transportation, climate, and environmental justice organizations from across the state. We are working together to pass forward-thinking legislation to benefit every Oregonian in rural and urban communities.

As Oregon considers changing how we fund our transportation system, we are working for four priorities.

Safe

We envision a transportation system that puts safety first. That means eliminating serious injuries and deaths; investing in protections for the most vulnerable road users; reducing our vehicle miles traveled (VMT), air pollution, and other hidden costs to public health; and protecting our environment now and for future generations.

We support legislative action that prioritizes investments in safe networks for walking, biking, and rolling. This includes increased funding for jurisdictional transfer of “orphan highways” and currently oversubscribed safety and mobility programs, such as:

Clean

We are committed to creating the greenest transportation system possible for Oregon. By expanding access to clean transportation options for every community and context, we will reduce our transportation system’s contribution to climate change, ease congestion, and help non-drivers stay connected—all at the same time, and leaving no one behind.

We support legislative action that:

  • Invests in and integrates transportation, housing, and  land use planning initiatives that reduce emissions by providing compact, mixed-use neighborhoods supported by safe and accessible networks for walking, rolling, and transit. 
  • Substantially expands funding for affordable, practical public transit and paratransit options across the state.
  • Expands incentives and education to make ownership, sharing, charging, and use of electric micro-mobility and electric light/medium/heavy-duty vehicles affordable, accessible, and safe.

Fair

We must update and diversify how we fund our transportation system as the gas tax declines and major project funding plans remain in limbo. Our funding solutions must be designed to explicitly incentivize and invest in a greener and safer transportation system, deliver real value for our dollars, and share costs equitably.

We support legislative action to develop and advance a revenue strategy that:

  • Right-sizes existing revenue streams and/or indexes them to inflation.
  • Diversifies our revenue sources to invest in maintenance, safety, and mobility first.
  • Better aligns both our future revenue and current spending with Oregon’s climate, housing, equity, employment, and transportation goals and the needs of communities statewide.

Accountable

We advocate for accountable and transparent institutions that involve diverse voices in decision-making at every level, where people most impacted by a decision have real power to shape it. We see a disconnect today between our institutions’ stated goals and where they actually put their money. To meet safety, climate, and other targets, and to retain the public’s trust, Oregon must close this gap. We are pursuing just, equitable, and responsive transportation governance that follows through on its promises.

We support legislative action to:

  • Enable the Oregon Transportation Commission to be more representative and independently staffed.
  • Establish a fix-it-first policy to fund statewide maintenance and safety programs before investing in expanded roads.
  • Align investments, planning, and future transportation projects with established safety, climate, and mobility goals, including appropriate Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT)-reduction targets.

Transportation ReInvestment Package (TRIP)

On April 3, the Joint Committee on Transportation of the Oregon Legislature released a conceptual framework for a Transportation ReInvestment Package (TRIP) they hope to pass later this session. This 4-page document summarizes major elements of who pays and who benefits, and suggests reforms to how decisions are made.

The Move Oregon Forward campaign applauds this proposal, calling it a strong starting point with real potential based on shared priorities heard in the statewide listening tour. The campaign urges lawmakers to address critical funding gaps.

“The fact that the conversation is starting here shows lawmakers took time to engage with and listen to community members. We deeply appreciate the mentions of key safety programs. Thanks especially to Co-Chairs Susan McLain and Chris Gorsek for putting the safety of Oregonians first,” said Sarah Iannarone, Executive Director of The Street Trust.

Who pays?

The TRIP framework includes these increased and new taxes:

  • Gas tax: Increase by 20¢ per gallon, incrementally from 40¢ per gallon today to 60¢ per gallon in the year 2032. Thereafter, index to inflation.
  • Vehicle registration fee: Increase by $66.
  • Vehicle title fee: Increase by $90.
  • Weight-mile tax: Increase by 16.9% this tax on freight trucks.
  • System use fee: Establish a new fee of 1% on the purchase of new vehicles.
  • Road usage charge: Phase in a new mandatory charge for electric, hybrid, high-efficiency cars, light duty passenger trucks, and medium duty deliver trucks, in lieu of higher vehicle registration fees.
  • Employee payroll tax: Increase by 0.08%, from 0.10% to 0.18%, to support public transit.
  • Vehicle privilege tax: Increase by 0.3%, from 0.5% to 0.8%, this tax on the purchase of new vehicles to further Connect Oregon goals of investing in rail, aviation, and marine projects.
  • Tire pollution tax: Establish a new tax of 3% on the purchase of new tires.
  • Bicycle excise tax: Increase by $9.50 per bike, from $15 to $24.50, the tax on the purchase of new bicycles (with a sales price of $200 or more).
  • Shared burden: Rebalance the taxes paid by light duty versus heavy duty vehicles so that the burdens on each weight class are proportionate to the costs incurred for the highway system, pursuant to the Highway Cost Allocation Study, as required by the Oregon Constitution, Article IX § 3a(3).

Who benefits?

The TRIP framework allocates these funds:

  • State highways: $850 million per biennium for operations, maintenance, and preservation.
  • County roads: $510 million per biennium.
  • City streets: $340 million per biennium.
  • Highway expansions: $250 million per biennium to complete projects identified in Keep Oregon Moving (House Bill 2017).
  • Passenger rail: Invest $17 million per biennium to maintain the new Amtrak service levels, plus additional investments in rail infrastructure.
  • Public transit: Maintain current transit service levels. Expand service areas and levels. Invest in Youth Pass expansion. Invest in rural transit developments. Expand Veteran Passes.
  • Off-road paths: Invest in the Oregon Community Paths program.

Who decides?

The TRIP framework addresses these issues:

  • Governance: To be determined.
  • Accountability & transparency: To be determined.
  • Audit: Undertake a thorough review of ODOT’s existing accounting, budget, and project delivery processes and practices.

Further reading

TRIP framework and responses

Other stories

External links

See also

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