April 7, 2025
To: Representative Susan McLain, Co-Chair of the JCT
Senator Chris Gorsek, Co-Chair of the JCT
Cc: Senator Rob Wagner, President of the Senate
Representative Julie Fahey, Speaker of the House
Re: Support for Increased Transit Funding in the 2025 Transportation Package Needed to Avoid Service Cuts
We, the undersigned organizations, urge you to increase the amount of funding identified for public transit in the 2025 transportation package. If the Statewide Transportation Improvement Fund (STIF) employee payroll tax that funds statewide transit is only increased by 0.08%, as proposed in the transportation package framework released on April 4th, transit providers across Oregon will be forced to make significant cuts to transit service.
These cuts will harm Oregon’s economy, raise the cost of living for those who can least afford it, perpetuate traffic fatalities and serious injuries, increase congestion and pollution while worsening air quality, and strand thousands of Oregonians without access to the transportation they depend on to get to work, school, medical appointments and other essential services.
We can’t afford to shortchange Oregon’s public transit. At a time when Oregon’s working families are already struggling just to make ends meet, we cannot deprive them of this critical lifeline they need to survive.
The stated transit goals in the legislature’s transportation package framework are:
● Maintain current transit service levels;
● Expand service areas and level;
● Invest in Youth Pass expansion;
● Invest in rural transit developments;
● Expand veteran passes.
While we are grateful for these goals being named, NONE of these laudable objectives are achievable at a STIF payroll tax rate of 0.18%. The money must match the mission.
Transit agencies across the state have seen about a 50% increase in the cost of providing transit service in the last 5 years due to higher wages and benefits, vehicle prices, fuel costs and insurance. Providers have also invested more resources in security to keep riders and operators safe amidst Oregon’s public safety challenges.
Continued…..