October 8, 2024 3:20 a.m.
The Association of Oregon Counties recently presented its 2024 County Road Needs Study to the Oregon to the Oregon Legislative Joint Committee on Transportation, forecasting a statewide annual revenue shortfall of 59 percent over the next five years, resulting in an additional $834 million per year needed to maintain and manage county systems in a safe and adequate condition.
A county release said in Oregon, counties partner with the state to support a safe and reliable multimodal transportation system. However, counties, along with the Oregon Department of Transportation and other transportation agencies across the state, are facing structural funding challenges that impact core services, such as the maintenance of roads and bridges. Counties are responsible for the largest share of Oregon’s public road system, with more than 32,000 miles and 4,000 bridges. Douglas County owns and maintains 1,144 road miles and 300 bridges. This includes 161 miles in poor or fair condition, 240 bridges in poor or fail condition and 63 heavy-truck-wight restricted bridges.
The release said currently inflation, shrinking fuel consumption, and limited local tax bases, have required counties to defer needed safety improvements and routine maintenance work, resulting in a lower standard of quality and safety for the existing road and bridge systems. In addition, over the last 30 years, federal partners have significantly reduced funding and all but stopped direct access to road infrastructure grants for Oregon’s rural counties. Douglas County depends on shared revenues from the long-standing 50-30-20 State Highway Fund Distribution Formula that supports Oregon’s public road system. Funds are distributed to percent to the state, 30 percent to counties and 20 percent to cities. This fund is crucial for safety improvements and maintaining critical infrastructure that all Oregonians depend on – roads, bridges, sidewalks, bike paths, traffic signals, culverts and fish passages.
The release said Douglas County representatives will continue to share concerns, priorities, and ideas for solutions to help state legislators build a transportation funding package in 2025 that will support the needs of all local communities.
County Commissioner Tom Kress said, “Douglas County is already looking at critical budget shortfalls over the next five years with the continued loss of federal timber revenues, so cuts to funding resources for road and bridge maintenance would severely impact our ability to maintain the vital infrastructure that keeps communities connected and our economy moving”. Kress said the commissioners encourage citizens to contact their legislators and advocate for a fair funding package, while also asking them to prevent any changes to the existing highway revenue sharing model.
To read the full 2024 study and learn more about the issue, go to: www.oregoncounties.org