Portland officials go all in on transportation plan, but public opinion varies

A groundbreaking for TriMet’s Red Line extension project will happen later this week.

Portland’s Metro Council showed solidarity on a financial package that will help pay for a $7 billion transportation plan. Now officials need to hope the votes come together in November.

The Metro Council approved a plan that includes a payroll tax and $56 vehicle registration fee that will help generate up to $350 million annually beginning in 2022. Over a 20-year period, Metro says it expects to pull in as much as $4.5 billion. The remaining funds will come from federal and state governments. The highlight of the transportation plan is a 12-mile light-rail extension to Bridgeport Village.

The public supports the move, but is not necessarily excited about it. FM3 conducted a poll in late May to test the language of the proposal on the November ballot. Only 54 percent of those polled said they would likely support the measure, with the margin of error at 4 percent. However, when more information was provided about the transportation plan 67 percent were in support of it. Still, due to the pandemic only 54 percent viewed traffic to be a problem in the region, compared to 71 percent last year, and just 20 percent believe the lack of public transportation is a serious issue.

Officials will have to use the coming months to convince voters that approving the tax measure is the way to go. There is opposition to the plan. The Cascade Policy Institute is against the move and will most likely attempt to sway the vote.

Read more articles on light rail.