[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6633583,"mediaKeyId","2664208-f31313ab3977c92c169466846a165194","parentId",2664208,"title","Washington County official: federal grant pauses and state budget uncertainty complicate local infrastructure plans","audioSeconds",1674,"startMs",3930000,"endMs",5604000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2664208-f31313ab3977c92c169466846a165194&start=3930&end=5604","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2664208-f31313ab3977c92c169466846a165194/thumbnail_3930000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6633583/Washington-County/Oregon/Washington-County-official-federal-grant-pauses-and-state-budget-uncertainty-complicate-local-infrastructure-plans","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6633583-e1d43363e84f9b51804dd799d1ca773d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771187780&Signature=PbfaSSL~vs2d5P6tdsSSHaLGbBgJ7QCpTZNR5VPbKoCJhF~5k5EKwDPYDypZtxXn6qRwYkHxWd9Vau9OM-cEicPG6aYfwxzLWClPyDbjMH1PNtag2kWrYk1Gg6knqRS50uw1IlHT7SWdPM5TFYAOHn7a7BfDQk21gLFtp7UApNfaEclVyo0acc3mwizO05h5z66RokAqrAU7y24Squ0Mecqhl0kugGhJ4rTFB2I1iYQQ7duR12959N06HP38cHjAu9~wH4ojoy6s2MIL8Vw71JC3x8dpBJCnhqxGudVc0K2~YNbAVT964cM73Zz9xtBwfESgCxAt4UTXPm3eddaeaA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Washington County","date","2025-03-17T21:36:57.05Z","article","Washington County senior government-relations manager Aaron Doyle briefed the coordinating committee on March 17 about federal and state developments that local governments say are complicating transportation and housing plans.

Doyle told the WCCC that federal grant processes have experienced pauses, shifts in review criteria and litigation that together create uncertainty for projects that expected federal funding. He described new administrative review practices that have flagged applications based on keyword searches (for example, terms such as “equity” or proposed climate measures) and said some grants are being paused or reexamined even after long development periods.

\"When you tinker here, you unwind,\" Doyle said, summarizing the effect of frequent procedural or policy changes on local implementation and permitting systems.

Federal issues: pausing awards and field-office reductions

Doyle said litigation tied to administrative decisions has slowed distribution of some already-awarded grants and that the administration's re-examination of pending grants has introduced fresh uncertainty. He also described staffing reductions and the potential closing of federal field offices as a practical barrier: when Oregon field staff at agencies such as HUD are reduced, it becomes harder to finalize agreements, resolve questions and coordinate programs such as CDBG or housing grants.

Doyle said the continuing resolution in Congress keeps FY24 funding levels into FY25 and removes earmarks from the FY25 proposed appropriations; he warned those choices have specific line-item consequences for transportation and housing funding that still need to be sorted out as Congress proceeds with appropriations.

State session and transportation budgeting

On the state side, Doyle said the current long session focuses on the 2025-27 budget and on transportation funding choices. He described the state's interest in revenue diversification to address a shortfall in operations and maintenance funding for ODOT, driven by an unindexed gas tax and the growth of more fuel-efficient vehicles. Doyle said regional projects that rely on a mix of local, state and federal funds may be harder to assemble this year, and he urged jurisdictions to preserve the 50/30/20 splits between state, county and city highway funds while seeking new revenue sources.

Housing and land-use policy

Doyle also summarized a wave of housing and land-use bills in the legislature that would require cities and counties to revisit codes and permitting processes. He cautioned that frequent statutory changes increase local permitting burdens and risk shifting staff away from counter support and permit review to plan-update work, producing unintended slowdowns in delivering housing.

What local officials should do

Doyle encouraged jurisdictions to document specific grant impacts and share them with congressional offices; he said members of the delegation have intervened successfully when local examples showed unintended consequences from administrative changes. He also urged coordination on revenue and local match commitments for projects seeking federal funding.

Ending

Committee members thanked Doyle for the overview and emphasized the need to track federal grant decisions closely and to feed concrete examples to the delegation when projects are affected. Doyle said staff will remain in contact and encouraged local officials to share instances where federal administrative shifts or state bill changes materially affect project timelines or funding.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Washington County Coordinating Committee (WCCC) - March 17, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Aaron (Erin) Doyle of Washington County briefed the committee on federal grant pauses, ongoing litigation, shrinking federal field offices and the state legislative session\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000 priorities. He urged officials to document grant impacts and prepare for a complex appropriation environment.","taxTitle","Washington County, Oregon","taxId",2762,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6633589,"TriMet and Washington County leaders push back on Metro—————————————— draft $84M bond split; JPAAC to consider public comment release",934,2298000,3232000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2664208-f31313ab3977c92c169466846a165194&start=2298&end=3232","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2664208-f31313ab3977c92c169466846a165194/thumbnail_2298000.jpg","/articles/6633589/Washington-County/Oregon/TriMet-and-Washington-County-leaders-push-back-on-Metro-draft-84M-bond-split-JPAAC-to-consider-public-comment-release","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6633589-716a8c8c2bb2d17cd3b481a479506805/orig.mp4?Expires=1771187780&Signature=edEIz2IVyDFW2HwUUwZ37FNvmXXY4awBkvqXtK~sxdCK69AZnTgAPtvjNdkdXHEF3K25ttqtj870~eV-lcLzud7A1sQSNJM~iF35GNJ60zhvaPS4a~11TtJNIrEPCpcgaCTI9HrxcTsyjn2hj7dgWiQuqOw2lNwWD623CDvoVTMYXF8hlwPsGTI68Fh55gBFIkfC9jzR4l2iZCwpf0L63E4Ub0YnwDbqurUI3rr~88IorEMX4h83hksHtTOZYw7znvjVhAmO73R~jfTP47nbFbw4xDtnse6Qst6SStvuyOG2px2EdUFRfjCWwUaXaNLQlmt78WxC1Eh8cy9Z10pbaA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Metro staff presented a draft bond allocation scenario on March 17 that would allocate up to $84,000,000 in regional bond proceeds among five candidate transit and roadway projects. The presentation and subsequent committee discussion focused on how to balance limited bond proceeds across competing regional projects and how distribution choices affect project viability for federal funding and construction.

TriMet told the committee it could not support the presented scenario. “The cuts to both TV Highway and 80 Second Avenue do not allow for viable projects, from our perspective,” a TriMet representative said, urging a revised scenario or a delay to develop alternatives. TriMet staff recommended either (1) delaying release of the bond scenario while partners develop an alternative that preserves full funding for those major federally pursued projects, or (2) releasing the list of candidate projects without dollar amounts for public comment.

Background and numbers

Project teams requested roughly $120,000,000 in bond proceeds across five candidate projects while the draft scenario assumes about $84,000,000 is available. Metro staff said they worked with project teams to apportion partial allocations intended to let each candidate continue advancing, rather than fully funding a subset and leaving others with no proceeds. The five projects include TV Highway and 80 Second Avenue (both positioned for FTA capital grants), Montgomery Park streetcar extension (also pursuing federal capital grants), Burnside Bridge transit access components tied to the Earthquake Ready Burnside Bridge project, and the Sunrise Gateway Corridor.

Local officials argue for prioritization

Several Washington County mayors and commissioners voiced strong opposition to the five-way haircut approach. “This is our money,” Beaverton Mayor Russels Beatty said, arguing that Washington County should secure a significant share for county-priority projects and not simply \"spread the peanut butter\" across all candidates. Sherwood Mayor Jeff (last name not specified) and others urged prioritizing projects that deliver the greatest regional return on investment.

Commissioner Nafisa Fye said the county's official position remains that TV Highway should receive the $30,000,000 originally requested. Mayor Delaney and other local leaders directed their JPAAC representatives to press for either full funding for TV Highway and 80 Second Avenue or reworking the scenario so those projects remain viable.

Process and next steps

Metro staff said the action before JPAAC on March 20 is to release the draft bond allocation scenario for public comment, not to adopt a final allocation. If JPAAC approves release, public comment would open March 24 and run through April 20. Metro staff will compile comments and present step 2 allocation package options to regional partners in May and June, with final action on the 2028-2030 regional flexible fund allocation scheduled for July.

TriMet asked JPAAC to either delay public release until partners can agree on a workable scenario or release the project list without allocation amounts so the public can comment on project selection rather than funding levels. Several county and city leaders said they would consider withholding support for the draft scenario at JPAAC if the allocation fails to preserve adequate funding for TV Highway and 80 Second Avenue.

Ending

JPAAC will decide whether to release the draft bond allocation scenario for public comment on March 20. Local officials instructed their JPAAC representatives to press for revisions that keep major county projects fundable; TriMet said it will not support the current draft because it reduces the two FTA-targeted projects below viable funding levels.","Metro presented a draft regional flexible fund (RFFA) bond allocation scenario that would distribute about $84 million across five candidate projects. TriMet said cuts to TV Highway and 80 Second Avenue make those projects unviable; several Washington County leaders urged prioritizing fewer projects rather than splitting funds across all five.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6633594,"Metro, TriMet present $300 million TV Highway locally preferred alternative; jurisdictions raise stop and funding concerns",890,478000,1368000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2664208-f31313ab3977c92c169466846a165194&start=478&end=1368","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2664208-f31313ab3977c92c169466846a165194/thumbnail_478000.jpg","/articles/6633594/Washington-County/Oregon/Metro-TriMet-present-300-million-TV-Highway-locally-preferred-alternative-jurisdictions-raise-stop-and-funding-concerns","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6633594-02b3298a144efc6651105de910aa1072/orig.mp4?Expires=1771187780&Signature=IS1jyPjdwyHzT9DYza~NygREyMsHW-ZIs9zl3wvUm2l5y9H6MjV8B9xiVE2pZ0DK8MX05lehgW3GyJLlqvI9hY4cuRR6R4pmYO3hNGcULDkSCFIysPJZvSlbg7vXF3pKI7Sj1IbMYxxR9z8nrTKDxGMTM7pZf5F~H-7MMeZFK~pcZ~JuJOFnJCsgpzqgUSMjhVoa2MiFzQ1jgZBeoaTWrj3dGvUQIAIz7wJVmTc72nT3MulPRv~7LN8ut0UirBZNuJBpxzxIk00e21wb3wqrV72yZguyWb52uSTV9N861lf9PyPpGI2IbVXRWDJBfIocyCsCxUFgjYgln3n6fge6cw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Metro and TriMet on March 17 presented a locally preferred alternative (LPA) for the TV Highway transit project that designers say reduces crashes, improves rider amenities and positions the corridor for federal Small Starts funding.

The LPA, recommended last month by the project steering committee, calls for improved stations with shelters, lighting and curbside platforms; enhanced pedestrian crossings and signals paired with each station; transit-signal priority; all-door boarding with tap readers on every door; and more frequent service (moving from roughly 15-minute headways to about 12 minutes most of the day). Metro and TriMet estimate the corridor currently carries more than 6,000 weekday boardings and has a fatal-crash rate nearly twice the regional average.

“First of all, we\u0000're reminded all too often about the safety issues along this corridor,” Metro project manager Kate Hawkins said. The plan reduces the partial pullout stop design and adds station platforms with curbs and waiting areas, she said. TriMet capital planning manager Dave Alwis added: “We are going to make sure that each station pair is coupled with an enhanced crossing or a traffic signal of some sort.”

Why it matters: project leads say the design improves safety for people walking to stops and speeds up buses enough to make transit more competitive with driving; funding and station siting will determine whether the package is viable for federal capital grants. TriMet and Metro staff presented a funding strategy based on a $300,000,000 project cost, a 50 percent match from the Federal Transit Administration's Small Starts program, approximately $100,000,000 in local match from TriMet and corridor jurisdictions, and a $50,000,000 state lottery bond request to fill the gap.

Project components and timeline

Project staff said the LPA is the product of earlier work that reduced an initial $850,000,000 concept to a $550,000,000 design and then to the current $300,000,000 package to improve feasibility and federal competitiveness. The LPA identifies mode, alignment and general station locations; staff said they intend to take the LPA to local councils and county boards for approval, then to the TriMet board, JPAAC and Metro Council and to incorporate it into the Regional Transportation Plan.

TriMet will lead project development (moving design from ~15 percent to higher levels) while Metro leads NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) review. Speakers said construction could begin in 2027 with revenue service opening in 2030 if funds are secured and permitting proceeds on schedule.

Funding and federal strategy

Metro told the committee that the $300,000,000 design is sized to seek a 50 percent federal match through FTA's Small Starts program. To be eligible, Metro and TriMet must identify local commitments (the presentation identified roughly $100,000,000 from TriMet and local partners) and a $50,000,000 state lottery bond request.

“We are able to move forward with project development and advanced design and go through the NEPA process, without those funding streams yet identified,” Hawkins said, describing a strategy of advancing the project to shovel-ready status while continuing to pursue state and federal funding. Staff also said TriMet plans to apply for entry into FTA project development later this summer.

Local concerns about stops and access

Several jurisdiction leaders pressed Metro and TriMet on station location choices and the effect of fewer stops on older and less-mobile riders. Forest Grove Mayor Margaret Wenzel said her city has a single bus line (Line 57) and that losing stops would be difficult for older residents: “It still feels really difficult for my community to lose those stops…we have 15 to 20% of our community 65 or older.” Hawkins responded that community engagement is ongoing and staff will work with Forest Grove residents and leaders on stop locations.

Cornelius Mayor (Dylan) raised similar concerns about Cornelius stop selection and identified the Fred Meyer stop near a planned 300\u0000-\u0000300 to 500-unit housing development as one that should be reconsidered because it already has a shelter, pullout and a traffic signal. Dave Alwis said stops in Cornelius remain under discussion and staff will work with local officials and community organizations to refine locations.

Safety and rider amenities

Speakers emphasized safety improvements along the corridor: curbside platforms where feasible, eliminating partial pullouts that create conflicts with motorists and cyclists, improved lighting and real-time arrival information. TriMet staff described operational changes such as all-door boarding, three wide doors on vehicles, tap readers on all doors and transit-signal priority to speed service. Alwis said the project would also consider queue jumps and bus-priority lanes in constrained locations.

Public outreach and next steps

Project staff said they will continue public outreach, refine Cornelius stop locations during project development and coordinate funding decisions within municipalities' FY26 budgets. Metro noted that some jurisdictions within the corridor may use Transportation Development Tax or other local funds toward the project. State lottery bond action is tied to the legislative session; staff said they expect to learn more about the state's ability to fund the request toward the end of the session.

What remains unresolved

Committee members repeatedly questioned what happens if the state or federal funding is unavailable. Hawkins and Alwis said staff have discussed contingency approaches, including non-capital alternatives or phased/local approaches, but they emphasized that the steering committee prioritized advancing a federally funded project and that moving design and NEPA forward protects the corridor's readiness for future funding opportunities.

Ending

Metro and TriMet urged continued local engagement as the project moves into project development and NEPA. The LPA will be scheduled for local approvals and TriMet and Metro will pursue FTA project-development entry this summer; sponsors said the corridor's safety and ridership data make it competitive for federal Small Starts funding but that state and local funding commitments remain critical to the project's viability.","Metro and TriMet presented a locally preferred alternative for the TV Highway (Line 57) transit project, a $300 million design aimed at safety, accessibility and faster service. Officials from Forest Grove and Cornelius urged Metro and TriMet to preserve local stops; TriMet and Metro plan to seek FTA Small Starts and local/state matches.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Washington County official: federal grant pauses and state budget uncertainty complicate local infrastructure plans

TriMet and Washington County leaders push back on Metro—————————————— draft $84M bond split; JPAAC to consider public comment release

Metro, TriMet present $300 million TV Highway locally preferred alternative; jurisdictions raise stop and funding concerns