Milwaukie moves to finalize 20‑year Transportation System Plan; bike and pedestrian projects prioritized amid a $2 million shortfall

Milwaukie city staff on Tuesday presented a revised prioritization of projects for the city's Transportation System Plan, focusing on bike and pedestrian improvements while acknowledging a roughly $2 million gap between the draft constrained project list and the state-required funding target.

The update summarized a multi-step process that began with a data-driven scoring of projects, incorporated public outreach and focus groups this summer, and was refined by the TSP advisory and technical committees and the planning commission. Staff said most tier‑1 (financially constrained) projects are multimodal: sidewalks, protected bike facilities and shared-use routes.

"We took the evaluation criteria and created basically a scoring mechanism," said Matt Hubert of Kittleson, the project's consultant. "That data-driven numerical process was then filtered with comments we had received...and then you step back and say, you know what? That doesn't make a lot of sense. Maybe we should move some of these projects around." Hubert led the technical walkthrough of the prioritization method.

Why it matters: the TSP identifies which projects the city intends to pursue over a 20‑year horizon and can determine where staff and grant applications concentrate resources. The city must submit a financially constrained project list that does not exceed 125% of its projected funding; staff said the 125% threshold for Milwaukie is about $27.5 million.

Key numbers and narrow gap

Staff reported that an initial, data-driven project list totaled just over $30 million while the city's funding forecast (including an allowance equal to 125% of the projected revenue) is about $27.5 million. Committee refinements brought the working total down to roughly $28.5 million, leaving the plan about $2 million over the official constrained target.

"We can go up to a 125% of our projected funds or budget for projects," explained Jennifer Garberly, city engineer. "Right now, 125% of the projection is $27.5 million. So that extra 25% is essentially that margin of error that the state allows. We are required, however, to provide an initial list of projects that is not exceeding a 125% of projected revenue." Garberly also reminded council the city's contract with ODOT runs through January and that staff aim to have the plan adopted and ready to roll by that time.

Council President framed the fiscal question with a local projection. "A conservative estimate over the next 20 years, we raised about $11,700,000 with this gas tax increase, and we would need $2,400,000 to be able to bridge that gap," he said, describing one scenario in which additional state funds would reduce the shortfall.

What changed: committee feedback and ‘gap’ projects

Staff said the planning commission and advisory committees largely agreed on many top projects but surfaced a number of small “gap‑filling” items (short sidewalk links, short protected bikeway segments) that the planning commission moved into the constrained list because they addressed continuity in the multimodal network. Conversely, a handful of larger or more complex projects were moved to the unconstrained list pending grant funding or additional study.

Examples staff and commissioners discussed: partial scaling back of long sidewalk builds on Harrison Street (some sections remain constrained, some were moved to the unconstrained list because of buffering and cost), one road project (an additional left turn lane at 30th & Railroad) moved down because current intersection capacity did not justify the estimated cost, and a few neighborhood bike projects such as B‑64 (30th Street neighborhood bikeway segment) were shifted to prioritize centrally located multimodal corridors.

Public outreach and next steps

Staff described summer engagement that included a public event at the Ledding Library, focus groups at community centers, a BIPOC/Spanish session, and meetings with the equity steering committee. "We had about 50 people show up" for the library event, Bridal said, noting the outreach informed project ranking and equity considerations.

Council directed staff to return with a refined list and with responses to council members' written comments. Laura Bridal, community development director and planning manager, said the next formal check‑ins are scheduled for Oct. 21 and then a draft TSP (document) to planning commission in November; adoption hearings with council are expected in late 2025 or by January 2026 to satisfy the ODOT contract timeline.

State package, jurisdictional transfers and aspirational items

Several council members raised the prospect that a pending state transportation package could increase Milwaukie's allocations and help close the gap. Staff cautioned that while the package could add funds, the city should not rely on uncertain, out‑year appropriations when finalizing the constrained list; the TSP can be amended later as funding clarity emerges.

Council members also asked about including larger, aspirational projects—pedestrian bridges over state highways, jurisdictional transfer of Highway 99E segments, and roundabouts—either as study items or as a separate aspirational tier so the city will be positioned if large grants or state programs become available. Staff recommended adding those as clearly labeled studies or aspirational projects rather than placing them on the constrained list absent committed funding.

Implementation and opportunistic delivery

Staff emphasized that being on the constrained list does not guarantee immediate construction. Projects will still be subject to grant availability, coordination with utilities and other capital work, right‑of‑way needs, and opportunities to leverage maintenance overlays or federal grants. "Just because it's on that list doesn't mean that we don't value the other projects," Bridal said. "It just means those projects have the highest value and fall within the range of what we believe the city will have available over a 20‑year period."

Votes at a glance (consent items noted at the meeting)

- Consent agenda: approved unanimously (5‑0). The consent package included a resolution acting as the local contract review board to approve the award of a contract to Landis Construction for the King Road Improvements Project. (Mover/second not specified in the public record excerpt.)

What council will see next

Staff said they will return Oct. 21 with a revised constrained list reflecting tonight's comments and with draft language to add study/aspirational projects where council requests. Planning commission hearing dates will precede final council adoption. Bridal said the city can amend the TSP later if the state transportation package provides new, reliable revenue streams.

Ending

Council members praised the multi‑body review process—technical committee, advisory committee, planning commission—and encouraged staff to bring targeted recommendations for which projects to move out of the constrained list if the state funding picture remains unclear. Council asked staff to share committee comments along with the Oct. 21 packet and to post the supporting memos and maps to the project web pages so council and the public can review changes ahead of the next meeting.