The Bend MPO Policy Board on June 20 approved revised criteria and scoring for the State Highway Fund (SHF) 2025 call for projects and authorized the MPO manager to make small award adjustments without returning to the board.

The board adopted changes recommended by the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) and staff. Key changes adopted include rewriting the multimodal capacity criterion to explicitly emphasize benefits for cyclists, pedestrians, transit users and those who do not drive (removing the word "drivers" from that phrasing), clarifying the system-efficiency criterion so projects can score for demonstrable system-wide benefit or for efficiency improvements that do not increase lane capacity, and removing a direct "lower cost" requirement from the main criterion language while asking applicants to provide cost-comparison information in guidance or notes. The TAC also recommended dropping two previously little-used criteria (items 8 and 9) to streamline the application.

Andrean Avoli, senior planner with Bend MPO, reviewed the history: the SHF application process began in 2020, was updated slightly in 2022, and now incorporates the MPO's equity mapping tool into scoring where appropriate. TAC reviewed, refined, and recommended edits; staff said TAC reached consensus on the recommendations.

Board members pressed staff to make the criteria and application clearer to applicants. Councilor Mike Riley and others asked for explicit instructions on how applicants should demonstrate "system-wide benefit" or project readiness, including permitting status and secured funding. Staff agreed to add explicit application language and a readiness section requiring applicants to disclose permits, funding sources and the portion secured.

During discussion, staff noted that the SHF is a relatively small discretionary funding source for the MPO, and the pool figures mentioned during the meeting for future years were approximately $35,350,000 per year for 2028'2030 (as discussed during the meeting). Members said clarity on readiness and funding status would aid equitable and transparent scoring.

The board voted to approve the 2025 call-for-projects criteria and scoring as presented and amended. The motion was made by Councilor Mike Riley and passed unanimously.

Separately, the board voted to authorize the Bend MPO manager to adjust SHF awards by up to 10% or $25,000 (whichever is less) without returning the change to the policy board, to address small differences that arise during project delivery. Councilor Riley moved the authorization; the motion was seconded and passed unanimously. Staff said returned or unspent funds have been returned in the past and that the board has an existing policy for how to reallocate returned funds.

Board members said staff will add clarity to the application materials before the call for projects opens in September.