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Councilors discuss directing TNC fee revenue to Vision Zero, urge caution amid state funding uncertainty
Summary
At a June 4 Portland City Council budget work session, councilors debated whether to earmark increased transportation network company (TNC) fees for Vision Zero projects or leave the revenue available to backfill uncertain state transportation funds.
PORTLAND, Ore. — During a June 4 Portland City Council budget work session, councilors debated whether to specifically designate increased transportation network company (TNC) fees for Vision Zero work or to leave the revenue available to backfill uncertain state transportation funding.
The discussion centered on how to treat revenue from the recently increased $2 TNC fee. Councilor Dunphy said she will bring a revised amendment correcting language to “direct those [TNC] fees…towards the work that we approved towards Vision 0,” and that the revision will clarify which pot of money a bureau should draw from for that work. “I will be bringing a new amendment…specifically to try and correct that,” Dunphy said.
Other councilors urged flexibility. Councilor Clark noted the council is “anticipating $11,000,000 coming from the state transportation package,” and said that if that state funding does not arrive, the city may need TNC revenue to backfill PBOT’s (Portland Bureau of Transportation) shortfalls. “We’re all anticipating $11,000,000 coming from the state transportation package, which is still up in the air,” Clark said.
Councilor Novick argued against locking the TNC fee into specific subprojects inside PBOT at this stage. “It would be prudent now to not designate it for specific purposes within PBOT because we might just need it to backfill the state money we might not be getting,” Novick said, suggesting council could reserve more detailed allocations for a later budget bump if state revenue arrives.
The presiding official emphasized the session’s purpose as a forum for daylighting amendments rather than voting. Councilors reiterated that the work session is for discussion and not for formal action.
Clarifying details recorded during the session include the $2 per-ride TNC fee recently approved by the council and the referenced $11 million potential state transportation package. No formal votes on this topic were taken at the work session.
Next steps: Councilors said revised amendment language and potential alternatives will be circulated ahead of the council’s budget committee meetings next week, where formal consideration will occur.
