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Transportation fee funds operations, street preservation and bike network; engineering details phased CIP work
Summary
The transportation and engineering presentations linked the phase‑2 transportation fee to pavement preservation, new legends (striping) crew positions, safety and bikeways projects and continued delivery of general obligation bond projects. Staff emphasized data-driven prioritization and incremental delivery to limit community disruption.
Transportation mobility and engineering staff presented a biennial plan that pairs operations funding with prioritized capital work and calls for incremental, data-driven implementation of safety and multimodal projects.
What was proposed Transportation staff described a $64.9 million departmental program across the biennium (transportation, parking and cemetery funds) and highlighted the role of the phase‑2 transportation fee in supporting about $10,000,000 per year for mobility and maintenance. The proposed transportation budget includes five new FTEs tied to the fee: a transportation planner to coordinate TSP implementation; a legends/striping crew of three operators (also to support winter operations); a health and safety code compliance coordinator; and a warehouse/maintenance support role.
Pavement condition and strategy Staff presented improved pavement condition index (PCI) trends since 2015 and said a persistent investment in street preservation kept Bend ahead of many peers; inflationary pressure and construction costs have moderated that progress. The phase‑2 fee is intended to stabilize funding so preservation can continue and the city can aim toward a target PCI in the 80s.
Bikeways, sidewalks and quick-build safety The Bend Bikeways program—described as a north–south/east–west backbone—was presented as the project that will knit together many earlier isolated bikeway segments. Staff also described sidewalk infill, quick-build pedestrian improvements and mobility-hub planning in several locations. A thermoplastic striping machine and a dedicated Legends Crew are capitalized to maintain separated bike facilities and high-visibility markings.
Engineering and capital delivery Engineering staff described a multi-project CIP across water, wastewater, stormwater, transportation and facilities. Key projects scheduled or under design include Butler Market corridor improvements, Bear Creek/20th Street, Hawthorne pedestrian bridge (federal funding) and several water and sewer lift station upgrades. Staff stressed internal design capacity, process improvements and coordination with the public works campus to improve delivery timelines and reduce consultant costs.
Why this matters The transportation fee shift is intended to supply consistent maintenance funding and improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists while enabling completion of the bikeways network. Engineers emphasized prioritizing projects to reduce disruption and use quick-build approaches where possible.
Ending Staff asked the committee to endorse phased implementation and the data-driven prioritization approach and said they will continue to provide maps, timing and outreach as projects are scheduled.
