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

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.