RTC updates projects, pavement and transit work; polling shows county support for an EV registration fee

Paul Nelson, government-affairs officer for the Regional Transportation Commission (RTC), briefed the board on the agency’s planning pipeline, funding sources and several major projects, and discussed an options study for an electric-vehicle registration fee.

Nelson summarized RTC's 20-year project list and the five-year regional transportation improvement program, noting $4.6 billion in long-range projects and about $290 million in FY26 revenues (a large portion from local fuel taxes and federal grants). He highlighted recent work including Arlington Bridges (ribbon-cutting), forthcoming Sierra Street bridge replacement ($33.8 million), planned Keystone bridge work, and bus-rapid-transit station improvements on the Virginia line.

On mobility, Nelson described fixed-route ridership, flex zones (demand-based service), paratransit and youth/college passes and said initiatives such as youth-ride-free and college pass programs are growing rider engagement.

On EV policy, Nelson cited a Gwin Center study and RTC polling in which roughly 61% of Washington County respondents supported a flat EV registration fee (survey options included $150, $200 and $250; $250 was the modal preference) and noted hybrids were proposed to pay half the fee. He said the county could place an advisory question on the November ballot and that any statutory change would require action by the state legislature.

Why it matters: RTC's capital projects and maintenance programs affect travel, safety and economic development over decades; the EV-fee conversation responds to declining fuel-tax revenues as vehicle fleets electrify and would require legislative authority.

What’s next: RTC will pursue grant funding, implement neighborhood network improvements and coordinate with county and state officials on potential EV-fee policy and any advisory ballot measures.