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Commission weighs TBD fee options and approves project list for chip seal, overlays and sidewalks
Summary
Staff outlined the Transportation Benefit District's revenue trends and options to raise the car‑tab fee; commissioners discussed tradeoffs and then voted unanimously to adopt a prioritized project list for pavement and sidewalks funded by the TBD.
City staff briefed the Transportation Commission on the Transportation Benefit District (TBD), current revenue and enforcement trends, and potential scenarios for raising the vehicle‑registration (car‑tab) fee that currently generates about $3.2 million annually for local road and sidewalk projects.
"That $20 from each of our cars is creating about $3,200,000," Abigail Martin, a city staffer supporting council transportation work, told the commission as she walked through fund balance trends and possible allocation scenarios. Staff noted the fee has remained $20 since 2011 and that state law allows the TBD governing board (the city council acting in TBD capacity) to raise the rate up to $40 without a public vote, with higher increases requiring a ballot measure.
Nicole White, program coordinator in the city's division of transportation and sustainability, presented vehicle registration and Department of Licensing data showing a near‑5% decline in registration transactions over the past six years and a nearly doubled rate of enforcement citations for expired tabs; commissioners discussed whether enforcement or fee changes are a better lever to balance the fund.
The commission then considered a staff‑recommended project list of chip seals and grind‑and‑overlay candidates across three districts and a slate of sidewalk projects for prioritization. Commissioners worked through alternates and sequencing and agreed on the recommended priorities: District 1 (Cincinnati/Dalton chip seal and Astor grind/overlay priority), District 2 (9th Avenue chip seal and 26th Garfield to Ivory grind/overlay) and District 3 (Lincoln and Braeburn grind/overlay with Waverly as alternate). Sidewalk priorities selected were 11th Avenue (Grant Park to Perry) as top priority, Francis (south side) second and Pittsburgh Street (34th to 37th) as an alternate.
A motion to approve the finalized project list passed unanimously by roll call; staff said they will carry the commission's direction to city council (which governs the TBD) and pursue additional answers about EV exemptions, enforcement mechanics and possible grant‑matching strategies.
The commission also agreed to continue discussions about a possible TBD fee increase at a future workshop and asked staff to research unresolved legal and program questions, including interactions with potential state changes to weight exemptions.
