Novick at press conference Thursday

Commissioner Steve Novick talks to the media after a press conference discussing the transportation funding poll

(Andrew Theen/The Oregonian)

Portland Commissioner Steve Novick said Thursday he feels "a real sense of urgency" to do something to address the city's transportation network, and an $8 to $12 monthly street fee is the best short-term solution.

The commissioner held a press conference Thursday to show the latest poll results from DHM Research, conducted on behalf of the Portland Bureau of Transportation. It's the second poll on transportation needs this year, with the first survey focused on what improvements residents want to see to the city's roads.

An $8 per month street fee would raise up to $34 million per year, and a $12 fee option could bring in $52 million in revenue annually, according to PBOT officials. An audit last year said the city needs to spend $70 million per year for a decade to make sure streets are up to standards.

Novick said Portland needs to make a dent in the deferred maintenance of city streets. “It’s not that much,” he said Thursday of the potential revenue from a street fee, “but it’s a heckuva lot more than we’re doing now.” Novick said that revenue could help the city make great strides in improvement safety.

The phone poll of 800 Portlanders conducted in recent weeks showed tepid support at best for a street fee at either price, with support ranging from 44 – 47 percent. Nearly twice as many respondents said they were strongly opposed to the fee than those that strongly supported it.

But Novick and DHM pollster John Horvick said once the respondents learned more about what the money would do, support increased. The city wants to install flashing pedestrian beacons on dangerous streets, set aside money to make one Willamette River bridge seismically sound, and build sidewalks and other projects deemed a priority by residents.

Support for both scenarios, the $8 and $12 fee, jumped to "majority support" according to the poll results, at 51 and 52 percent respectively, after respondents learned about those potential projects.

Novick said the poll clearly showed the street fee is the more preferable funding measure compared to an income tax, sales tax or bond measure.

"We seem to have gotten a pretty strong answer that most people prefer a monthly fee to those other options," he said.

Novick, who once described the $35 arts tax as “beyond regressive,” acknowledged Thursday that he was “a fan of the income tax” option but the opposition was too “overwhelming” to move forward.

“If it was really close,” he said of poll responses, “I might be pushing for an income-tax based system.”

The city is looking at ways to mitigate the burden on low-income residents, and is looking at scenarios where revenue would help pay for transit improvements in low-income neighborhoods.

Both the $8 and $12 tax revenue estimates factor in heavy contributions from the business community.

How the city plans to administer any future fee remains unclear, but 52 percent of respondents opposed tacking on the fee to existing water and sewer bills.

Younger and more wealthy respondents were actually more likely to support adding the fee to the utility bill.

Novick said he needs to discuss the road fee with his City Council colleagues, but said given the sense of urgency, council needs to have a recommended funding measure sometime in the next few months.

“The longer we wait, the worse things get,” Novick said.

The proposal doesn’t need to be sent to the ballot for voter approval.

¨At a transportation town hall earlier this year, Mayor Charlie Hales said his preference was to proceed with enacting a new funding stream after vetting and bringing the measure to residents at town halls.

On Thursday, Novick said Portlanders need to understand that property tax revenue primarily go to parks, police and fire services.

¨He pointed to the costs needed to keep an automobile up and running – monthly gas, maintenance, and payment plans add up for car owners.

"You spend a heck of a lot on your car, your car isn't much use without a road,” Novick said.

PBOT, Novick and Hales are hosting more town halls, starting next Wednesday, The town hall is from 6:30 -8:30 p.m. at Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization, 10301 N.E. Glisan St.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story misspelled John Horvick's name. The Oregonian regrets the error.



-- Andrew Theen