MULTNOMAH COUNTY looks ready to enact an annual vehicle
registration fee of $19, starting next fall, to pay for its portion of
replacing the ailing Sellwood Bridge.
The bridge, which visibly sags, has been patched up with a series of
makeshift repairs since it first opened in 1925. In 1960, a nearby
landslide caused the bridge to be reduced in width by three feet, and
weight limits have been restricted twice since 1985. “It’s obsolete for
bikes, pedestrians, and vehicles,” said a county staffer, introducing
the tax proposal at a Multnomah County Board of Commissioners meeting
last Thursday, October 8.
The county chose a new bridge design late in 2008—with 12-foot
sidewalks on each side, 6.5-foot bike lanes on each side, and two
12-foot travel lanes for vehicles. Current cost estimates for the new
bridge are $330 million in 2014 dollars, accounting for inflation. The
federal government is likely to contribute $40 million, while the City
of Portland will also contribute $100 million toward the cost, as long
as the bridge is “streetcar ready.” Other funding sources are still
awaiting confirmation.
“It’s not like this hasn’t been an issue for the past 60 years,”
said Mayor Sam Adams at last week’s hearing. “It is unusual for the
city to do this, but I do so willingly. There are tough tradeoffs for
the city, but I support this not only because of the condition of the
bridge but also the circulation challenges that South Portland
faces.”
Meanwhile, the new car tax is expected to generate $127 million in
bond proceeds for the county over 20 years. The county will vote to
approve an ordinance setting up the tax on October 22. Clackamas County
is hoping to institute a similar $5 annual vehicle tax next year.
Does Multnomah County Chair Ted Wheeler expect a backlash for
raising taxes? “Certainly I expect some. These are tough economic times
and families are weighing every dollar,” he says. “Having said that,
this project has strong public support, and it should come as a
surprise to nobody that if we’re going to replace a bridge, we have to
fund it.”
If you insist on tolling the (maybe) new I-5 bridge so the users can pay for it, why not toll the Sellwood bridge also. Why should someone who lives in Multnomah or Clackamas that never uses the bridge have to pay for it.
Sure. Nothing that fuels the local economy ever crosses those bridges. No goods, no employees. Why should you have to pay for anything from which you don’t directly benefit?
ujfoyt: Yeah, let’s just close the bridge and force traffic onto other roads and bridges. If you don’t think you benefit from a new bridge, try again.
70% of Sellwood bridge traffic is from Clackamas County. Multnomah registration fee for replacement $19, Clackamas $5?? Maybe Clackamas County is saving up to build a bridge to connect route 224 to NIMBY Lake Oswego…