LETTER: Where are Portland’s federal highway dollars going? A push for accountability

Published 11:51 am Monday, January 20, 2025

I am writing to raise awareness about how federal highway funds are allocated in our region, particularly through the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) and Carbon Reduction Program (CRP).

While these programs aim to improve transportation and reduce emissions, their local implementation raises concerns about transparency and effective use of resources.

With $11 million in annual funding, the CMAQ program supports nine projects: four active transportation projects, four transit projects, and one bike project.

The active transportation and bike projects have clear benefits, including improved sidewalks and bike lanes that encourage walking and cycling, reduce emissions, and enhance accessibility.

However, the transit projects, involving bond payments to TriMet, lack detailed descriptions, making it difficult to assess their environmental or public health impact.

With $85 million annually, the CRP is designed to fund projects aligned with climate goals. Yet, the city has not allocated all available funds, leaving $66.2 million uncommitted. While these funds remain in a “placeholder” bucket, their lack of immediate use and specificity undermines the program’s potential to advance sustainability and reduce carbon emissions.

To better align these funds with environmental and public health goals, I urge our local Metropolitan Planning Organization to prioritize spending all available funds on specific, high-impact projects.

Transparency and detailed reporting on project outcomes are essential to build safer, more sustainable communities.

Isabel Clark, Noah Xu

Portland