With so much development happening all over Portland, have you ever wondered how all those new buildings impact our transportation system? More development usually means more people, and more people put strain on our transportation infrastructure.

This online open house is an opportunity for the public to learn about Transportation System Development Charges, the TSDC update process, and provide feedback on the list of potential projects that could be built using TSDC revenues.

This open house is now closed, though you can learn more and provide feedback through the project website.

Stations

Go directly to a station using the buttons below, or at the top of the screen to move through the stations in order.

1
Learn about the basic purpose and function of Transportation System Development Charges. 
2
Why and how the fee is being updated. 
3
Explore the list of potential projects and provide feedback. 
4
Tell us more about you, and learn how you can be involved in the next steps of the process. 

= Page includes questions or opportunities for comment.

About Transportation System Development Charges

TSDCs are intended to support new development by making investments to alleviate the increased demand on our transportation system.

Video: 2 min 31 sec

What are TSDCs?

Transportation System Development Charges (TSDCs) are one-time fees paid by developers when they build a new residential or commercial development. The fee covers part of the cost of building transportation facilities to serve new development—things like roads, sidewalks and other facilities that get people to where they need to go.

How are fees determined?

Generally, the greater the impact a new development will have on our transportation system, the higher its rate will be. For example, the trips generated by a new single family home will have much less impact than the trips created by a new grocery store or movie theater, so the fee will be much lower.

What is the money spent on?

The City of Portland has a Transportation System Plan (TSP) that guides transportation investments for the city over about a 20 year period. The TSP is updated every five or ten years through an extensive process that allows the public to weigh in on the long list of projects in the TSP. These projects are meant to address long-term travel needs for all modes—walking, biking, driving, freight and taking transit.

The projects on the TSDC list are a small slice of projects from the TSP. They include projects that are specifically oriented toward accommodating growth from new development.

The current TSDC project list was last updated in 2007 and includes 43 projects at a cost of about $400 million. Some of these projects have already been completed, some have already received funding or are currently being built, and some of the projects are regional priorities that the City has committed to pursuing in the future.

How are TSDC funds allocated to projects?

Currently, TSDC Revenues are only able to fund part of eligible transportation projects. Grants, tax revenues, fees, and other funding sources make up the difference. Since 2007, 20 out of 43 projects were partially funded by TSDCs. Each project was funded by a combination of TSDC revenue and other sources.

This policy means that more projects can receive some funding, but no project can be entirely funded with TSDC revenues. This may be reconsidered in the future.

The Transportation System Development Charge Update

Funds collected through the TSDC program can only be used to pay for projects that are on the TSDC project list, so it is important that the list reflects the needs of our changing city.

Slideshow: 2 min 11 sec

How is the TSDC fee being updated?

The current TSDC update process began in early 2016, and is expected to end with implementation of the new TSDC program in July 2017. The update includes three main components:

Updating the rates that developers pay

Each development type has a TSDC rate that is based on how many trips a new development is expected to create. This update process may change the rates for different types of development.

Updating the methodology used to calculate TSDCs

The project team has been working with developers and technical experts to get input on how to fairly balance the city’s transportation needs with how fees impact developers. Learn more about updating the methodology on the project website.

Updating the list of projects eligible for TSDC funding

The current TSDC project list was last updated in 2007. Some of the projects on that list are now complete, some have received funding from other sources, and some of them may no longer fit the city’s transportation priorities. Every few years, the City engages in an extensive public input process to affirm the list of projects to guide spending of TSDC revenues. Projects on the list are oriented toward accommodating development growth and improving travel for all modes: walking, biking, driving and taking transit.

On the following page, we will look for your feedback on the updated TSDC Project List.

Potential Projects

The City of Portland is seeking public feedback on a list of potential projects that could receive funding from Transportation System Development Charges.

Review the list of projects below, then give us feedback on the proposed projects.

Slideshow: 1 min 38 sec

Draft TSDC Project List

The City of Portland has developed a draft TSDC project list and is seeking public feedback to ensure that the project list meets the following criteria:

  • Supports new transportation needs generated by development. TSDC funds cannot be spent on projects that solely address existing transportation problems.
  • Provides benefits throughout the city and meets the needs of our diverse communities.
  • Includes a mix of project types that help people get around using various modes.
  • Includes projects that have grants or other financial support to make them more likely to get built.

Click the tabs below to browse the list of potential projects as a map or searchable list, then answer the questions.


Project List

Narrow the list of projects by keyword search; click the table headers to sort by column.

(The projects listed in this table are the same as shown on the project map.)

Many of the projects on this list are still under development and will be defined in more detail as they get closer to implementation.

To request a copy of this list in an alternative digital format, please contact PBOT Project Manager Anne Hill, (503) 823-7239.

Cost TBD = These costs have not yet been determined. These are large regional projects where TSDC funding will be part of a regional funding package and will be capped between $5-$20 million so as not to disadvantage local projects.

= Some funding is already committed to these projects.

= Regional projects with other partners.

= Other TSP projects.

Project Map

Click and drag to explore the map, click lines, shapes, and icons to read about individual projects. Turn layers on and off and browse the list of projects by clicking the Google Maps Layers button in the upper left of the map window. You may need to turn off layers with large map objects to select other objects beneath.

(The projects shown on this map are the same as shown in the project list.)

Questions

After exploring the proposed projects listed on the previous tabs, answer the questions below.

How much would you support the city prioritizing the following types of projects on the TSDC project list?

"Active" (Bicycle and Pedestrian) Projects. (Check one.)
Transit Projects (High Capacity/Frequent Service Transit Lines). (Check one.)
Traffic/Freight Projects. (Check one.)
Projects with a funding match (projects that are most likely to be funded.) (Check one.)
Projects that serve historically under-funded parts of the city. (Check one.)

I think the city should prioritize the following specific projects from the draft project list:

(Refer to the list of projects on the previous tabs for more information.)

1. (Select one.)
2. (Select one.)
3. (Select one.)

Other Comments

Keeping in mind that all of the potential TSDC projects are part of the Transportation System Plan, do you have any feedback or comments on the listed projects? (Check one.)
Do you think TSDCs should continue to be available to partially fund a larger number of projects, or should they be available to more significantly fund fewer projects? (Check one.)
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Next Steps / Final Questions

Thanks for your feedback! The Portland City Council will make final decisions on the updates and is expected to finalize and implement the changes by mid-2017.

This open house is now closed, though you can learn more and provide feedback through the project website.

Slideshow: 1 min

Next Steps

  • Outreach to Neighborhoods, Community Groups, and Modal Groups (Fall 2016/Winter 2017)
  • Person/Trip Methodology Concept to City Council (December 2016)
  • Project List Finalized (Winter 2016/2017)
  • City Council (Winter/Spring 2017)

For More Information

Final Questions

Do you live in the City of Portland? (Check one.)
Do you work or go to school in the City of Portland? (Check one.)
How did you hear about this online open house? (Check all that apply.)

Mailing list (Optional)

Provide the following optional contact information if you would like to be added to the project mailing list.

Demographic Information (Optional)

This information can help us evaluate the effectiveness of our public outreach activities and tell us if we are reaching a representative cross-section of the community. The identity of individuals is kept confidential. The results are reported as totals only, and used solely to help improve future community engagement. Providing this information is voluntary and optional.

With which gender do you identify? (Check one.)
What is your total annual household income? (Check one.)
What languages do you speak at home? (Check all that apply.)
What is your race/ethnicity? (Check all that apply.)
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