LOC News
TRIP 2025 – Cities Have an Important Role to Play in Advocacy and Community Education
Cities – your GRASSROOTS advocacy needs to pick up to help advance the transportation funding package currently moving through the Legislature. As the package moves forward this session, local government's grassroots education and advocacy level needs to kick into high gear and sustain the push for the remainder of the session.
Local governments are fortunate that we share 50% of the State Highway Fund (SHF). The fund comprises revenue generated from gas and diesel taxes, a weight-mile tax on trucks weighing more than 10,000 pounds, and registration fees on vehicles and trucks. When you look at the surrounding western states, new vehicle fees and taxes in Oregon are currently less than a quarter of the cost to purchase a vehicle in the next lowest state of Idaho. With the proposed changes in TRIP 2025, this will increase, but still fall well below the next closest, Idaho, by 40%. Oregon’s total fees and taxes would be far less, one-half to one-third of the cost of buying a vehicle in California, Washington, and Nevada.
OUR GOAL: Flip the dialogue and make this transportation package about city and county investment and value. After all, your city and your taxpayers will see the benefits in their community.
Community Education and Advocacy
Cities should start preparing information to communicate to their constituents. Keep it simple: Let your community know where their portion of the SHF goes and the importance of continued investment. The information should be simple and include a top-line message about TRIP 2025 illustrating what your city has done with its share of the SHF in the local community. Take a look at this flyer and incorporate the messages into your local message.
Several cities prepared white papers on this subject, and to help with framing the messaging, we’ve provided several examples. These are excellent messages that can be replicated by any city.
TRIP 2025 Details
The current framework matches every priority that the LOC’s Transportation Policy Committee has recommended. A focus on back to the basics, investment in operations and maintenance, transit expansion, funding for great streets, safe routes to school, and the Small City Allotment all remain as part of the investment. The projected funding level of $1.9 billion per biennium is significant because this translates into $340 million of additional revenue to cities per biennium, or $170 million annually. Today, cities receive an allocation of roughly $210 annually. TRIP 2025 calls for a significant increase in transportation investment that will be shared under the 50-30-20 formula for cities and counties. More details on the TRIP 2025 framework are available here.
Stay tuned for more detailed information that will be sent directly to cities.
Contact: Jim McCauley, Legislative Director - jmccauley@orcities.org
Last Updated 4/25/25