Safety | Equity | Climate | Economic Development
Safety: Oregon’s overlapping crises of addiction, mental health, and housing have impacted public spaces across the state, including Oregon’s public transportation systems. Transit providers have invested millions on security in order to deliver a safe experience for their riders and pushed solutions like The Drug-Free Transit Law (SB 1553, 2024) which made drug use on public transit a class A misdemeanor.
Equity: Nearly one-third of Oregonians are unable to drive due to age, disability, or because they can’t afford a car and Oregon’s population of people aged 65+ is the state’s fastest growing demographic. That’s why nearly 20% of Oregon households include people who use transit at least once a week.
Transportation is the second largest expense for households after housing. As Oregon continues to invest in affordable housing, investments must be paired with increased public transit so new housing is connected to job centers and services without adding congestion.Climate: The Oregon Transportation Plan calls for a 20% reduction in vehicle miles traveled (VMT) by 2050 to meet state climate goals. Increased public transit ridership is essential to meeting this goal and reducing emissions from the transportation sector.
Oregon’s climate is changing - we’re seeing more frequent and damaging wildfires, increased flooding and snowfall. Public transit is a critical resource during natural disasters, assisting life-saving evacuations, moving first responders and supplies, and assisting in recovery response.Economic Development: Every $10 million invested in transit capital projects yields $30 million in increased business sales (American Public Transportation Association)