ODOT and partners highlight transit funding pressures and EV charging investments

The panel underscored that transit and multimodal services are increasingly strained even as demand in some areas recovers post-pandemic. The State Transportation Improvement Fund (STIF), funded by a payroll tax, supports public transit and has produced measurable benefits (millions of rides for elderly and disabled riders), but rising fuel and operating costs and aging fleets are squeezing agency budgets and prompting service reductions in some systems.

On electrification, Amanda Peetz described federal and state investments through NEVI and other programs: ODOT has invested over $100 million in public EV fast-charging infrastructure in recent years, primarily to build a backbone on major corridors (I-5 and other routes). State funds have been used to focus charging access in rural or low-income areas where private investment is limited; revenue from chargers, however, accrues to private operators that deploy the stations, not directly to the state.

Transit leaders noted the importance of STIF and the need to protect operating funds, while county and city partners urged clarity on how any statewide package will address rural transit gaps and service preservation.