SEN News: Councilor has not responded to questions about road bond
2 min read
by Jess Roshak
In July, City Council voted to place a $61.2 million street repair bond onto the November ballot, asking Eugene voters to determine whether to continue extra funding earmarked for the repair and maintenance of city streets.
Eugene’s fuel tax of $0.05 per gallon is the other major source of transportation funding.
Previously, voters passed five-year street repair bonds in 2008, 2012, and 2017, at levels of $35.9 million, $43 million, and $52.9 million, respectively.
The rate of taxation in November 2024 if the new bond passes would stay the same as the previous bond at $0.63 per $1,000 of assessed value; yet, residents would see slightly increased taxes and rents as a result of increases in property values.
Ward 2 roads that would be repaired with the new bond money include:
- Pine Canyon Drive
- South Ridge Drive
- Huckleberry Street
- Spring Boulevard from North Shasta Loop to South Ridge Drive
- Vine Maple Street from Agate to Spring Boulevard
- Agate Street to 31st Avenue
- Harris Street at 29th Avenue
- 31st Avenue from Agate Street to Onyx Street
The SEN Transportation Committee has inquired with city staff and Councilor Keating about three main concerns:
- Ward 2 Streets absent on the list that have both high volumes of car, pedestrian, and bike traffic and significant safety and maintenance issues, such as those in the Amazon neighborhood area,
- Increased taxes, even if only slightly during an emergency affordable housing crisis and possible recession, and
- No list of active transportation projects provided with the bond proposal, for which $3 million would be spent.
As of press time, no response to these concerns has been furnished by staff or Councilor Keating.
This article appears in the Southeast Neighbors September 2022 newsletter. To learn more about the Southeast Neighbors and the Transportation committee, visit their booth at the SEN Picnic this Saturday Sept. 17 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
