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A majority of Portland residents support an $8 or $12 per month transportation fee as long as it results in improved maintenance and safety for city streets, according to a survey recently conducted by the Portland Bureau of Transportation.

The survey, which polled 800 residents, gave several different options for how the fee would be collected, said PBOT spokesman Dylan Rivera.

“The fee comes from recognition by (Mayor Charlie Hales) and (Commissioner Steve Novick) that transportation is underfunded,” Rivera said.

When the street fee was first proposed, many people said they didn’t support because they didn’t know how the money raised would be spent. Support increased after people learned it would be dedicated to maintenance and safety measures, such as flashing beacons above intersections, Rivera said.

The poll results support the mayor’s priority to pave 100 miles of city streets by June 30, the end of the fiscal year. About 84 miles of that amount have been paved so far, and Rivera expects PBOT will end up exceeding the mayor’s goal, he said.

With a dedicated street fee, more roads would be paved, Rivera said.

“We don’t have a funding proposal,” he said. “We have a concept. We have a few ideas.”

At the minimum, enacting a street fee would require a vote from the Portland City Council in June. The council could then decide to refer the issue to voters on the November ballot, Rivera said.