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Three years ago the Oregon section of the American Society of Civil Engineers created an independent assessment of the state’s infrastructure. In that report, currently still available online, urban streets were identified as a significant area needing attention. The report analyzed information provided by a wide variety of sources and concluded that urban streets had been neglected – primarily because of a lack of funding to cover the cost of much needed maintenance.

The city of Portland is now contemplating a fee to provide the financing necessary to maintain this important piece of infrastructure. While one might argue about the assessment of property owners as opposed to the assessment of households, the need for the fee is unquestioned.

Recent newcomers to Portland might suggest that the fee is unnecessary. However, the infrastructure that Portland has elected to pursue over the last decade has strapped existing revenue sources to their limits.

In their original incarnation, meter fees and other surface transportation violation fees were intended to pay for repavement and maintenance of city streets. However, the elected city officials, with the knowledge and approval of Portlanders, spent these dollars to provide for an expanded variety of infrastructure investment. The Portland Streetcar is an example. Therefore, the revenue sources that at one time provided for maintenance of Portland’s streets in a first-class condition are no longer available.

As this measure makes its way through the City Council, many vocal opponents have suggested that it is moving too fast. I’ll argue it’s moving too slow.

Everyone benefits from adequate streets; business owners especially, but property owners and tenants too. Even those who don’t own or use cars benefit. The surface street network is the artery through which cable, water, sewer and electric services are often provided. Garbage service, emergency medical service, police service, deliveries, pickups, mail and so forth all are provided by a healthy service street network.

While a healthy debate about costs is useful and will wring potential waste out of this program, it should not be a reason to delay. Our streets have been decaying for decades, and even at the rate at which the revenues will be generated by this fee, years will pass before they are brought up to a standard that mirrors the high level of real estate development that is going on in our town.

Christian Steinbrecher is president of Columbia River Port Engineers Inc. and the immediate past president of the Oregon Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers. He is the editor of ASCE Oregon’s Report Card on Oregon’s Infrastructure. Contact him at cfs@[email protected].