Portland Bureau of Transportation
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Jurisdiction | Portland, Oregon |
| Headquarters | Portland, Oregon |
| Employees | 749 (FY 2014–15) |
| Annual budget | $309 Million (FY 2014–15) |
| Agency executive |
|
| Website | http://www.portlandoregon.gov/transportation/ |
The Portland Bureau of Transportation (or PBOT) is the agency tasked with maintaining the city of Portland's transportation infrastructure. Bureau staff plan, build, manage and maintain a transportation system with the goal of providing people and businesses access and mobility. For FY 2014–15, the Bureau employed 749 staff members and had an adopted budget of roughly $309 million. All told, the Bureau manages more than $8.4 billion in public assets from streets and bridges to traffic signals and street lights. The Bureau also owns the Portland Streetcar and the Portland Aerial Tram, though they’re operated by Portland Streetcar Inc. and Oregon Health & Science University respectively.
The mayor assigns a city commissioner to be commissioner in charge of the Portland Bureau of Transportation. The commissioner in charge appoints a director, who leads the Bureau in its day-to-day business.
In June 2013 Mayor Charlie Hales appointed Steve Novick commissioner in charge. Novick appointed Leah Treat director in July 2013 following a nationwide search. She replaced Interim Director Toby Widmer, who had been appointed following the resignation of former Director Tom Miller.
According to the most recent budget, the Bureau is led by the Office of the Director, which directly oversees communication and six division managers as follows:
Under Commissioner Steve Novick and Director Leah Treat, the Bureau has made a renewed effort to prioritize maintaining city roads.
In July 2013, the beginning of FY 2013–14, the Bureau announced a goal to preserve 100 lane miles of pavement during the fiscal year. As of July 2014, the Bureau had managed to preserve 103 lane miles.
According to The Oregonian, the Bureau “spent $10.6 million repairing and preserving 103 lane miles of streets during the fiscal year ... That's roughly double from the previous fiscal year -- thanks in large part to a sealant program that represents only a fraction of the costs.”
In early 2014, the Bureau launched a funding effort dubbed OurStreetsPDX, which aims to raise approximately $50 million in additional revenue each year for transportation needs. Nearly half of the city’s busiest streets are in poor or very poor condition.
Following six months of public engagement, Commissioner Novick and Mayor Charlie Hales proposed a street fee that would charge residents and businesses based on street usage. Fees were flat for residents, depending on the type of residence and their income level. For businesses, the fee was calculated based on square footage and the average number of trips generated, according to the Institute of Transportation Engineers’ Trip Generation Manual.
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