Lane County Oregon

When the city of Eugene started looking at ways it could reduce greenhouse gas emissions related to transportation, one possible solution stood out: convince people to stop taking single-driver trips in their own vehicles and instead use public transportation.

But fixing one problem could end up causing others. Lane Transit District, which runs bus service in the Eugene-metro area, says it is already having trouble providing enough service to meet the needs of its current users. Adding more riders without adding more money to the transit district’s budget will only add to the strain.

“During times of high fuel costs, when people need public transit the most, routes are being cut or offered less frequently,” said Matt McRae, Eugene’s climate and energy action coordinator. “Between a decreased budget and high fuel costs, Lane Transit District is having a hard time maintaining service.”

Approximately 75 percent of LTD’s budget comes from the state payroll tax, said Tom Schwetz, the agency’s director of planning and development. But with state employment at an all-time low, the payroll tax isn’t paying like it was. LTD’s chunk of payroll tax funding has declined from $23.3 million in fiscal year 2007-08 to $21 million for fiscal year 2009-10.

Now LTD is facing a $6.5 million budget shortfall over the next two years. In response, the agency earlier this year reduced its bus service, eliminated underperforming bus lines and increased bus pass prices.

“The community, state, country and global community are looking for transit to do more,” Schwetz said. “But funding is a central issue in our ability to have transit play a bigger role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. There should be a new funding source developed by federal and state governments.”

Oregon Transportation Commission Chairwoman Gail Achterman said her group is aware of the reduction in funding for public transit. She said the Oregon Jobs and Transportation Act will provide some funding for non-highway purposes, such as bike, pedestrian, light-rail and transit projects; however, there is not nearly enough money to meet all needs.

“The Jobs and Transportation Act funds are not going to go nearly as far as we need them to,” Achterman said. “Our flexible funds advisory committee is currently looking at how to make investments in non-highway projects and where we could look to develop a dedicated source for those projects, like the gas tax for highways.”

The Oregon Transportation Commission has $32.1 million over the next three years that it can give to non-highway programs, according to Rem Nivens, spokesman for Gov. Ted Kulongoski’s office. But not all of that money may go to transportation districts like LTD.

Schwetz said rapid-transit projects have been successful in increasing bus ridership. Such projects create rights-of-way dedicated for buses so that they can pick people up and drop them off more frequently. In corridors where LTD has developed bus rapid transit, ridership has doubled.

Also, the city of Eugene has drafted a Climate and Energy Action Plan, which suggests that LTD and the city’s transportation department create road setbacks along corridors where bus rapid transit can be accommodated in the future. McRae said the plan also focuses on developing 20-minute neighborhoods, where residents can work, shop and recreate within a 20-minute walk, to reduce reliance on both personal vehicles and public transit.

“We’re at the beginning of our story with efforts to expand our transit in Eugene,” Schwetz said. “If transit will play a role in reducing greenhouse gases, state and federal governments need to see the importance of alternative modes and identify new strategies for funding.”