In this general election season, voters must weigh many pertinent issues: a looming depression, a budding energy crisis, a controversial war – and potholes.
The condition of Eugene’s streets and roads has been a contentious topic in the close mayoral race, as the issue ranks near the top of the public’s priority list. One measure on the ballot proposes to fix many of the city’s damaged, pothole-ridden pathways.
Measure 20-145 seeks to use bond proceeds to fix roughly 70 miles of streets and three miles of off-street bicycle and pedestrian paths over a five-year span. The project will cost $35.9 million, at an annual average of $6.5 million. The city will spend $350,000 of the generated $6.5 million to fix off-street bicycle and pedestrian paths.
University freshman Chris Dax recognizes the need for improved roads.
“I feel like it’s about time someone starting looking around at this. The roads are functional, but compared to other places I have been they suck,” Dax said.
The money would be raised through an increase in local property taxes. Estimates have the cost at about $.61 per $1,000 of a property’s assessed value. The average cost per Eugene homeowner is about $102 annually.
However, not everyone feels the repairs will impact their daily lives. Junior Megan Koler, who relies on alternative forms of transportation, does not consider street repairs a pertinent issue.
“I ride the bus, and I have only lived here a month, so the roads seem fine to me,” Koler said.
The funds from the property tax must be used to pay for specific street repairs listed in the measure. The prescribed streets must be fixed before the money can be used to address additional roads, and to ensure all projects are carried out under the constraints of the measure, the city would use an outside auditor.
The 32 streets included in the bond are not contained in one specific area of town. Instead, the streets are spread throughout the city to ensure the bond would benefit a wide range of residents.
“The list was chosen with the intent to improve already existent streets in need of repairs and also with the idea that there should be some geographic equity in which streets we choose to repair,” City Planning spokesperson Eric Jones said.
Eugene has been criticized in the past for not choosing the most deserving streets for improvements.
David Garnick, Lane County budget and financial planning manager, reminded voters that even minor improvements on roads today help save money tomorrow.
“If you don’t take early precautions, it makes (road improvements) much more expensive as you go,” Garnick said. “If you take care of the streets as they need minor impairments, you save a lot of money in the end.”
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