What is the campaign’s budget?
First, let’s talk about what congestion is costing us. One recent study conducted last year for the Portland Business Alliance found that congestion would cost the regional economy $844 million in annual losses by 2025 unless investments are made to reduce congestion. That’s $782 per household. In comparison, the Drive/Less Save More Campaign, a two-year program, has a budget of about $945,000 per year, or about 50 cents per person in the greater Portland area (including Multnomah, Washington, Clackamas, Yamhill and Clark Counties). This is a relatively small amount when compared to the hundreds of millions of dollars needed for road expansion and improvements. The 2004 Regional Transportation Plan includes nearly 1,000 projects estimated to cost $10 billion, yet the region only anticipates receiving $4 to $5 billion in revenue during the next 20 years. These capital costs compete for the same funding sources used by the state, regional and local governments to operate and maintain the
