A new ODOT consolidation advisory committee will help guide public transit funding changes

The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) is merging the Special Transportation Fund (STF) and the Statewide Transportation Improvement Fund (STIF) to help reduce redundancies and improve funding reliability for public transportation providers throughout the state.

The consolidation of the two programs comes as a requirement of House Bill 5039 (ODOT’s 2019-2021 Legislatively Adopted Budget). ODOT will launch a consolidation advisory committee to inform the changes needed to consolidate the two programs smoothly.

The STF and STIF Consolidation Advisory Committee will hold its first two meetings in September. The goal is to advise ODOT on the key elements that would guide statutory changes needed for the merger. The advisory committee will hold a minimum of five meetings in September and October.

The committee includes representatives from public transportation service providers and advocates from several groups: those representing seniors, people with disabilities, equity and environmental justice, and social and human service agencies.

Committee meetings are open to the public and meeting materials will be posted before the meeting on the project website. Accommodations will be provided to persons with disabilities.

The STF was created in 1985 by the Oregon Legislature to support transportation services for people who are older and for people with disabilities of any age. The STIF is a new dedicated source of funding for improving or expanding public transportation service in Oregon.