On Wednesday afternoon, May 27th, the Portland City Council voted unanimously to approve a budget for the 2009-10 fiscal year (view the calendar at the official budget webpage). Their starting draft for this discussion and decision was the draft budget proposed by the Mayor in April. Now the approved budget goes to the County for final math-checking, and then the Council finally votes to officially adopt it in June.
Where the rubber hits the road. Photo by Matt Picio, 2008.
The BTA and Portland bicyclists advocated for the continued funding of the City’s SmartTrips and Safer Routes to Schools programs, and for new funding for bike boulevards and other bikeways, as the Mayor prepared his draft budget. This approved budget, while it is still far from the “6% for biking” that the BTA wants to see the City achieve in the future (to match the 6% of Portlanders who commute to work by bike year-round), starts us on that track with $500,000 in an Affordable Transportation Fund that will grow larger year-by-year.
In their budget deliberations, City Council had to make tough choices between competing priorities and vocal, convincing constituencies. Smart, vocal bike advocates like you made sure that they knew how important safe bicycling is to Portlanders!
Now is a good time to send them a note, and thank them for today’s vote:
- $500,000 for Affordable Transportation and bike boulevards
- Continuation of the SmartTrips program, which helps make efficient use of our limited transportation system
- Continuation of the Safer Routes to Schools program, which gives kids and families safe and active transportation choices every day
Hey I live in Eugene but it really makes a person. Proud to be In oregon.
I do hope Eugene keeps its eyes on you guys up there. Again thanks