This open house is now closed. Please visit Pedestrian and Biking Improvement Projects for more information.

The Urban Road Maintenance District Advisory Committee (URMDAC) needs your feedback on which proposed Pedestrian and Biking Improvement projects to fund. 

The Urban Road Maintenance District (URMD) has $1 million available. Six proposed projects are under consideration, totaling about $2.4 million. Your feedback at Table 10 "Comment Here" will help committee members trim the list of projects.

Beverly Drottar thinks that active transportation is the future. The URMD funds new sidewalks and other kinds of pedestrian and biking improvements.

During his time on the Urban Road Maintenance District Advisory Committee, Blake Dye helped recommend bike and pedestrian improvement projects for funding. He believes the projects help build strong, resilient communities.

How the proposed projects were selected

Pedestrian and Biking Improvement proposals are submitted by the public. Every two years, the URMDAC reviews the proposals. The committee considers equity, impacts to the environment, safety and proximity to jobs, schools and transit.

Committee members voted to present this list of proposals for public feedback. Your comments on this list will help the committee make final recommendations to the Washington County Board of Commissioners for approval.

Pedestrian and Biking Improvement Project funding 

The Pedestrian and Biking Improvement (PBI) Projects program is smaller this cycle due to budget limitations. We have less money for projects than in previous years.

The URMD’s primary mission is to maintain neighborhood streets in urban areas outside cities. Voters approved the URMD in 1987 to improve and maintain neighborhood streets to ‘fair or better’ condition. That goal was realized around 2010. Rising property values increased revenue, and the URMD was able to start funding PBI projects. Since 2011, 74 PBI projects totaling over $33 million have been built.

Now the URMD budget is limited. Revenues are not keeping up with rising street maintenance costs. To prioritize maintenance, we need to reduce PBI funding.

This is not unexpected. We knew the PBI program would need to scale back to keep up with increasing maintenance needs, but we have funded more projects than we estimated 12 years ago. 

We continue making URMD streets safer and more accessible for all travelers. This includes:

  • The PBI program: This will continue as funding allows.
  • Curb ramp upgrades: These upgrades ensure accessibility for people living with disabilities, consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).  
  • Neighborhood Streets Program: This helps address traffic safety concerns.
  • Sidewalk Repair Grant Program pilot: This will offer financial help to property owners for sidewalk repairs and replacements that address safety hazards.