Tonight!
Unless you’ve lived under a rock for the past year or so, you are probably aware that the 2025 session of the Oregon Legislature will be very consequential for transportation funding. Seven years after the multi-billion dollar HB 2017 passed, lawmakers will once again take on the Herculean task of putting a big funding package together that — hopefully — carries us into a better future.
An event happening in northeast Portland tonight will build even more buzz for next year’s debates as advocates, elected officials, and nonprofit leaders gather for the Rumble on the River Community Forum. This is the 15th Rumble and it’s organized by a wide range of volunteers from a coalition of environmental advocacy organizations. Tonight’s event will be the “Transportation Episode” and will include a presentation from Oregon State Representative Khanh Pham and a panel discussion that features Abby Griffith from OPAL/Bus Riders Unite, Indi Namkoong from Verde, and Chris Smith from No More Freeways.
Rep. Pham, a member of the Joint Committee on Transportation that will develop the 2025 bill, will lay out what’s at stake and how Portlanders can influence the process. In addition to her speech, the panelists will have a moderated discussion on a wide range of topics. Rumble organizers emphasize networking at these events, so rest assured there will be lots of great folks and organizations to connect with. Come early to peruse tables set up by local orgs.
The Rumble is free and doors open at 5:30 pm, with the panel kicking off at 6:30. It will go down at St. Andrew Catholic Church, 806 NE Alberta Street.
In related news, the Joint Committee on Transportation has released a list of dates and cities for an upcoming listening session on the 2025 package. They will be in Portland on June 4th, so save that date. I’m trying to track down more details and will share them when I hear more.
One day after the JCT listening session, you can keep the conversation going at the Oregon Active Transportation Summit (OATS), hosted by The Street Trust. At 1:00 pm on Wednesday, June 5th Talia Jacobson of Toole Design will moderate a roundtable discussion during the lunch plenary session. According to the OATS website, the roundtable, “will feature experts from across sectors and jurisdictions to discuss where our money from transportation comes from, where it’s spent, and the uncertainties we face as we transition off the gas tax onto more equitable, more sustainable revenue sources… as the 2025 Legislative Session quickly approaches, the stakes are much higher this time.”
OATS requires paid admission. Peruse the full program, buy tickets, and learn more here.
And be sure to stay tuned to BikePortland as the clock ticks down on this all-important, upcoming legislative session.
