2023 Street Maintenance Fee Increase
The City of Lake Oswego’s roadways total 181 miles with about 72% of these roadways being local neighborhood streets. Maintenance of neighborhood streets and availability of pedestrian facilities are important to our community as a whole. Whether you are walking, running, riding, or rolling, we want pathways, sidewalks, and roadways to be safe and accessible for all. To do so, the City Council approved an increase to the Street Maintenance Fee to provide additional funding for pedestrian safety improvements.
Investing in Pedestrian Safety and Accessibility
The City aims to invest in more projects that provide everyone - whether they are on foot, on a bicycle, using a mobility aid, pushing a stroller, or accessing and riding transit - with safer and improved access to schools, neighborhoods, parks, business districts, and community spaces, like the Library and Adult Community Center. This includes investing in city streets, sidewalks, curb ramps, and pathways.
Increasing the Street Maintenance Fee for additional funding for pedestrian improvements will help ensure equitable outcomes for all roadway users. The Council-approved rate increases will take effect July 1, 2023.
News & Announcements
On November 4, 2003, the Lake Oswego City Council approved a Street Maintenance Fee (SMF) as a source of funding for the City’s street infrastructure investment. Since then, funds from the SMF have been used to conduct roadway infrastructure repairs, expand and maintain street beautification, build new sidewalks and pathways, install crosswalks and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) curb ramps, and street pavement preservation, such as repaving and slurry seal. The SMF is roughly 1/3 of the total revenue for the Street Fund.
The City aims to invest in more projects that provide everyone - whether they are on foot, on a bicycle, using a mobility aid, pushing a stroller, or accessing and riding transit - with safer and improved access to schools, neighborhoods, parks, business districts, and community spaces.
This last fall, City Council voted to increase the Street Maintenance Fee to provide additional funding for pedestrian safety improvements.
Rate increases will take effect July 1, 2023.
Since the Transportation System Plan was implemented in 2014, the City has completed or is in process of completing 12 pathway project locations. However, there are more than $94 million unfunded Pathways Projects in the current Capital Improvement Plan FY2021/22- 2026/27.
The City’s 2021 Community Survey, asked a question to help measure the community's support of an increase in funding for pedestrian safety facilities through an additional fee or bond. 60% of residents surveyed were 'very supportive' or 'somewhat supportive' of the increased funding.
Whether you are walking, running, riding, or rolling, roadways and pedestrian facilities need to be safe and accessible for all. The City aims to invest in more projects for our community to safely navigate city streets, sidewalks, and pathways.
Key Documents and Reports
Forms, Permits, and Applications