Culver among small cities across Oregon sharing $5.7 million in ODOT transportation funding
SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) – Culver is among small cities around the state are receiving a share of $5.7 million in Oregon Department of Transportation funding after the Small City Allotment Advisory Committee approved the latest round of recommendations for the 2024 Small City Allotment program.
The approved projects range from adding sidewalks to chip-sealing roads, from paving city streets to improving intersections – all in communities with populations of 5,000 or fewer.
The funding list includes $245,000 for the city of Culver in Jefferson County.
City Recorder/Manager Donna McCormack tells NewsChannel 21, "We will be using the grant to repair pavement (grind and relay) on local streets that have major cracks and wear. They have deteriorated beyond what a chip seal can repair."
In this seventh round of funding, ODOT received 69 applications requesting a total of $16.5 million. The annual amount available for the program is $5 million. For this round, additional funds were available from projects that were canceled or used fewer dollars than originally estimated.
“We currently have an unprecedented participation rate: 84% of cities eligible either applied or already have an active project," said SCA Program Manager Deanna Edgar. “Most of this year's applicants requested the maximum amount – $250,000 – in part because inflation has increased the cost of projects."
Oregon's historic transportation funding package, HB 2017 from the 2017 Oregon Legislature, created the Small City Allotment program to help communities fix local roads that are inadequate for the number of people they serve or are in unsafe condition. To include as many cities as possible, the program does not require matching funds.
Programs like the Small City Allotment help ODOT make transportation safer, more accessible and easier for those who walk and roll. It's part of creating a modern transportation system, one of three top priorities in the agency's Strategic Action Plan.
