Commissioners approve combining STF and STIF programs, will stabilize funding
Jan. 31, 2022
To friends of public transportation in Oregon,
Rule Amendments Approved
We’re pleased to announce that the Oregon Transportation Commission has approved administrative rule amendments necessary to consolidate the Statewide Transportation Improvement Fund (STIF) and Special Transportation Fund (STF) programs. This consolidation was directed by Senate Bill 1601, and the new STIF program will become effective July 1, 2023. You can find a copy of the revised program rules on the project website, along with meeting materials from the Consolidated STIF Rules Advisory Committee which met from June-October 2020.
Rule revisions include expanded direction for local STIF Advisory Committees to ensure that advisory committees are representative of the communities they serve, as well as increased project eligibility to accommodate transportation needs for seniors and individuals with disabilities.
Honoring the Special Transportation Fund
Since 1985, the STF program has provided a flexible source of funding, particularly for rural and frontier counties and the federally recognized tribes. Projects supported by this program have included: dial-a-ride transportation services, taxi and bus ticket subsidy programs, travel training programs, capital purchases (such as vans, buses, and wheelchair lifts), and equipment upgrades to make services more accessible for seniors and people with disabilities.
Key priorities of the STF program have been preserved within the new STIF program, and the merger provides funding stability for these crucial services.
Training Opportunities
ODOT staff will hold training sessions on this program over the coming months, with the first session to occur during the Oregon Public Transportation Conference in late March. This session will include:
- A recap of the rulemaking process.
- An overview of impacts to the STIF Discretionary and Formula programs.
- A walk-through of 2023-25 solicitation materials.
There will also be a training miniseries on specific topics related to the STIF program held throughout summer 2022. More details on this will be available soon, but some topics will include:
- Advisory Committees – tips for engagement and reimbursing members using STIF funds.
- Making the most of the STIF Formula student transportation requirement.
- Multimodal transportation opportunities.
- Investments in greenhouse gas emissions reduction.
Applications for the STIF Discretionary and Statewide Transit Network programs will be due December 2022, and STIF Plans for the STIF Formula program will be due January 2023.
Other Resources
To learn how STIF investments have helped to make transportation in Oregon more equitable and affordable since the passage of Keep Oregon Moving (HB 2017), please see the newly published Fiscal Year 2019-2021 STIF Biennial Outcomes Report.
And for more information on how to get ahead of the STIF application process, please contact your Regional Transit Coordinator or the appropriate STIF team member:
Thank you for your interest in and support of public transportation. If you have questions, please contact Project Manager Maggie Charles, Maggie.Charles@odot.oregon.gov.
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