Vicki Raine, Vern Ressler, Tyler Hellner

We had an incredibly important evening at the State Capitol this past Wednesday, June 11th, as ATU 757 showed up in force for a pivotal hearing on House Bill 2025. 

The hearing, held before the Joint Committee on Transportation Reinvestment, was a crucial opportunity to advocate for the future of public transportation across Oregon. HB 2025 is the key to that future, as it contains vital increases to the Statewide Transportation Improvement Fund (STIF), which directly supports transit services in communities like ours.

Here's what HB 2025 means for transit and for you:

Significant and Sustained Investment: HB 2025 proposes a strategic, phased increase to the STIF funding rate by slowly ticking up the rate over three biennia, phasing it from 0.1% to 0.3% of payroll. This isn't a one-time fix; it's a long-term commitment to sustainable transit

• 2026-2028: The new rate will add approximately $200 million to transit funding statewide.
• 2028-2030: This will increase to roughly $400 million in new transit funding statewide.
• 2030-2032 and each biennium thereafter: The rate will generate an estimated $520 million in new funding per biennium for transit across Oregon

Funds Returned to Communities: A critical component of this bill is that the funding is distributed by formula back to where the tax was collected. This ensures that the money raised from our communities is reinvested directly into the transit services that benefit us all.

Testimony from ATU 757 Leaders and Members:

We were incredibly proud to have a strong contingent of ATU 757 representatives provide powerful testimony, sharing real-world impacts and urging legislators to pass HB 2025. ATU 757 was the first panel to speak, highlighting ATU's involvement in the process surrounding HB 2025.

• Bill Bradley, ATU 757 Executive Board Officer, expressed ATU 757’s strong support for HB 2025, calling it a critical investment in the future of public transit. He highlighted that the bill provides the stability needed to avert drastic measures like steep service cuts and potential loss of entire routes, which transit agencies are currently facing. Bradley emphasized that ATU has worked tirelessly with agencies to rebuild service post-COVID-19, successfully hiring bus operators and collaborating on workforce development. He stressed that staying the course with HB 2025's stable funding will lead to a substantial return on these vital investments. He also pointed out that the phased increase, at its conclusion, would amount to roughly $160 per median Oregon household annually, a small price for the immense benefits public transit provides. Bradley concluded by stating that over 60% of comments from the summer Transportation Roadshow supported increased transit funding, showing public backing for transit making roads safer, less congested, and empowering seniors and young people.

• Mary Longoria, ATU 757 Financial Secretary-Treasurer and 27-year veteran of TriMet, powerfully articulated the vital service transit provides. As a former Trip Planner, she shared how she helped parents navigate complex schedules to get their children to daycare and school, and themselves to work, emphasizing that these long days were only possible because public transportation was there. Longoria strongly urged the committee to pass HB 2025 with the full STIF increase to 0.3%, calling it "absolutely critical" to prevent the deep service cuts currently being discussed across Oregon.

• Tyler Hellner, ATU 757 Liaison Officer and Bus Operator from Tillamook County, shared a deeply personal perspective, explaining that rural public transportation is not just a convenience, but a "lifeline". He recounted how the system helped him get established when he first arrived in Tillamook without transportation. Hellner shared a poignant story of a grieving passenger using the bus as an affordable and safe way to travel after his father's passing, highlighting how "when you depend on public transportation, you never truly travel alone". He also detailed the significant financial and personal burdens faced by a retiree who cannot complete her job in the Nehalem Area and return home on the same day due to reduced services, forcing her to stay overnight. Hellner emphasized that budget cuts would take us backward, and "our budgeting must reflect the future we want to build: a sustainable, connected, and equitable transportation network for all"

• Vicki Raine, former Operator from Tillamook County, spoke not just as a driver but as someone who sees "every single day, the impact that reliable public transportation has on the lives of my riders". She underscored that for many, the bus is "freedom for the elderly who can no longer drive, independence for people with disabilities, and opportunity for those who can’t afford a car to get to work". Raine stressed that due to route cuts, many people are being left behind, unable to access medical care, groceries, or connect with support systems. She shared a touching anecdote of two elderly riders who became strangers-turned-friends, comforting each other on their shared dialysis trips, illustrating how transit fosters connection and community. Raine urged the committee to see public transportation not just as a budget line item, but as a "lifeline for the people we serve" and that "investing in transit is primarily investing in PEOPLE".

Your Voice Was Heard!

We witnessed many ATU 757 members dedicate their evening to attend and show their support. Their presence and testimony sent a clear message to legislators about the importance of public transit and the need to invest in our future. We are incredibly proud of the strong turnout and the passion demonstrated by our members.

Transit Agency Leadership From Across the State Show Up To Push For Funding Along With Citizens, Riders, Business Owners, and Non-Profits

TriMet's Sam Desue, Lane Transit's Jameson Auten, RVTD's Julie Brown, Salem Cherriots' Allan Pollock, and Tillamook's Brian Vitulli added their voices to the overwhelming support to increase transit funding. Riders, non-profits, and business owners testified favorably for increased transit funding. In total, 104 speakers showed up to testify, showing the incredible support and passion for Public Transit in Oregon!

What's Next:

This hearing was a crucial step in the legislative process. We will continue to track HB 2025 closely as it moves through the committee process and towards a vote. Your union leadership will keep you updated on its progress and any further calls to action.

Mary Longoria, Vicki Raine, and Bill Bradley's Testimony

Tyler Hellner Testimony

TCTD Board Member Vern Ressler, Tyler Hellner, Senator Chris Gorsek (Co-Chair of the Joint Committee on Transportation), Mary Longoria, Bill Bradley