Eugene Motor Vehicle Fuel Tax Helps Fund Needed Street Repairs

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March 31, 2005 CONTACT: Mark Schoening, City Engineer, 541-682-5243 From Public Information Section, 682-5523 or 954-2938 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Eugene Motor Vehicle Fuel Tax Helps Fund Needed Street Repairs Eugene's motor vehicle fuel tax wiA increase to 5 cents per gallon this Friday. Revenues from the fuel tax will help fund almost 12 lane miles of major street repairs this summer. The City of Eugene implemented a 3-cent-per gallon local fuel tax in August 2003. The City Council in January approved a 2-cent tax increase, which will become effective April 1. The 5-cent tax is expected to generate approximately $3.6 million per year to help repair city streets. Eight major street repair projects estimated to cost $3.5 million are scheduled at various locations in Eugene this summer: • 28th Avenue from Friendly to City View; • Crescent Avenue from Coburg Road to Tulip Street; • Chambers Street from Eighth to 11th avenues; • Kevington Avenue from Brittany to Warren streets; • City View Street from 11th to 18th avenues; Bertelsen Road from Royal Avenue to Roosevelt Boulevard; and • 11th Avenue from Pearl to Charnelton streets. Eugene started a pavement preservation program funded through the local gas tax in 2003 to address a growing backlog of street repair projects. Since then, more than 20 lane miles of streets have been repaired. However, the current estimate of work needed to bring all of Eugene's streets into good condition is still more than $93 million. More information about these and other street repair projects, including construction schedule information, is available online at www.ci.eugene.or.us/pw/traffic. More information about Eugene's fuel tax and transportation funding needs can be found at www.ci.eugene.or.us/pw/streets. Public Works + Administration • City of Eugene • 858 Pearl Street .Eugene, OR 97401 Phone: (541)682-5262 • FAX: (541) 682-6826 • www.ci.eugene.or.us