MSTIP Bonding Cost-sharing Program

Washington County partners with the cities of Beaverton, Hillsboro and Tigard, to help pay for road improvements in areas of high residential growth.

• North Bethany/Bonny Slope West (unincorporated Washington County)
• South Hillsboro (City of Hillsboro)
• South Cooper Mountain (City of Beaverton)
• River Terrace (City of Tigard)

Meeting traffic demand

About 18,000 homes will be built in these areas by 2035. We expect at least twice as many more vehicles on our roads as a result. Many of our roads will need upgrades to meet that traffic and to improve safety for all. The cost-sharing transportation fund will be used to pay for projects that address traffic and improve safety in these four areas. See map and projects list

Sharing the cost: Two-thirds County, one-third cities and development

Washington County is paying two-thirds of the $140 million cost of the road-improvement projects. The cities and development are paying the remaining one-third. The cost-sharing is based on travel forecasting that estimates only one-third of travelers using the improved roads will come from developments. The remaining traffic will be "regional travel" — trips that begin and end outside of the high-growth areas. This will improve county-wide mobility.

Getting ahead of the growth

• The County is issuing bonds to fund two-thirds of the project costs.
• Incremental growth in revenue from the county-wide property tax-based Major Streets Transportation Improvement Program (MSTIP) is paying back the bonds. Issuing bonds allows the improvements to be made proactively – before the roads become a problem.
• Cities may use the Transportation Development Tax (TDT) and other development-based revenues to fund one-third of the project costs.
• Additional partnerships, such as pipeline locations with the Willamette Water Supply Program, are also saving on construction and traffic and community inconvenience.

Other transportation needs still high priorities

The cost-sharing strategy keeps existing MSTIP funding at $35 million/year for improvements on other roads in Washington County. By funding high-growth area road improvements through MSTIP-backed bonds, these high-growth projects do not compete with other transportation projects for MSTIP funds.