Portland officials have announced that the projected cost of upgrading and installing thousands of curb ramps on city sidewalks to enhance accessibility has surged by hundreds of millions of dollars since the project commenced seven years ago as part of a legal settlement.
The price tag for 18,000 new curb ramps compliant with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act has escalated to at least $400 million, according to city figures reviewed by The Oregonian/OregonLive, representing a nearly four-fold increase from the initial estimate of $113 million.
Officials warn that the total anticipated expenditure for the legally mandated program could be significantly higher as Portland transportation officials could not provide an exhaustive account of expenditures to date.
Since 2018, the city has successfully fixed or installed approximately 1,500 curb ramps annually in line with a settlement agreement made with residents who have mobility disabilities, with completion expected by 2030.
City authorities are currently contemplating the issuance of up to $200 million in municipal bonds over the next two years to address an expected program deficit and to alleviate short-term budgetary constraints within the city’s general fund and the Portland Bureau of Transportation.
Next fiscal year, both the city’s general fund and the Transportation Bureau’s discretionary fund are projected to allocate $10 million each toward Portland’s curb ramp program, even as both funds face their own massive budget shortfalls.
On Wednesday, the Portland City Council is set to review a proposal to issue an initial $80 million in bonds, which would be repaid with interest over a 15-year period.
City leaders are also evaluating a further bond package of $123 million for the next year to cover the remaining fiscal gap in the curb ramp project, according to financial documents.
“Cost escalation is a challenge faced by most construction projects, requiring thoughtful financial and infrastructure planning,” stated City Administrator Michael Jordan in a response to The Oregonian/OregonLive.
He added, “While early cost estimates reflected best-case scenarios, evolving conditions have influenced expenses.”
However, Portland City Councilor Olivia Clark, chair of the council’s new transportation and infrastructure committee, provided a contrasting viewpoint.
“This issue points to the need for greater oversight, transparency, and accountability among city bureaus,” Clark remarked. “Clearly, we have a problem with managing our assets.”
Records indicate that Portland’s transportation maintenance backlog has ballooned to over $6 billion, with costs increasing by hundreds of millions each year as the condition of city streets, bridges, and other infrastructure deteriorates.
Residents in numerous neighborhoods are dealing with the absence of sidewalks or even paved roads.
To mitigate a $40 million revenue shortfall next fiscal year, the bureau is planning to eliminate more than 100 jobs and to scale back on services such as pothole repairs, street paving, and safety improvements.
Curb ramps are vital for mobility device users, advocates emphasize, and their construction is mandated by federal law.
Inadequate curb ramps can force individuals using wheelchairs to navigate along crowded roadways, take lengthy detours, or struggle to traverse muddy or grassy terrains.
The plaintiffs in the 2018 settlement sought to guarantee equitable access to public rights-of-way for those using wheelchairs, scooters, canes, or walkers.
At the time of the settlement, court records stated that approximately 35,000 residents in Portland lived with a mobility disability, with about a third of the city’s 38,000 street corners lacking curb ramps.
Transportation officials had originally estimated that the total cost of the 12-year program would be around $113 million, or just under $10 million per year.
However, by last year, the bureau had revised this estimate to $354 million, as per city budget documents.
Even more concerning, it has surged further in recent months.
Financial figures disclosed last week now predict that Portland will spend $332 million in the final six years of the program solely on curb ramp installations and upgrades, which includes a $55 million investment allocated for the current fiscal year.
According to transportation officials, around $10 million of this year’s installations — or 200 of the 1,500 scheduled curb ramps — will be financed by private developers.
The remaining $45 million for the fiscal year represents almost 8% of the bureau’s entire budget of $580 million and exceeds the $21.4 million earmarked for street maintenance.
Transportation officials admitted that they are currently unable to provide a precise account of spending on curb ramps under the settlement, as much of this work is included in larger transportation projects.
Spokesperson Dylan Rivera indicated that the bureau’s initial financial forecast for the curb ramp program, which based the average installation or upgrade cost at $5,500, “vastly underestimated” expenses due to several factors.
This oversight included inflation and failed to consider additional work linked to various projects, such as stormwater basin upgrades and the removal or relocation of trees, fire hydrants, and signal poles.
According to Rivera, rising labor and material costs—as well as the increased complexity of projects—mean that Portland now invests between $20,000 and $60,000 for each curb ramp installation.
“We have better methodologies to build in these costs to the program moving forward for better tracking of full program costs,” Rivera asserted.
Yet, it remains unclear why costs have escalated so dramatically in Portland.
The Oregon Department of Transportation sets aside up to $58,000 for curb ramp installations, which can vary based on the nature of each project, according to spokesperson David House.
In contrast, Seattle, which also resolved a class-action disability lawsuit, sees curb ramp project costs ranging between $5,000 and $30,000, as reported by transportation spokesperson Ethan Bergerson, depending on several factors including project scope and delivery method.
“I’m concerned and troubled by much of this information,” remarked Portland Councilor Loretta Smith in a brief interview with The Oregonian/OregonLive. “I’m going to have a lot of questions.”
This report has been updated to present a more comprehensive overview of the projected $55 million in curb ramp expenditures for the current fiscal year.
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