The Oregon Department of Transportation received 35 applications for its Connect Oregon grant program requesting a collective $79 million for transportation projects. The program has approximately $30 million available to award, according to ODOT.
A funding redirection earlier this year reduced the program's budget for 2026, ODOT said. The Connect Oregon grant program supports non-highway transportation infrastructure, such as trail and transit projects.
A review committee will meet September 8 to rank the applications and create a final recommended list of projects to fund. The Oregon Transportation Commission will make a final decision on which projects to fund at its December 2026 meeting.
Residents can submit comments on the proposed projects until September 22 either by email or at a virtual public meeting. The Connect Oregon program has supported 240 projects since its creation in 2005, according to ODOT. Funding for the program comes from a light vehicle dealer privilege tax established in the state's 2017 transportation funding law.