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Initiative Tracker -- Enhance Oregon's Transportation Infrastructure.  

 

Goal:  To promote creation and retention of jobs by expanding the market reach and productivity of Oregon businesses through strategic, trade-related investments in all modes of transportation infrastructure. 

Business Initiative Leaders: 

  • Steve Clark, Community Newspapers  

  • Pat Reiten, PacifiCorp

  • Michael R. Nelson, Nelson Real Estate

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Agenda for 2008:

Download 2008 Agenda as PDF

Oregon should pursue transportation investments simultaneously along three tracks.

Track 1.  Immediately take care of highway system maintenance and high-priority modernization and capacity enhancements.   Over the next 12 months, all Oregon stakeholders  – business, state and local governments, and advocacy groups – should prepare an annual transportation funding package for the 2009 legislative session that identifies critically needed infrastructure projects, along with cost-benefit analyses that consider, among other things, return on investment, statewide economic benefit, and reduction in capacity and safety problems. Oregon should fund this investment with an increase in the gas tax, with vehicle registration fees, or both, with commensurate increases in the weight-mile tax. The Oregon Business Plan proposal submitted in 2007 (appended to the end of this section) provides a template for shaping that package. That proposal recommended a $350 million annual investment, but that should be updated for inflation and cost increases.

Track 2.  Step up attention to and resolution of the bottleneck at Interstate 5 where it crosses the Columbia River.   Extreme and growing congestion at the crossing not only hurts adjacent regional and state economies, it also impedes critical interstate freight movement north and south, east and west.  

Track 3.  Launch a more fundamental, far-reaching review of transportation delivery and financing, by a widely, probably by a broadly representative blue-ribbon task force. This task force should work with both local and state jurisdictions on studies and pilot projects to inform panel deliberations and proposals for the 2009 Legislature and beyond. It should consider:

  • The adequacy of road, rail, marine, and air transportation systems, their integration with one another, their relation to land use and urban design, and their role in helping Oregon achieve its economic, social, and environmental goals. The portion of this examination dealing with land use should be carried out with regard to the deliberations of a reactivated Big Look task force.

  • The roles and responsibilities of city, county, state, and federal jurisdictions in transportation system upkeep, operation, and coordination.

  •  A new public transportation financing system to replace or supplement current revenue sources. This should incorporate demand management as a strategy for reducing congestion and system cost. 

Federal Agenda.   Work with Oregon’s Congressional delegation to support

strategic and sustained federal investments in transportation infrastructure in

Oregon, as well as policies that promote transportation efficiencies. In

particular: 

 

  • Stabilize the Federal Highway Trust Fund. Congress should take action in the next two years to resolve both our short- and long-term funding problems. A revenue boost equivalent to a 3- to 4-cent gas tax increase would allow Congress to meet SAFETEA-LU’s funding commitments in 2009 and provide for continued growth in highway spending in the next reauthorization.

  • Re-authorize the timber safety net or other means to help counties find ways to make up for lost revenue. This issue, explored more fully in the Public Finance section of this document, has a large impact on county roads as well as schools and general government operation. The one-year extension of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act (PL 106-393), recently expired. Counties with large federal land holdings (and constricted tax bases) are once again vulnerable to severe revenue shortfalls unless Congress works out a long-term solution. This is an issue that everyone in the state must work to address. Otherwise, the effects will be felt throughout Oregon’s economy.

  • Maintain timely phased funding and stay on schedule in deepening the Columbia River channel.

  •  Pursue needed intermediate repair and long-term replacement of the Columbia River jetty.

  • Work with state-level interests to resolve problems with regional freight rail competition and service.

     

View Oregon's list of accomplishments on this initiative since the creation of the Oregon Business Plan in 2002.

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Key Links - Documents, Websites, News, & Bills:

Overall

Air Service

Roads & Bridges

Rail

Marine

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