Oregon Legislative Tour Highlights Urgent Need for Transportation Funding

Tour group poses for photo before Happy Valley tour on Sept. 26.Photo byOregon Legislature

By Kristy Tallman, October 18, 2024

SALEM, Ore. – After a four-month journey across Oregon, the state legislature’s Transportation Safety and Sustainability Outreach Tour concluded in Hillsboro on September 27, 2024. The 12-stop tour took legislators from Portland to Oregon’s coast, through the Willamette Valley, southern Oregon, eastern Oregon, central Oregon, and back to the Portland metro area.

Legislatures tour PortlandPhoto byOregon Legislature

The tour aimed to assess the state’s transportation challenges and gather input from Oregonians about their transportation needs. Legislators inspected roads, bridges, bus routes, and pedestrian paths to address growing concerns over transportation funding. These insights will guide the development of a transportation funding package for the 2025 legislative session.

State Legislature Stops in Albany, Oregon during their tour.Photo byOregon Legislature

Rep. Susan McLain, Chair of the Joint Committee on Transportation, emphasized the importance of safety and efficiency throughout the tour.

"Safety and efficiency have been central parts of each stop along this tour and will be key to identifying an equitable transportation system that gets Oregonians and goods to where they need to go," McLain said. "We’ve heard loud and clear from community leaders and the public, both about their communities’ transportation needs, and, importantly, what funding solutions they would support to meet those needs."

Eugene tour boards Lane Transit District busPhoto byOregon Legislature

Community Voices and Transportation Challenges

At each stop, the tour included a bus tour, roundtable discussions, and public hearings. Residents and local leaders voiced their concerns, particularly about maintenance, congestion, and safety for all modes of transportation. Recordings of these public hearings are available on the Oregon Legislative website.

Coos Bay bus tour with Rogue Valley Transportation DistrictPhoto byOregon Legislature

The final tour stops in Happy Valley and Hillsboro highlighted the struggles in maintaining a safe, reliable transportation system amid rapid population growth. ODOT showcased the challenges they face with pedestrian safety, electrical maintenance, and assisting motorists in need.

Transportation Funding Crisis Looms

Without additional revenue, ODOT warns that Oregonians will face longer road closures, worse winter driving conditions, more potholes, and reduced DMV services by mid-2025. The agency stressed the need for sustainable funding to maintain and improve the state’s transportation infrastructure.

Coos Bay Tour Stop Shows Desperate Need for RoadworkPhoto byOregon Legislature

ODOT and state legislators are working with Governor Kotek to prepare a comprehensive transportation modernization package for the 2025 legislative session.

For more information, visit the Oregon Legislature’s website or contact Kevin Glenn at 503-910-5965.

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By Kristy Tallman, Oct. 18, 2024
The Republic News

Source: Oregon State Legislature

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