Local agencies face rising transportation needs as lawmakers prep for special session

[Richard Hughes]

Local agencies face rising transportation needs as lawmakers prep for special session  https://app.lookouteugene-springfield.com/story/local-agencies-face-rising-transportation-needs-as-lawmakers-prep-for-special-session/content.html

[Rob Zako]

Richard: Thank you for sharing Lookout Eugene-Springfield's good summary.

Fellow Cyclists: If you are interested in speaking out, BEST recently shared the following action alert with our Cycle of Change group of activists.

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Rob Zako <r...@best-oregon.org>
Date: Fri, Aug 22, 2025 at 4:40 PM
Subject: [CoC] BY WED 8/27 @ 3pm: Submit written testimony on stopgap transportation funding bill
To: Cycle of Change <c...@best-oregon.org>

Dear fellow transportation change agents,

BEST joins Move Oregon Forward in adopting a NEUTRAL stance on Governor Kotek's stopgap bill (preliminary summary).

We recommend using the public hearing on Monday to EDUCATE lawmakers about the challenges and opportunities still ahead:

• Submit written testimony (by Wednesday 8/27 @ 3 pm)

For your testimony, we suggest selecting and personalizing just one of the six suggested talking points below. If your time is short, you can submit just a 1- or 2-sentence comment. The important thing is to stand up and speak out!

For context, read:

• What happened to Oregon’s transportation package during the 2025 legislative session (Move Oregon Forward, 8/1/25)

For a deeper dive, read our analysis of transportation spending in Oregon:

• To invest in transportation, first build public trust and understanding (BEST, 8/15/25)

As BEST likes to say, we are better when we speak and work together. We won't achieve the transportation system Oregonians need overnight. But as more and more people join us, we will get there.

Working together,

Rob

Suggested Talking Points

1. The special session bill is a short-term budget bandaid, not a long-term fix.

Everyone must understand: this is a temporary patch. The special session bill is necessary now to save jobs and ensure transportation departments at the city, county, and state levels can continue to serve operations and maintenance needs. The bill is also necessary to ensure that transit agencies across the state can continue to serve the many Oregonians in both urban and rural communities who rely on public transportation to get around.

2. The Legislature still must invest in the transportation system Oregonians need now and in the future.

Last year, Oregonians in rural and urban parts of the state spoke about the need for a transportation system that serves all Oregonians. We need to pair today’s short-term funding with a firm understanding that the Legislature must return to the table in upcoming legislative sessions to work on long-term investments that create a safe, climate-forward, multimodal transportation system for all Oregonians.

3. Protecting lives cannot wait.

With hundreds killed and thousands seriously injured on our roads each year, we must make life saving investments in safe streets. We must invest in safety interventions like Safe Routes to School, Great Streets, Oregon Community Paths, and funding to transfer deadly orphan highways to local jurisdictions.

4. Oregonians need transportation options.

Nearly 30% of Oregonians do not drive. Our system must serve everyone, not just those behind the wheel. Our state must invest in meaningful long-term funding to operate and expand transit service across the state, in addition to making it easier for Oregonians to walk or roll in their communities.

5. Oregon must shift transportation to slow climate change.

Here is the truth: Oregon is not on pace to meet its pollution reduction and EV adoption goals. Oregon must incentivize electric vehicle adoption, continue to build out charging infrastructure across the state, and ease the energy transition for medium and heavy-duty vehicles.

6. Transportation spending must be accountable and transparent.

Transportation is not just about funding—it’s about how we spend it. In upcoming sessions, adopt a fix-it-first policy to repair roads, bridges, and safety hazards before costly highway expansions; require a public spending dashboard to track ODOT expenditures; and set clear policies to reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT).

-- 
Rob Zako (he/him/his)
Executive Director
Better Eugene-Springfield Transportation (BEST)
PO Box 773, Eugene, OR 97440-0773
541-343-5201 (home office)
541-606-0931 (mobile)
r...@best-oregon.org
www.best-oregon.org
facebook.com/BetterEugeneSpringfieldTransportation

BEST is building a successful community by bringing people together to promote transportation options, safe streets, and walkable neighborhoods.