Oregon Transportation Bill - comments due by 4pm today

[upsonr]

Tell Lawmakers to Invest in Safe, Modern Transportation Infrastructure!

Time Required: Roughly 10 minutes

The long-awaited transportation bill, HB 2025, has finally been published! For a quick overview of this bill, check out the Transportation Reinvestment Package fact sheet.

Based on discussion within the Transportation Reinvestment Committee, we can expect a push from some legislators to reduce funding. This means that funding for transit and active transportation, among other things, may be on the chopping block. It's important for legislators to feel that they have the backing of their constituents in order to stand up for much needed modernization and investments in our transportation system. 

 

Action: Submit testimony and/or email you legislators to share your support for the increased funding in HB 2025 and for the investment in a safe transportation for all users, including transit and active transportation users. Unique testimony, rather than form letters, is always much more impactful, but any email in support is better than none.

1. Due Friday 6/13, 4pm - Submit testimony to the Joint Committee on Transportation Reinvestment here.
2. Due ASAP - Email your legislators (contact information below).

 

If you live in Corvallis, your legislators are:

• Sen. Sara Gelser Blouin - sen.sarage...@oregonlegislature.gov
• Rep. Sarah Finger McDonald - Rep.SarahFi...@oregonlegislature.gov)

 

If you do not live in Corvallis: You can look up your legislators here.

Key Points:

• We need robust investments in programs that create safer streets for all road users. This includes fully funding Safe Routes to School and the Great Streets program.
• We need to fund public transit at a level that transit agencies can maintain and grow their service.
• We need to ensure that revenue raised for transportation maintains flexibility so that it can be spent on more things than just highway projects.
• We need to ensure that ODOT is held accountable for their mega projects and freeway expansions by putting in place tools that accurately show the cost, climate impacts, and expected driving behavior changes (like "vehicle miles traveled" modeling) of these projects.
• We need an addition to HB 2025 that includes funding for the Oregon Community Paths program to help fill in missing off-street connections for active and alternative transportation users.
• We need to modify Section 160. Motor vehicle traffic lanes through towns and cities should not have a mandated minimum width of 12 feet. It has been found that the number of crashes on a street with 12-foot lanes is significantly higher than on streets with narrower lanes.