The Joint Committee on Transportation announced a 12-stop Transportation Safety and Sustainability Outreach Tour to hear from Oregonians about how the Legislature can ensure Oregon has a safe, functional, and efficient multimodal transportation system now and for years to come.
According to a press release, “Members of the joint committee will engage with local communities about the structural challenges facing the statewide transportation system and discuss various remedies, including how to provide stable and sufficient funding of the Oregon Department of Transportation.”
“Safe, sustainable, multimodal transportation systems are of critical importance to local,
regional, and even international travel and commerce between urban and rural
communities,” said Rep. Susan McLain (D – Hillsboro, Forest Grove and Cornelius),
co-chair of the Joint Committee on Transportation. “We’re working to ensure that all
communities, all families, and all businesses are provided with choices that are safe,
resilient, and sufficient to meet transportation needs.”
According to the press release, “Perspectives and information gathered by the committee will be used by legislators to craft a transportation package in the 2025 legislative session that will allow ODOT to maintain critical infrastructure, complete major projects, and guarantee the safety oftransportation systems across the state.”
Each stop will include opportunities to gather input from key stakeholders, including
members of the public as well as local community leaders, elected officials, and business leaders.
The committee is vice-chaired by Sen. Brian Boquist (R – rural Polk and Yamhill counties) and Rep. Shelly Boshart-Davis (R – Albany, Millersburg, Tangent). The full membership of the committee can be viewed on olis.oregonlegislature.gov.
All hearings will be open to the public and members of the press.
Tour locations and dates (venues to be announced later):
● Downtown Portland – Tuesday, June 4
● Tillamook – Tuesday, June 18
● Albany – Tuesday, July 16
● Eugene – Wednesday, July 17
● Coos Bay – Wednesday, August 7
● Medford – Thursday, August 8
● Ontario – Wednesday, August 28
● Hermiston – Thursday August 29
● Bend – Thursday, September 12
● The Dalles – Friday, September 13
● Happy Valley – Thursday, September 26
● Hillsboro – Friday, September 27
Additionally, the Joint Committee on Transportation will hold an opportunity for virtual
testimony during September legislative days, with a focus on statewide transportation
needs.
Guess the committee forgot about the Central Oregon Coast. Hwy 101 and Hwy 18 are a travesty and downright dangerous. ODOT keeps putting cold patch on the roads and it is a process that repeats itself continually throughout the year. It did some repairs to the stretch of Hyw 101 between Cape Foulweather and Newport that was actually graded and gravelled but it didn’t get paved in time. The torrential rains came and the potholes became cavernous. While that section was eventually paved, it is still a mess. The solution seems to be to put up signs, Caution and Bump. Summer traffic is already starting, we who live here would like to know what the long-range plan is and when we can expect it to be implemented.