Transportation Committee to visit Eugene June 17

from Nancy Nathanson, Julie Fahey, Oregon State Legislature, and staff reports

The Oregon State Legislature’s Joint Committee on Transportation will hold a series of events in Eugene, including a public hearing, on Wednesday, July 17.

The stop in Eugene is the fourth on a 12-stop ‘Transportation Safety and Sustainability Outreach Tour.’ Legislators hope to hear directly from community leaders and the public about their communities’ transportation needs, and their ideas for funding solutions to meet those needs. 

Local officials met in advance of the meeting to discuss the area’s top priorities. Local transportation activists in Eugene are seeking public funding for sidewalks and protected crosswalks for students, while the recent closure of Eugene’s University District hospital created an instant need for at least one seismically-sound Willamette River bridge. State officials have suggested resilient transportation network designs based on available funding.

July 17 field trip

11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.: ODOT-hosted tour of Eugene-area transportation facilities*

2 p.m. to 4 p.m.: Roundtable discussion with Lane Area Commission on Transportation, jurisdictional leaders, business representatives, and topic area experts*

July 17 public hearing

5:00 p.m. to 5:10 p.m.: ODOT transportation funding review

5:10 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.: Public comment

Register to give in-person public comment: Register in person at the location noted at the top of the agenda. Registration will open 30 minutes ahead of meeting start time. If you require any assistance with registration, email or call the committee staff.

Register to give remote public comment: Time permitting, the chairs will allow for remote public comment, please register at https://survey.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8jGsAMfDSMC1bwy ; registration ends at 5 p.m. the day before the day of the meeting. After that time, the registration system will close.

Submit written public comment: Email JCT.exhibits@oregonlegislature.gov or submit to Joint Committee on Transportation, 900 Court Street NE, Room 453, Salem, OR, 97301. Written comment may be submitted up to 48 hours after the meeting start time.

The legislative tour is also interested in learning how we might pay for future transportation systems.

Oregon was the first state in the country to pass a gas tax (1919). In recent years, higher fuel efficiency and an increase in the number of electric vehicles on the road have meant that funding from the gas tax hasn’t kept up with costs.

In 2017 the legislature passed a major package that allocated more than $5 billion for improving roads, bridges, and public transit in Oregon and established the Statewide Transit Tax. The focus was on modernizing roads, reducing congestion, redesigning high-crash intersections, and making school walking routes safer for students. 

Legislative leaders have indicated that the 2025 transportation package will be focused on stabilizing funding for statewide maintenance, operations, and safety, as well as prioritizing unfinished projects such as the I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project and the I-205 Improvement Project. 

The legislative tour includes the following stops:

1. Downtown Portland – Tuesday, June 4
2. Tillamook – Tuesday, June 18
3. Albany – Tuesday, July 16
4. Eugene – Wednesday, July 17
5. Coos Bay – Wednesday, August 7
6. Medford – Thursday, August 8
7. Ontario – Wednesday, August 28
8. Hermiston – Thursday August 29
9. Bend – Thursday, September 12
10. The Dalles – Friday, September 13
11. Happy Valley – Thursday, September 26
12. Hillsboro – Friday, September 27

*Note: Persons wishing to attend either the roundtable or tour should contact Patrick Brennan in advance at 503-986-1674 or patrick.h.brennan@oregonlegislature.gov.

See also: Better Eugene Springfield Transportation’s request