19 www.ortrucking.org Issue 3 | 2024 “The Rose Quarter is one of the worst bottlenecks in the country and a key trade route for regional, national and international economies, with tens of millions of dollars of freight passing through the region via the Port of Portland each day,” said Jana Jarvis, President & CEO of the OTA. “Expanding vehicle capacity along the Rose Quarter—in addition to all of the other projects funded in HB 2017—are critical not just to the Portland region, but to all of Oregon’s economy.” Joint Committee on Transportation Hosts Listening Tour on State Transportation Priorities Please attend an upcoming listening tour stop to advocate for the interests of Oregon trucking! By Jennifer Sitton | OTA Communications Consultant THE OREGON LEGISLATURE’S Joint Committee on Transportation (JCT) is hosting a statewide listening tour this summer and fall to solicit feedback on the state’s transportation infrastructure needs. The tour will include 12 stops across the state, where the JCT will discuss with local communities the need for stable and sufficient transportation funding and infrastructure in advance of the 2025 legislative session. These meetings are intended to set the stage and to set expectations ahead of the muchanticipated 2025 transportation package. The legislature is expected to pass a comprehensive transportation package in the coming legislative session—the first since HB 2017 passed seven years ago. HB 2017 funded key congestion-reducing projects, highway and bridge projects, transit projects and other important infrastructure projects. Some of these included adding lanes on I-5 through the Rose Quarter, to OR-217, and to I-205 and replacing the Abernethy Bridge. OTA and our members have expressed frustration at the lack of progress that has been made on the projects identified in HB 2017. “The Rose Quarter is one of the worst bottlenecks in the country and a key trade route for regional, national, and international economies, with tens of millions of dollars of freight passing through the region via the Port of Portland each day,” said Jana Jarvis, President & CEO of the OTA. “Expanding vehicle capacity along the Rose Quarter —in addition to all of the other projects funded in HB 2017—are critical not just to the Portland region, but to all of Oregon’s economy.” Jana has urged the legislature to build out the infrastructure improvement projects promised in HB 2017 before looking to fund future projects. The JCT has continued to emphasize in each of the listening tour stops the funding challenges that ODOT is facing. In response to these funding woes, Jana and the trucking industry have urged ODOT to ensure that trucks are taxed fairly and appropriately as they are looking at funding options for future state transportation projects. “We recognize that ODOT’s maintenance budget is severely lacking and that we need to maintain the investments we’ve already made in our road system,” said Jana. “At the same time, we need to keep in mind the constitutional mandate
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