Three years of work by AOI, business allies, ODOT, the Governor’s Office and key legislators paid off this morning when the legislature completed work on a major transportation bill, passing it on to the Governor who has said he will sign the bill.

Using the AOI Foundation for Research & Education as the research and data analysis vehicle, efforts to build a major transportation package began three years ago with the formation of several workgroups, which subsequently coalesced and developed a set of recommendations for the Governor.

Once the session began, a smaller work group including AOI, AAA, Oregon Trucking Associations, the Port of Portland, several trade groups and some key legislators produced a viable bill, HB 2001.  The final bill contains substantial differences and is smaller than that proposed by the Governor, but is still one of the Oregon’s largest public works projects.  It is expected to create thousands of jobs and relieve congestion and improve safety.  It has more “green” elements than any previous transportation package.  

In summary the package looks like this:

Funding:

• Provides cities and counties with 50 percent of the $300 million raised.  Cities and counties will split approximately $140 million annually to maintain roads and fund additional multi-modal projects in local communities;
• It sets aside an additional $100 million for rail, marine, air, transit and train projects under the Connect Oregon III Program;
• Uses $70 million annually to bond $1 billion worth of road projects to reduce congestion and improve freight mobility.

Revenue Increases (Weight-mile will rise accordingly):

• Car registration fee by $16 a year;
• Increasing title fees by $22; 
• Increasing the cost of replacement and vanity plates; 
• Increasing the gas tax by six cents in January, 2011 or after two straight quarters of economic growth.

Environmental Provisions:

• The creation of an Urban Trails Fund;
• Codification of environmental rules drafted under OTIA III Project;
• Increased funding for transit under companion bill SB 334 (passed just before HB 2001 on a 32-38 vote);
• Increased use of federal flex funds for bike routes;
• Increased dollars for elderly and disabled transit;
• A least cost planning model taking environmental issues into account;
• Requiring greenhouse gas emissions planning in the Metro region;
• Incentives for use of electric vehicles; and
• Establishment of pilot projects for congestion pricing and “pay as you drive” insurance.

You may view the entire bill here.

Because SB 2001 is a revenue raising measure, it required a 3/5ths vote on both the Senate and House Floors.  The votes on the bill exceeded that needed margin and were bipartisan.

A group of legislators proved especially dedicated and adept at putting together a final package:

Representative Terry Beyer (D – Springfield) Chair, House Transportation Committee; Co-Chair, Special Joint Committee on Transportation

Representative Vicki Berger (R – Salem) Special Joint Committee on Transportation

Senator Rick Metzger (D – Mt. Hood) Chair, Senate Business and Transportation Committee; Co-Chair, Special Joint Committee on Transportation

Senator Betsy Johnson (D – Scappoose) Vice Chair, Ways and Means, Co-Chair Subcommittee on Transportation

And especially:

Senator Bruce Starr (R – Hillsboro) Vice-Chair, Senate Business and Transportation Committee; Co-Vice Chair, Special Joint Committee on Transportation