Wyden, Smith Win $474 Million for Oregon Transportation
Bill invests in new jobs; provides for road, bridge and transit improvements
Washington, DC - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) today announced more than $474 million for Oregon transportation projects. These funds were included in the end-of-the-year omnibus spending measure that will now be signed by the President. Overall, the bill includes more than $374 million in federal highway funds for the state and more than $100 million for Oregon-specific transportation projects. "This funding is the right prescription for clearing Oregon's clogged transportation arteries and restoring our state's economic health," said Wyden. "We've made an important new investment in roads, bridges, mass transit, and in Oregon's economic future." "Making Oregonians and the goods they produce more mobile is a big step toward greater economic prosperity," said Smith "This bill is a significant advancement in Oregon's livability." • Interstate MAX Light Rail Project will receive $77.5 million to complete a 5.8 mile extension of the existing 38-mile-long east/west MAX rail line. • The Wilsonville-Beaverton Commuter Rail will receive $3.25 million to help construct a planned 14.7-mile commuter rail line in Washington County. • Senators Wyden and Smith also successfully secured $1.1 million for Oregon reverse commute programs. These programs help provide expanded access to transportation solutions for the low-income workers. These services can include a combination of shuttles, vanpools, and buses. Recipients include: o Jackson-Josephine Reverse Access Reverse Commute Program ($200,000) o Salem Area Transit Reverse Commute Project ($400,000) o Portland Region Job Access Reverse Commute Program ($500,000) • The new, relocated Springfield Station downtown bus transfer facility will receive $4 million to improve the efficiency of the bus system and help to spur downtown economic development. An additional $2 million will be provided to the Lane Transit District for bus rapid transit expansion. • The Bear Creek Greenway will receive $2 million to help complete a 40-year project of connecting five communities and seven parks. The Greenway has become a highway for those embracing alternative modes of transportation while providing a linear park for families and tourists on the weekends. • Portland State University will receive $400,000 to design and equip a new Intelligent Transportation Research Center in its new NW Center for Engineering, Science, and Technology. The center will serve as a research and educational site for transportation engineering and planning students, as well as a community resource for transportation agencies. • The bill also provides $1 million for I-205 preliminary engineering necessary to add one lane in each direction on I-205 between the Stafford Interchange and I-5, a key freight route in the Portland. • The Umatilla Intermodal Facility will receive $1 million to install a container crane that will assist in the shipping of value-added agriculture products from Oregon as well as throughout the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Other Oregon project approvals include: • $2.25 million for Mahlon Sweet Field for parallel runway construction and other improvements; • $600,000 to help replace three cracked and weight-limited bridges on US 20; • $400,000 for efforts to replace the Sauvie Island Bridge; • $500,000 for the Newberg-Dundee Transportation Improvement Project for an environmental impact study; • $650,000 for TriMet, Portland for vehicle replacement; • $200,000 for Lincoln County Transportation for a bus garage facility; • $150,000 for the Canby Area transit center for buses and bus facilities; • $100,000 for South Clackamas Transit (Molalla, OR) for vehicle replacement; • $250,000 for Corvallis, Oregon for vehicle replacement; • As much as $500,000 for the Sunrise Corridor multimodal transportation project; • $600,000 to Salem Area Transit for new buses; • $200,000 for a Tillamook County Transit maintenance facility; • $750,000 for the Eugene Airport for safety improvements; • $500,000 for Highway 22/Cordon Road Interchange; • $400,000 for the Salem Bridge for an environmental impact study; • $300,000 for Wilsonville Park and Ride; • $250,000 for the replacement of bridges between Bend and Ontario. Oregon's small airports will also share a portion of nearly $12 million in Federal funds for systems and equipment to track local air traffic. Senators Wyden and Smith successfully urged the National Office of Drug Control Policy to designate Clackamas, Deschutes, Douglas, Jackson, Marion, Multnomah, and Washington Counties as a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) in 1999.
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