State of Oregon seal

Oregon Legislative Assembly

Senate President Peter Courtney

House Speaker Tina Kotek

NEWS RELEASE

May 18, 2016

Contact: Robin Maxey 503-986-1605 or Lindsey O’Brien 503-986-1204

(SALEM) – The co-chairs of Legislature’s Joint Committee on Transportation Preservation and Modernization today announced the schedule for a series of nine meetings to discuss state and  local transportation needs with community leaders and the public across Oregon.

The 14-member committee will hold its first meeting at 5:15 p.m. May 25th at the Oregon State Capitol in Salem before embarking a tour that will take it near the Idaho border and to key  eastern Oregon ports, Southern and Central Oregon, the Portland Metro area, the Willamette Valley and the Central Coast.

“Oregon’s highways, bridges, ports, and rail connections need repair and modernization,” said committee co-chair Rep. Caddy McKeown (D – Coos Bay). “These meetings will give our  committee members an opportunity to listen to Oregonians from across the state identify local transportation needs, and to build support for a comprehensive plan that will keep our economy moving and build a brighter future for Oregon.”

On their statewide trek, committee members will tour transportation trouble spots in each region and hear from Oregon Department of Transportation officials, members of the various Area  Commissions on Transportation, members of the Oregon Transportation Commission, as well as community and business leaders and the public.

“We want to hear from Oregonians about their transportation priorities,” said Beyer (D-Springfield) “This tour will give us the chance to discuss shipping routes with business owners,  traffic flow with community leaders; and congestion with commuters. It will provide the information we need to create the right statewide transportation for all of Oregon.”

House Speaker Tina Kotek and Senate President Peter Courtney created the special committee to develop a statewide transportation package for consideration during the 2017 session – a top  priority for the presiding officers and legislators around the state. That process, Kotek and Courtney said, will begin by thoroughly examining transportation needs across the state.

The full schedule of meeting includes:

May 25, 5:15 p.m.
Hearing Room F
Oregon State Capitol
900 Court Street NE, Salem

June 13, 5 p.m.
Great Hall, Mount Tabor Building
Portland Community College SE Campus
2305 SE 82nd Ave, Portland

June 28, 5 p.m.
Four Rivers Cultural Center Theater
Treasure Valley Community College
676 College Blvd, Ontario

June 29, 2 p.m.
Hermiston High School Auditorium
600 South First Street, Hermiston

July 20, 5 p.m.
Prince Lucian Campbell Hall Room 180
University of Oregon
1415 Kincaid Street, Eugene

August 18, 5:30 p.m.
Wille Hall, Coats Campus Center
Central Oregon Community College
2600 NW College Way, Bend

August 31, 5 p.m.
Jackson County Library
Medford Branch
205 S. Central Avenue, Medford

September 15, 5 p.m.
Ballroom
Embarcadero Hotel
1000 SE Bay Blvd, Newport

September 19, 5 p.m.
Shirley Huffman Auditorium
Hillsboro Civic Center
150 E. Main Street, Hillsboro

September 2?, 5:15 p.m.
Hearing Room F
Oregon State Capitol
900 Court Street NE, Salem