Salem, Oregon – Oregon’s long-running transportation debate is moving into a new phase as Governor Tina Kotek brings together a new group tasked with helping shape the state’s transportation future.
The first meeting of the Rebuilding Our Transportation Vision Workgroup is scheduled for Friday, May 1, at 9:00 a.m. at the Governor’s Office in the Oregon State Capitol. The meeting will also be livestreamed, giving Oregonians a chance to follow the early steps of a process that is expected to continue through the end of the year.
The workgroup is being launched at a time when Oregon’s transportation system is facing serious financial pressure. Rising costs have made road, bridge, transit and maintenance work more expensive, while gas tax revenues have remained flat as vehicles become more fuel-efficient. That combination has created a structural funding challenge for state and local transportation agencies.
“Oregon’s state and local transportation agencies can only deliver the safe, accessible and reliable transportation system Oregonians deserve if they have clear objectives and are properly resourced,” Governor Kotek said. “This effort will help the state come together and put Oregon’s transportation system back on track.”
The group will be co-chaired by Grace Crunican, a longtime transportation leader who has managed major infrastructure systems, and Bruce Hanna, a former Oregon lawmaker who represented the Roseburg area and served as Co-Speaker of the House in 2011-12.
The 12-member workgroup includes voices from transportation, business, labor, local government, environmental advocacy, tourism and public service. Members include Oregon Transportation Commission Chair Julie Brown, Umatilla County Commissioner Dan Dorran, transportation policy leader Tyler Frisbee, LIUNA Oregon and Southern Idaho Business Manager Jeff Gritz, OpenAQ Executive Director Chris Hagerbaumer, tourism and lodging executive Patrick Nofield, former Detroit Mayor Jim Trett, and others with experience in highway construction, transit, economic development and community planning. Lisa Sumption, interim director of the Oregon Department of Transportation, will serve as a non-voting member.
Their work will center on six major areas: revenue and finance, freight, transit, major projects, maintenance and emergency management, and community livability and safety. Subject-matter experts will help prepare reports in each area, which will guide the final recommendations.
The workgroup is expected to meet roughly once a month through November. Final recommendations are due to Governor Kotek by the end of the year. Public engagement opportunities will be announced in the coming weeks and months, giving residents a chance to weigh in as Oregon looks for a more stable path forward for the transportation systems communities depend on every day.
