Chart of ODOT's Capital Program falling off a cliff in the next few years.

A memo from Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) Director Matt Garrett and ODOT Highway Division Manager Paul Mather to a state Senate committee back in November outlines a dire funding forecast they say will lead to a five percent staff reduction and a 50 percent reduction in ODOT's construction program by 2015. (more...)

Detail of proposed
improvements to SW Barbur Blvd.

ODOT has whittled down a list of 89 "non-highway transportation projects" vying for $21 million in federal flexible funds, to just 35. Three City of Portland projects have made it onto the second round; but unfortunately, a project that could have built the first segment of the Sullivan's Gulch Corridor did not make the cut.

With cities around the state clamoring for federal funds as their local budgets shrink, the competition is fierce. ODOT received requests totaling $89 million for the $21 million in available funds, which the state has set aside specifically for "non-highway" projects. (more...)

Aftermath of a fatal crash on December 31st.
(Photo: Oregon State Police)

319 people died while traveling on Oregon roads in 2011; that's two more than 2010 and the first increase since 2005. Another bit of preliminary data shows that 15 people on bicycles were killed last year — that's a 114% increase from the seven lives lost in 2010 and it ties the highest bike fatality total since at least 2003. (more...)

A ghost bike for Brett Jarolimek (L) has been removed by ODOT.

(more...)

Mock-up of one of 29 new signs
created by ODOT to guide
bike traffic near I-5 bridge.

Last week we reported on unauthorized signage near the I-5 Bridge that was installed by a citizen activist to help bike traffic navigate the winding paths to Vancouver. The person who painted the stencils and posted laminated maps still hasn't come forward to take credit, but many in the community are hailing them as a hero. The serpentine approach to the I-5 bridge has been a thorn in the side of many people for many years.

We followed up that story with word from the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) that — despite sympathies for frustrated bike riders — they planned to remove the signs eventually because they were non-standard and hadn't gone through an officially sanctioned process.

And then late Friday afternoon I got a phone call from ODOT Region 1 Manager Jason Tell with some very good news. (more...)

Unauthorized and subject to removal.
(Photo: Todd Boulanger)

The new signage and markings on the paths leading up to the I-5 bridge have been hailed as a much-needed improvement. Unfortunately, since they are unauthorized, the Oregon Department of Transportation says they plan to remove them.

After getting a phone call from a reader this morning who claimed to have seen an ODOT employee in an orange vest removing the painted stencils from the paths, I called ODOT public information officer Don Hamilton for a confirmation. (more...)

New arm bands being given away by
ODOT to help remedy uptick
in fatalities.
(Photo: ODOT)

As reported by The Oregonian this morning, the Oregon Department of Transportation has launched a traffic safety campaign. Under the 'See and be seen' banner, ODOT's effort is aimed squarely at what they see as a major problem on Oregon's roads — people who walk in the evening and at night while wearing dark clothing.

"Dark colored clothing and coats may look chic, but at night or on cloudy days, they can make pedestrians almost invisible," reads the opening paragraph of the ODOT statement, "Every year in Oregon, the majority of pedestrian fatalities occur at night or in low-light hours. In 2010, 74 percent of the fatal pedestrian crashes occurred during low-light conditions. More than half of the pedestrians killed were wearing dark clothing and were not visible."

To help people stay safe, ODOT's Transportation Safety Division (a division with a $48.7 million annual budget) is giving away "reflective safety sashes and arm bands that people can wear over their clothes." ODOT has teamed up with community groups to distribute the new safety accessories.
(more...)

The Oregon Department of Transportation is set to award $21 million to "non-highway" transportation projects throughout the state as per their Flexible Funds program. Of that amount, Portland officials expect about $2.2 million to be awarded locally and today Mayor Sam Adams sent in his list of project requests.

In the last go 'round of this funding pot, ODOT awarded Portland nearly $3 million for two key biking and walking projects — the "Going to the River" project and the SE 122nd Avenue complete street project.

Here are the seven projects that Mayor Adams has requested funding for:
(more...)

Cover of Oregon's Traffic Safety
Action Plan.

Did you know that traffic crashes are the leading cause of death in Oregon for people under 35 years of age? Or that every year, traffic crashes in Oregon result in an estimated $2.58 billion in total economic loss — that's about $657 dollars per Oregon resident*.

The good news is that the number and rate of injuries and fatalities on Oregon roads have been on the downswing in recent years. However, as we've been reminded in the past week or so, there's a lot more work to do.

So far this year, 181 people have lost their lives while traveling on Oregon roads. (more...)

ODOT's move could level the playing
field for active transportation.
(Photos © J. Maus)

As I reported on Tuesday, a major organizational shift is taking shape at the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT). For the first time ever, ODOT will have an official Active Transportation "section" within the agency.

ODOT Director Matt Garrett made the announcement yesterday via an internal email, saying it was one of the agency's "first steps to pursue a more multimodal vision."

Not unexpectedly, reactions to the news were mixed. Those close to ODOT (staff, advisory committee members, and so on) are excited about the announcement, while those on the outside looking in (advocates, citizen activists, city staff), are skeptical.
(more...)

ODOT Director Garrett says the shift will
help make the agency more "efficient
and multimodal."
(Photo © J. Maus)

Matt Garrett, Director of the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) has sent out a memo via email to staff and stakeholders throughout the state that he is moving forward with a significant structural shift for the agency.

Writing that, "It is now time to take our first steps to pursue a more multimodal vision in operating and conducting our businesses," Garrett says his move will consolidate separate programs — like the Bicycle/Pedestrian Program, Transportation Enhancements, and others — into a new, "Active Transportation" section within ODOT. (Note that a "section" is a less formal entity than a "division") (more...)

House Rep. Mike McLane (R-Medford)2

"Drive Less, Save More," a marketing campaign run by a PR firm for the Oregon Department of Transportation, came under fire this week as Oregon legislators worked to trim the state's transportation budget.

A freshman Republican lawmaker, House Rep Mike McLane (Medford), led a push with support from several colleagues to end the $2 million (per biennium) expense, saying that the program lacks results and isn't necessary — especially when lean state revenues mean vital transportation services are underfunded. (more...)

Thanks to budget wrangling on Capitol Hill, the threat of federal recissions have reared their ugly head once again. Recissions are when the federal government takes back unspent transportation funds. This time around, it looks like about $2.5 billion is set to go from state coffers back to Washington D.C.

The fear is that when state DOTs decide which funds to send back, they'll disproportionately grab funds already set aside for biking and walking projects. This threat has caused national biking and walking advocacy groups to send out calls-to-action with messages like, "Your state Department of Transportation is getting ready to take away millions of dollars in pedestrian and bicycle funding" and "Your DOT will likely try to empty out the funds that pay for your sidewalks, bike lanes, trails, and education programs."

Is Oregon susceptible to such shenanigans? Depends on who you ask. (more...)

The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) has responded to a recent policy stance by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) that some fear would weaken federal guidelines that exist to make sure transportation projects include bicycling and walking facilities.

On Friday, we reported that the League of American Bicyclists had put out a national advocacy alert alleging that AASHTO's Executive Director John Horsley was attempting to dilute federal bicycling and walking guidelines. League Director Andy Clarke said AASHTO's stance was "misguided."

ODOT Director Matthew Garrett wrote Horsley a letter yesterday, echoing the League's concerns. Here's an excerpt from that letter (PDF here): (more...)

Just another day on Broadway near I-5.
(Photo © J. Maus)

Tonight at ODOT headquarters in Northwest Portland, City and state transportation officials will host a public meeting to discuss how to best improve the transportation system around the I-5/Broadway/Weidler interchange near the Rose Quarter.

The event is part of the N/NE Quadrant Project, a "unique collaboration" between ODOT and PBOT to, "ensure a vibrant Central City at the heart of the metropolitan region." (more...)

Gate on I-5 bridge.
(Photo: Todd Boulanger)

Yesterday we received information from a reader that the gates on the I-5 bridge sidewalk had malfunctioned, staying closed for over 30 minutes on Wednesday night and blocking access across the bridge for people on bikes and on foot.

That reader, Todd Boulanger, has since been contacted by Kimberly Dinwiddie at ODOT Community Affairs. Dinwiddie says the gate closure wasn't a malfunction, but that bridge engineers decided to keep them closed due to a passing vessel and traffic on a railroad bridge downstream.

Read more about ODOT's protocol for bridge closures and what happened Wednesday in Dinwiddie's follow-up below: (more...)

Matt Garrett, Director of ODOT.
(Photo © J. Maus)

Last month, we wondered whether Governor Kitzhaber would make a personnel change at the most powerful position inside the Oregon Department of Transportation. This week the Governor announced a slew of changes atop various agencies — but ODOT wasn't one of them. Read the email below that was sent from ODOT Director Matt Garrett to his employees about the news...

"I wanted you to know that I have received notice from Governor Kitzhaber that I will remain as director of ODOT.

As I told Governor Kitzhaber, I have been extremely proud to have led this organization for the past five years. I illustrated for him what you have accomplished in administrative efficiency, customer service and project/program delivery. You have a well-earned reputation for delivering huge programs like OTIA and the multimodal investment of ConnectOregon on time and on budget. Our work is very important because it affects thousands of Oregonians across the state every day. Your reputation and performance have favored me in this decision.

I thank Governor Kitzhaber for his trust and confidence in me and in us. Together we will accomplish much more. I appreciate what you do every day."

Some interesting items on the agenda for a rare local meeting of Oregon's official Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (they usually meet in Salem)...

Bike/Ped Advisory Committee to meet Feb. 2 in Portland

SALEM – The Oregon Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee will meet Wed., Feb. 2 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Oregon Department of Transportation Region 1 Headquarters, 123 NW Flanders Ave. in Portland. Agenda items include discussions on greenhouse gas emission reductions, flexible federal funds and TriMet bridge naming, among other items.

All Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee meetings are open to the public. Accommodations will be provided to persons with disabilities. To request an accommodation, please call ODOT’s Bicycle/Pedestrian Program office at (503) 986-3555 (TTY: (503) 986-3854).

Governor Kitzhaber at his
acceptance speech back in
November.
(Photos © J. Maus)

Oregon's newly elected Governor John Kitzhaber has made a many staff appointments in his first month in office. He's named people to help him develop policy on issues like energy policy, business development, job creation, health care, affirmative action, and other issues. But there's one issue where Kitzhaber has been glaringly silent — transportation.

And, while our state faces much more serious issues, there's not shortage of action around transportation right now.

In the 2009 legislative session, former Governor Kulongoski passed the Jobs and Transportation Act that included over $800 million in earmarks for road projects across the state (some of which are already moving forward). ODOT — whose 2007-2009 budget was about $3.4 billion — received federal stimulus funding for over 200 projects — with about 100 of them completed and 40 still under construction. (more...)

ODOT's Sunrise Project comes with
some big-ticket bikeway infrastructure,
but it would also remove 23 acres of
wetlands, among other impacts.
(Photo: ODOT)

The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) has completed the environmental impact statement (EIS) and opened up the comment period on their Sunrise Project, which is one of two phases of their Sunrise Corridor project.

The full build-out of the Sunrise Project will be a six-eight lane highway from I-205 stretching east over five miles along the Highway 212/224 corridor to the Rock Creek Junction. ODOT needs about $1.5 billion for the full build-out, but they don't have nearly enough funding at this time. They do however, have $130 million, which allows them to get started on a package of "improvements" right away. (more...)