$960 million transportation bill passes Senate: Next stop, the Governor

“The transportation package passed today is the most environmentally progressive in Oregon’s history.”
— From a statement by the Oregon Senate Democrats

The Oregon State Senate has voted in favor of House Bill 2001 by a margin of 24-6. The bill, which backers say will create 4,600 jobs a year, did not include any changes from the House version that passed on Wednesday.

The Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) made a last-ditch call to action yesterday hoping that the Senate would strip out the $192 million earmark for the Newberg-Dundee Bypass project and instead add more funding for bike and pedestrian projects.

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Inside HB 2001 are $840 million worth of new highway projects, most of them in rural Oregon counties. There are also a host of less-exciting and much less expensive programs that will fund green-leaning pilot projects, transit, and bike and ped facilities (we’ll have a fun rundown of what’s in the bill next week).

Legislator bike ride at the Oregon Bike Summit-4

Senator Dingfelder (L) voted for the bill,
Senator Atkinson (R) voted against it.
(Photo © J. Maus)

Even though insiders told us the vote was lined-up long ago and there was little chance the Senate would make any changes to the bill, the Newberg-Dundee project was getting an increasing amount of negative media attention (including a major editorial in The Oregonian this morning).

In a statement by Oregon Senate Democrats released after the vote, Senate President Peter Courtney (D-Salem) said:

“In these tough times we cannot allow Oregon to get stuck in traffic. This transportation package keeps our state moving by building roads and bridges, creating thousands of jobs and reducing greenhouse gases.”

Despite strong opposition from Oregon’s leading environmental, land-use, and conservation non-profit organizations, the statement also said that, “The transportation package passed today is the most environmentally progressive in Oregon’s history.”

Voting against the bill were:
– Brian Boquist-R
– Ted Ferrioli-R
– Jason Atkinson-R
– Fred Girod-R
– Jeff Kruse-R
– Doug Whitsett-R

We’ll have more on this next week.

Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor)

Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor)

Founder of BikePortland (in 2005). Father of three. North Portlander. Basketball lover. Car owner and driver. If you have questions or feedback about this site or my work, feel free to contact me at @jonathan_maus on Twitter, via email at maus.jonathan@gmail.com, or phone/text at 503-706-8804. Also, if you read and appreciate this site, please become a supporter.

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amos
14 years ago

How do you spell the sound of puking?

BURR
BURR
14 years ago

save our roads, ban studded tires!

Snowflake Seven
Snowflake Seven
14 years ago

Where can I find the Senate roll call vote. I want to look up how my senator voted.

Zaphod
Zaphod
14 years ago

I’d like that information also, how they voted because that may dictate how I will vote.

Snowflake Seven
Snowflake Seven
14 years ago

It certainly will go down on my list of things to consider next time I vote. My rep. in the house voted against the bill (and against his party line) and I wrote him a very appreciative letter. We’ll see what type of letter my senator gets as soon as I can find the roll call vote.

Any chance this thing can still be sent back to the drawing board by the governor?

bikieboy
bikieboy
14 years ago

arf arf. i support a gas tax / registration fee increase, but the earmarks in this bill are seriously dog-ified.

Adams Carroll (News Intern)
14 years ago

hey folks,
i just added the list of senators who voted against it.

carless in pdx
carless in pdx
14 years ago

apparently time to vote Republican!

Jim Lee
Jim Lee
14 years ago

But it is true that CRC funding was not included?

n8m
n8m
14 years ago

Oh yeah, building more roads totally reduces greenhouse gases. Get a clue Salem.

Joe Rowe
Joe Rowe
14 years ago

Let’s wake up folks. The lobbyist rule Salem. ODOT rules the roads and put’s cars above all other needs.

Let’s hold the weasles accountable
Take 3 minutes to call them!

http://tinyurl.com/call-the-weasels

Only 6 offices had the guts to make a statement on the bridge. The rest of them are too busy to make a comment. Those who responded: Sen Carter, Sen Dingfelder, Rep Cannon, Mayor Adams, DEQ. and Rep Jeff Smith who by accident got left off the report card.

Tresa
Tresa
14 years ago

There’s great write up that explains why this bill is how it is over at Blue Oregon.

Check it out…

http://www.blueoregon.com/2009/05/a-transportation-bill-for-larry-george.html