(Photo: ODOT)
Oregon Governor Kate Brown has successfully added her first member to Oregon Transportation Commission and it appears like he’s got at least some some cycling experience.
Sean O’Hollaren, a former senior VP at Nike, fills a spot on the five-member committee that was left vacant when former Governor Kitzhaber fired Catherine Mater.
The OTC is the most powerful transportation body in the state. They approve funding, set ODOT policy, and “guide the planning development, and management” of our transportation network. There are five members, each representing a different region of the state.
The committee’s agenda items currently include the statewide transportation funding plan, a major update to the ODOT Bicycle and Pedestrian plan, federal TIGER grant funding, and more.
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In an announcement released today, the Oregon Department of Transportation describes O’Hollaren as someone with extensive knowledge of government relations and legislative affairs with experience in Washington D.C., Union Pacific railroad, and the aforementioned global sneaker juggernaut.
With his resume and experience, perhaps O’Hollaren could play a role in helping Oregon cities work with railroad companies on projects like the NP Greenway. Railroad firms are not usually flexible and responsive to public/bike access issues but they hold the key to many great bicycle paths.
ODOT also added that, “In his free time, he’s an avid cyclist.” We’ll look forward to asking O’Hollaren more about that as we get to know him a bit better. For now, we’ll look for him riding around the streets of Portland.
The OTC meets once a month. Learn more about them and read meeting agendas and minutes at Oregon.gov.