New law would make it easier for cities to lower speed limits on residential streets.(Photo © J. Maus) House Bill 3150 took a very big step toward becoming reality today. The bill, which would give cities the authority to lower the speed limit on residential streets by five miles per hour (from 25 to 20 … Read more
“I gotta’ tell you, not only do we have impatient drivers, we have distracted pedestrians…. Up in Portland, there’s people up that just step right out saying, ‘I gotta’ right to step out in front of your truck.’”— Rep. Michael Schaufler Senate Bill 424, which would clarify and strengthen Oregon’s crosswalk law, is under fire … Read more
“Oregon is the odd one out when it comes to the nation’s speed limits. By modernizing our speed limit we can increase the flow of traffic, lower commute times and fast track commerce through the state.”— Sen. Bruce Starr (R-Hillsboro) Saying that Oregon’s speed limit is “behind the times,” state Senators Bruce Starr (R-Hillsboro) and … Read more
SB 130 would make these official.(Photo © J. Maus) Senate Bill 130 (text), which would add bicycle-only signals to Oregon’s list of traffic control devices, passed out of the House Committee on Transportation and Economic Development on Friday. SB 130 passed the full Senate back in February and it’s now poised for a House vote … Read more
House Joint Memorial 22, a bill in the Oregon legislature that some feared would have sent a strong message to the federal government in support of the controversial Columbia River Crossing project, made it out of committee yesterday; but the version that was voted on is much different than the original. As we reported last … Read more
A bill introduced in Salem this morning, HB 3622 (PDF), is being watched by biking and walking advocates for its possible impact on school transportation funding. Authored by Rep. Betty Komp of Woodburn, the bill seeks to revise the method of calculating transportation block grants from the State School Fund distributions by allowing “district school … Read more
The Oregon State Capitol.(Photo © J. Maus) A few quick notes about bills of interest working their way through the legislature… HJM 22, the bill urging the federal government to fund the Columbia River Crossing highway expansion project that has kicked up quite a hornet’s nest of opposition from both sides of the aisle, will … Read more
SB 424, the ‘Crosswalk Safety Bill’ that’s intended to improve the safety of people attempting to cross the street, will get a public hearing and possible vote in the Senate Judiciary Committee tomorrow (3/29) at 8:30 AM. We shared some background on this bill last month. In short, it “Clarifies that pedestrian is crossing roadway … Read more
“The BTA is concerned about the cost of the CRC… Though this bill does not have a fiscal statement the bridge itself puts the State of Oregon on the hook for at least $400 million dollars.”— Gerik Kransky, BTA Oregon lawmakers will weigh in on the controversial Columbia River Crossing project this Monday when House … Read more
“Car sharing families drive demonstrably less than car-owning families, less driving means less congestion and less pollution.” — Sen. Jackie Dingfelder House Bill 3149, which would make it easier for Oregonians to share their cars with others, passed the House today by a vote of 47-10. The bill would allow a car owner to rent … Read more
Much-loved Forest Park: better off in the hands of the State?(Photo © J. Maus) State Representative Mitch Greenlick (D-Portland) is sponsoring a bill (HB 2250) that would require the Oregon State Parks and Recreation Commission to enter into talks with the City of Portland about the possible state acquisition of Forest Park. Here’s the entire … Read more
The bill would open up the Oregon market for personal car sharingservices like Getaround. HB 3149, a bill that would make it easier for personal car-sharing programs to start in Oregon, passed the House Transportation and Economic Development Committee by a vote of 7-1 yesterday. As we shared last fall, “peer-to-peer” car-sharing is a growing … Read more