In 2009, the Oregon legislature approved the Oregon Jobs and Transportation Act (HB 2001), which increased funding for local and state roads, highways and public transit systems, as a result of increased state registration fees, licensing fees and motor fuel taxes.  The Act will provide $100 million for non-road transportation improvements, including public transit and, by 2011, when all fee increases are implemented, will provide an additional $300 million annually for local and state road and highway improvements. 

A number of the chokepoints identified in this report, including the I-5/I-205 Interchange, widening of US 26 from Cornell to 185^th Avenue, Newberg-Dundee Bypass in Yamhill County, US 97/Murphy Road Interchange in Bend, I-5 Steep Grade Bottlenecks in southern Oregon, and I-84 Spring Creek section, may be significantly improved by funding allocated to specific projects under HB 2001.

“In addition to causing a headache for motorists, Oregon’s transportation chokepoints stifle economic development and growth at a time when it is desperately needed. Oregon can’t get where it wants to go – in both a literal and an economic sense – without an efficient transportation system,” Will Wilkins, executive director of TRIP, says in a press statement.

–Tina Grady Barbaccia