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WYDEN, SMITH WIN $474 MILLION
FOR OREGON TRANSPORTATION
Bill invests in new jobs; provides
for road, bridge and transit improvements
January 22, 2004
Washington, DC – U.S.
Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) today announced
more than $474 million for Oregon transportation projects. These
funds were included in the end-of-the-year omnibus spending measure
that will now be signed by the President. Overall, the bill includes
more than $374 million in federal highway funds for the state
and more than $100 million for Oregon-specific transportation
projects.
"This funding is
the right prescription for clearing Oregon's clogged transportation
arteries and restoring our state's economic health," said
Wyden. "We've made an important new investment in roads,
bridges, mass transit, and in Oregon's economic future."
"Making Oregonians
and the goods they produce more mobile is a big step toward greater
economic prosperity," said Smith "This bill is a significant
advancement in Oregon's livability."
• Interstate
MAX Light Rail Project will receive $77.5 million to complete
a 5.8 mile
extension of the existing 38-mile-long east/west MAX rail line.
• The Wilsonville-Beaverton
Commuter Rail will receive $3.25 million to help construct
a planned 14.7-mile commuter
rail line in Washington County.
• Senators Wyden and Smith also
successfully secured $1.1 million for Oregon reverse commute
programs. These programs help
provide expanded access to transportation solutions for the low-income
workers. These services can include a combination of shuttles,
vanpools, and buses. Recipients include:
• The
new, relocated Springfield Station downtown bus transfer facility
will receive $4 million
to improve the efficiency
of the bus system and help to spur downtown economic development.
An additional $2 million will be provided to the Lane Transit
District for bus rapid transit expansion.
• The Bear Creek Greenway will
receive $2 million to help complete a 40-year project of connecting
five communities and
seven parks. The Greenway has become a highway for those embracing
alternative modes of transportation while providing a linear
park for families and tourists on the weekends.
• Portland State University
will receive $400,000 to design and equip a new Intelligent
Transportation Research Center in
its new NW Center for Engineering, Science, and Technology. The
center will serve as a research and educational site for transportation
engineering and planning students, as well as a community resource
for transportation agencies.
• The bill also provides $1
million for I-205 preliminary engineering necessary to add
one lane in each direction on I-205
between the Stafford Interchange and I-5, a key freight route
in the Portland.
• The Umatilla Intermodal Facility
will receive $1 million to install a container crane that will
assist in the shipping
of value-added agriculture products from Oregon as well as throughout
the Pacific Northwest and beyond.
Other Oregon project approvals include:
• $2.25 million for Mahlon Sweet
Field for parallel runway construction and other improvements;
• $600,000 to help replace three cracked and weight-limited bridges
on US 20;
• $400,000 for efforts to replace the Sauvie Island Bridge;
• $500,000 for the Newberg-Dundee Transportation Improvement Project
for an environmental impact study;
• $650,000 for TriMet, Portland for vehicle replacement;
• $200,000 for Lincoln County Transportation for a bus garage facility;
• $150,000 for the Canby Area transit center for buses and bus
facilities;
• $100,000 for South Clackamas Transit (Molalla, OR) for vehicle
replacement;
• $250,000 for Corvallis, Oregon for vehicle replacement;
• As much as $500,000 for the Sunrise Corridor multimodal transportation
project;
• $600,000 to Salem Area Transit for new buses;
• $200,000 for a Tillamook County Transit maintenance facility;
• $750,000 for the Eugene Airport for safety improvements;
• $500,000 for Highway 22/Cordon Road Interchange;
• $400,000 for the Salem Bridge for an environmental impact study;
• $300,000 for Wilsonville Park and Ride;
• $250,000 for the replacement of bridges between Bend and Ontario.
Oregon's small airports will also share a portion of nearly
$12 million in Federal funds for systems and equipment to track
local air traffic.
Senators Wyden and Smith successfully
urged the National Office of Drug Control Policy to designate
Clackamas, Deschutes, Douglas, Jackson, Marion, Multnomah, and
Washington Counties as a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area
(HIDTA) in 1999.
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