BEND, OR -- The Legislature's Joint Committee on Transportation brings its statewide tour to Bend on Thursday, to discuss sustainable funding. Kim Curley, with Commute Options, encourages Central Oregonians to attend the public hearing. "Because the things are going to happen. And if they didn't hear from you, the things are going to happen without your ideas." She tells KBND News, "This is the opportunity that everyone says they don't get, which is to give your input to our elected officials about what you want our transportation system to look like in the future."
The day starts with the group of 14 lawmakers and other officials riding a CET bus to visit Bend-area transportation facilities. Then, they'll take part in a roundtable with local leaders and transit officials. Then, they'll hold a public hearing Thursday evening.
Curley attended similar hearings in Eugene, Albany, Ontario and Hermiston, and will participate in the Bend roundtable. She says it's a chance for the committee - which is primarily legislators from the Willamette Valley - to learn about transportation issues elsewhere, "So, when these elected officials come away from their jurisdictions and over to the less populated part of the state, it's very illuminating for them to see how far people go, what kind of patterns folks have to get into to get to work, to get to school." She adds, "Just how far apart things are and how much our economy really depends on good transportation connectivity for all modes. And, it's just a super awesome opportunity to come and tell your two-minute long local story to these folks."
The committee is considering ways to create a sustainable funding source for Oregon's Department of Transportation, We're looking at a budget hole at ODOT that might possibly reduce the size of the staff of ODOT by one in five, because the gas tax funding and the spending are not matching anymore," says Curley.
Bend is the ninth stop on the statewide tour and Curley says all of the public hearings have been scheduled for 5 to 7 p.m; a time she finds frustrating, "All of the ones in eastern and Central Oregon do not have public transit service until that late. So, if you do ride the bus because you don't drive, you can't come to these meetings to give your input, because you can't get home." Time permitting, the committee will take remote public comment. Click HERE to register by 5 p.m. Wednesday. The full meeting agenda is HERE, including information on how to watch the livestream.
Thursday's public hearing starts at 5 p.m. at OSU Cascades' Ray Hall. Friday, the committee stops in The Dalles.
Image: The Joint Committee on Transportation takes public testimony during a recent meeting in Hermiston, OR (08/30/24)
