Oregon lawmakers plan Sept. 12 visit to Bend on statewide tour to gather input on transportation needs, funding

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) – The Oregon Legislature's Joint Committee on Transportation is visiting Bend on Thursday, Sept. 12, the next stop on their tour of the state to hear from residents, tour facilities and speak with area officials about transportation needs and priorities, as well as critical funding issues.

Before a 5-7 p.m. public hearing at OSU-Cascades' Ray Hall, the lawmakers will take an ODOT-hosted tour of Bend-area transportation facilities. From 2-4 p.m., they will hold a roundtable discussion with the Central Oregon Area Commission on Transportation and business representatives.

A news release was issued Friday:

Transportation Committee Announces Next Two Stops

Members of the public are invited to testify at the 9th and 10th stops of the tour in The Dalles and Bend

SALEM, Ore -Today, the co-chairs of the Joint Committee on Transportation announced the venues and agendas for the ninth and tenth stops on the Transportation Safety and Sustainability Outreach Tour in The Dalles and Bend. 

The committee will hold public hearings to listen to members of the community about local transportation needs and how the Legislature should support the long-term safety and maintenance of Oregon's transportation systems.

"Oregon must have a safe, efficient, equitable transportation system that gets our people and goods to where they need to go," said Rep. Susan McLain (D - Hillsboro). "Transportation has local, regional, and even national importance. I’m grateful that each stop we’ve made provides an opportunity to hear from community leaders and from the public, both about their communities’ transportation needs, and, importantly, what funding solutions they would support to meet those needs."

The Dalles and Bend Public Hearings details

• Tour Stop #9 Public Hearing - September 12, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

OSU Cascades Campus, Ray Hall, 1500 SW Chandler Avenue

Bend, OR 97702

• Tour Stop #10 Public Hearing - September 13, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

The Dalles Middle School Commons, 1100 East 12th Street

The Dalles, OR 97058

Both hearings will be available via livestream on olis.oregonlegislature.gov.

Members of the public interested in testifying can register in person starting 30 minutes before the meeting begins. The committee will also hear remote testimony if time permits, which the public can register for on the committee's webpage at olis.oregonlegislature.gov. Additionally, written testimony can be submitted to the committee via email to JCT.exhibits@oregonlegislature.gov. 

Preceding both public hearings, members of the committee will take guided trips of transportation facilities in the region and hold a roundtable discussion to better understand the transportation needs in Central Oregon through the expertise and lived experience of local partners and officials.

"I have found incredible value in these tour stops, being able to see and hear first-hand the challenges facing our state's transportation systems as well as what the Legislature should prioritize next session," said Sen. Chris Gorsek (D - Gresham). 

During the seventh and eighth stops, committee members visited Eastern Oregon. In Ontario, they toured the port of entry near the Idaho border, heard about the benefits of expanding passenger rail, and learned about the unique safety and maintenance challenges facing the largest ODOT region by area.

Then, in Hermiston, where agricultural lands reach up to the edges of county and state pavement, attendees saw the impact of climate change on roads and bridges and learned about local transit options available to people with disabilities. 24 members of the public testified at both stops and the committee received an additional two pieces of written testimony. To date, the committee has received 605 pieces of written and in-person testimony. 

Perspectives and information gathered by the committee during its 12-stop tour will inform legislators as they develop a plan in the 2025 session to maintain critical infrastructure, complete work on major projects, and guarantee the safety and diversity of transportation systems across the state.

The committee is vice-chaired by Sen. Brian Boquist (R - rural Polk and Yamhill counties) and Rep. Shelly Boshart Davis (R - Albany, Millersburg, and Tangent). 

The complete tour agenda was announced on May 10; venues will be announced prior to each tour stop.