A look at $5.3 billion transportation bill’s C. Oregon impacts

The new Oregon transportation bill means millions of dollars for Central Oregon roads, if it survives a possible trip to the ballot box next year.

This week’s legislative approval omes after a year and half of committee work and public input

House Bill 2017 raises $5.3 billion over 10 years, through various taxes and fees, for infrastructure and transportation across the state.

For many, including Bend City Manager Eric King, it’s been a long time coming.

“We’re seeing a lot of the infrastructure that was put into place 50 to 60 years ago in need of repair and there’s significant funding that’s needed to accomplish that,” King said Friday.

Of that money, $50 million will go toward improvements at the clogged intersection of Cooley Road and Highway 97 said Bob Bryant, the Oregon Department of Transportation’s regional manager for Central Oregon.

“The long-term solution is to continue the parkway-type corridor, parallel route that would separate the local traffic from the through trips on that section north of Bend,” Bryant said.

In terms of local infrastructure and maintenance, Bend would receive $2.1 million, Redmond, $697,000 and Deschutes County $5.5 million.

That money would come from a 4-cent tax on gas starting in 2018, and 2 cents added to that every two year years.

If the measure survives a possible voter referral next year, the money will enable Oregon to begin work as soon as it can.

“I think it will enable us to move ahead fairly quickly, knowing that there is light at the end of the tunnel to be able to fund the implementation of this project,” Bryant said.

The bill also adds a $15 fee on bicycles that cost $200 or more with 26-inch or larger wheels.

That’s expected to raise $1.2 million a year that would go toward bike and pedestrian projects.

Deschutes County would also get $4.2 million for public transit.

Bryant called that an important component.

“The transit aspect is enabling us to provide transportation alternatives so that we’re not relying entirely or not as much on single-occupancy vehicles which just create greater demand on the transportation system,” he said.

Car registration fees would also go up, depending on miles per gallon, and buyers of electric or hybrid cars would receive tax rebates on their purchases.