Latest news with #ODOT
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Oregon Legislature pivots to 3-cent gas tax increase instead of $11.7 billion transportation package
Oregon Department of Transportation workers fill a pothole on U.S. Highway 97 near Chemult in 2016 (Oregon Department of Transportation/Flickr) This is a developing story and will be updated Oregon Democrats appear to have pulled the plug on a transportation package more than a year in the making, unable to find the votes for a series of tax increases as the legislative session draws to an end. Instead, House Speaker Julie Fahey, D-Eugene, is pushing a 3-cent increase to the state's 40-cent gas tax and increases to vehicle and title fees. An estimate for how much it would raise hasn't yet been released, but it's sure to be a far cry from the $11.7 billion lawmakers aimed to raise over 10 years in their earlier bill. Gov Tina Kotek plans to testify in favor of the new plan, her staff confirmed. It's a blow to a legislative effort months in the making. Lawmakers traveled the state last summer, seeking public input on plans to overhaul the state's transportation funding system. Fahey's 20-page amendment, attached to House Bill 3402, was scheduled for a hearing in the House Rules Committee at 3:45 p.m. and is expected to be sent to the Joint Transportation Reinvestment Committee from there. It would change a previously innocuous bill requiring the Department of Transportation to study speed bumps into a last-ditch attempt to raise some money for Oregon's crumbling roads and bridges The new bill includes accountability measures, such as requiring regular audits of the transportation department and shifting responsibility to hire and fire the department's director from the Oregon Transportation Commission to the governor. It would raise the gas tax from 40 cents to 43 cents, hike vehicle registration fees from $43 to $64 and increase vehicle title fees from $77 to $168. Gone are increases to the transit payroll tax, which would have gradually tripled from 0.1% to 0.3% under prior versions of the measure. A proposal to mandate electric vehicle users pay a per-mile fee also didn't make the final bill. Without the payroll tax increase, officials at Portland's public transit agency TriMet said they'd have to cut 27% of their bus service, eliminating 45 of 79 bus lines. The tax increase would have cost an Oregonian making the state's median annual income about $10 per month, according to TriMet's analysis. The measure aims to fill an immediate funding gap of $1 billion per year that the Oregon Department of Transportation faces. All tax increases in that bill are intended for the state transportation department, worrying cities and counties. In a statement Friday, Portland Mayor Keith Wilson said the bill would put Portland's street system at risk. 'It jeopardizes dozens of essential city infrastructure jobs and our ability to perform basic safety functions like filling potholes and implementing traffic safety improvements,' Wilson said. 'We can't afford a patchwork solution. Legislators, please don't leave Salem without addressing crumbling city transportation systems.' The long-awaited transportation package faced headwinds in recent days, as Republicans and moderate Democrats lined up against it. Rep. Kevin Mannix, R-Salem, was the only Republican to publicly support the larger measure, saying it wasn't perfect but was better than nothing, while Sen. Mark Meek, D-Gladstone, doubled down on his objection to it. 'From the correspondence I've received from around the state of Oregon and my community both in letters, emails, phone calls, social media posts, I'm doing the right thing for Oregonians,' he said on the Senate floor Friday morning. Reporters Alex Baumhardt and Shaanth Nanguneri contributed to this article.
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Oregon road workers urge passage of transportation bill, others warn of financial burden
Aerial view of the Interstate 5 bridge connecting Portland and Vancouver. (Oregon Department of Transportation/Flickr) Rural and urban transportation workers pleaded with the Oregon Legislature's Joint Transportation Committee to pass a massive funding package that Democrats say would solve the Oregon Department of Transportation's budget shortfalls and stabilize the state's deteriorating road infrastructure. In a three-hour hearing on House Bill 2025 Thursday evening — the last of four hearings for the much anticipated transportation package published Monday — workers shared stories about responding to floods, wildfires, fatal accidents and suicide attempts without adequate staff and resources. 'We are operating on a skeleton crew at best,' Bend-based transportation worker Justin Iverson told the committee. 'We have been dwindling down over the last 10 years, to the point that we can barely maintain the roads now.' During the wintertime, when ice and snow pile up on roads, Iverson said just four to five people cover a 300-mile area in Central Oregon. 'We are the first, and oftentimes the only, people to respond during the wintertime,' he told lawmakers. 'The public relies on us to be there. We need to be there for them, so we ask that you fund this so that we can continue serving our communities.' A vote on House Bill 2025 has not yet been scheduled. House Bill 2025 would increase ODOT revenue by creating dozens of new fees and taxes, including a 15-cent raise to the state gas tax over the next three years and almost tripling registration fees for passenger vehicles. State officials estimate they need to raise $1.8 billion each year to pay for transportation services across the state. About $205 million of that is needed just to keep road maintenance funding at its current level. The transportation department said it will run out of money needed for state highway maintenance after mid-2025. Without an increase in funding for this work, ODOT would have to lay off up to 1,000 workers, the Oregonian reported. Revenue from the bill would also fund infrastructure projects such as the Interstate 5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project in Portland's Albina neighborhood, upgrading the Abernethy Bridge and widening Interstate 205 in the Portland metro, improving the Newberg-Dundee bypass in Yamhill County, and upgrading a Salem bridge off Center Street and State Highway 22 to make it strong enough to endure earthquakes. Oregonians from around the state, as well as city and county officials — including the mayors of Bend, Portland, Beaverton and rural Oakridge and Toledo — also spoke in favor of the bill. However, Republican lawmakers and some Oregonians who testified against the bill said low- and middle-income drivers would bear the brunt of new taxes and transportation fee spikes. Some drove hundreds of miles to give testimony Thursday, or tuned in virtually, to oppose the bill. They cited existing financial strain from inflation, high housing costs and rising utility bills. Amy Reiner, a resident from Clackamas County, spoke in opposition to the bill, saying she believes the new taxes and fees would financially strain Oregon families — particularly low- and middle-income ones. 'People are already leaving Oregon,' she said. 'We shouldn't be creating policies that make Oregon harder to live in. We should be focused on making it affordable and inclusive.' Greg Remensperger, the executive vice president of the Oregon Auto Dealers Association, opposed the transfer tax portion of the bill, or a tax on used and new sold cars. He said it would burden car purchasers already dealing with a car loan at a time when those loan delinquencies are at a record high. 'Let's be honest, a 2% transfer tax really needs to be termed what it is,' he told the committee. 'It's a sales tax. Oregon residents have fought down sales taxes on multiple occasions, and they will object to this too.' Several Republicans, including state House Minority Leader Christine Drazan, R-Canby, and state Rep. Shelly Boshart Davis, R-Albany, have criticized the bill, saying it was crafted by Democrats behind closed doors and rushed, without having a financial analysis prepared showing how much revenue it would raise. Bill sponsor state Sen. Chris Gorsek, D-Troutdale, said during an informational hearing on Monday that he thinks the bill would generate at least $1 billion in revenue. 'The public is being asked to testify without knowing what the bill will actually cost them,' Drazan said on Thursday. 'That is unacceptable.' Republicans on Monday introduced an alternative transportation package, House Bill 3982, which avoids taxes and instead redirects funding from climate initiatives, public transit and passenger rail services, bicycle programs and payroll tax allocations. The bill does not yet have a scheduled hearing in either chamber of the Legislature. A gas tax increase from $0.40 to $0.55 per gallon, starting with a 10-cent increase in January 2026 and additional 5-cent increase in 2028. Diesel would also be taxed at the same rate as regular gasoline. Vehicle registration fees would rise from $43 to $113 for passenger vehicles; $44 to $110 for mopeds and motorcycles; $63 to $129 for low-speed vehicles; and $63 to $129 for medium-speed electric vehicles. Title fees would increase from $77 to $182 for new titles, and from $27 to $44 for salvage titles. A new transfer tax on cars 10,000 pounds or less, and sold for more than $10,000, would be taxed at 2% if new, or 1% if used. Increased payroll tax for transit from 0.1% to 0.18% starting in 2026, then increased to 0.25% in 2028 and 0.3% in 2030. Increased privilege tax and commensurate use tax from 0.5% to 1% percent of the sales price of a vehicle. A privilege tax is a tax for the privilege of selling vehicles in Oregon, and the use tax applies to vehicles purchased from dealers outside of Oregon that are required to be registered and titled in Oregon. A new $340 yearly fee for electric vehicle drivers to participate in the Road Usage Charge Program. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Rowena Fire closes I-84 eastbound; over 700 homes on level 3 'Go Now' evacuation orders
(This story has been updated to include new information) Eastbound I-84 closed June 11 between mileposts 64 and 82 due to the Rowena Fire, according to the Oregon Department of Transportation and the Wasco County Sheriff's Office. The closure is between Mosier and The Dalles. I-84 and Highway 30 were also closed from Rowena to milepost 82. ODOT advised drivers to find an alternative route. ODOT spokesperson Kacey Davey said there are fires burning on both the Oregon and Washington state sides of the Columbia River Gorge. Davey urged travelers to not drive to the highway closure spots and to check for updates and closure information. "Wildfires are unpredictable and we have no timeline for when I-84 or U.S. 30 may open," Davey said. The sheriff's office said in a Facebook post 733 homes were under level 3 "Go Now" evacuation orders, 1,195 homes were under level 2 "Be Set" and 157 homes were under level 1 "Be Ready." A map for areas under evacuation can be found at: The fire was at least 500 acres as of 5:45 p.m. June 11, according to WatchDuty. It was not immediately clear what caused the fire. Gov. Tina Kotek invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act in response to the fire, allowing the Oregon state fire marshal to mobilize resources. The state fire marshal is mobilizing structural firefighters and an incident management team for the fire, according to a news release. Three task forces were set to respond June 11 and three more are set to arrive the morning of June 12. According to the release, the Oregon State Fire Marshal Green Team will work with the Central Oregon Fire Management Service Type 3 team. Areas under level 3 "Go Now" evacuation orders included: Rowena Ferry Road east to River Road; Seven Mile Hill Road to Mountain View Drive, south to Chenowith Creek Road and Browns Creek Road east to West Seventh Street. Areas under level 2 "Be Ready" included: Evacuation Snipes, west to Chenoweth Loop Road, Chenowith Creek Road to Browns Creek Road. Areas under level 1 "Be Set" included: Port area of The Dalles. A temporary shelter is available at The Dalles Middle School, 1100 E 12th St., The Dalles, OR., 97058. The Wasco County Fairgrounds is open for livestock and horses and is located at 81849 Fairgrounds Road, Tygh Valley, OR., 97063. 'This early season conflagration should come as a reminder to Oregonians to be ready for wildfire,' State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple said in a news release. 'The predictions for this summer are extremely concerning. I am asking everyone to take that extra minute to mindful of the conditions and remember it takes a single spark to ignite a disaster.' Jonathan Williams is the news editor of the Statesman Journal. Reach him at jcwilliams1@ This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Oregon wildfires: Rowena Fire closes part of I-84, evacuations ordered
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Rowena Fire closes I-84 eastbound; over 700 homes on level 3 'Go Now' evacuation orders
Eastbound I-84 closed June 11 between mileposts 64 and 82 due to the Rowena Fire, according to the Oregon Department of Transportation and the Wasco County Sheriff's Office. I-84 and Highway 30 were also closed from Rowena to milepost 82. ODOT advised drivers to find an alternative route. The sheriff's office said in a Facebook post 733 homes were under level 3 "Go Now" evacuation orders, 1,195 homes were under level 2 "Be Set" and 157 homes were under level 1 "Be Ready." A map for areas under evacuation can be found at: The fire was at least 500 acres as of 5:45 p.m. June 11, according to WatchDuty. It was not immediately clear what caused the fire. Areas under level 3 "Go Now" evacuation orders included: Rowena Ferry Road east to River Road; Seven Mile Hill Road to Mountain View Drive, south to Chenowith Creek Road and Browns Creek Road east to West Seventh Street. Areas under level 2 "Be Ready" included: Evacuation Snipes, west to Chenoweth Loop Road, Chenowith Creek Road to Browns Creek Road. Areas under level 1 "Be Set" included: Port area of The Dalles. A temporary shelter is available at The Dalles Middle School, 1100 E 12th St., The Dalles, OR., 97058. The Wasco County Fairgrounds is open for livestock and horses and is located at 81849 Fairgrounds Road, Tygh Valley, OR., 97063. Jonathan Williams is the news editor of the Statesman Journal. Reach him at jcwilliams1@ This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Oregon wildfires: Rowena Fire closes part of I-84, evacuations ordered
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Yahoo
2 taken to area hospital after wrong-way crash on SR 4 in Huber Heights
Two people were taken to an area hospital after a wrong-way crash on State Route 4 in Huber Heights Tuesday morning. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Around 8:45 a.m., crews were called out to State Route 4 and I-70 Eastbound in Huber Heights on reports of a crash. TRENDING STORIES: Invasive stinging insect that could cause death spotted in Ohio 1 dead after shooting near Fairborn apartment complex Officers find 6 baby opossums while serving search warrant in Dayton Upon arrival, crews found two vehicles that had been involved in a wrong-way crash. A silver truck was coming off the ramp from I-70 Eastbound to SR 235 Southbound when the driver made an abrupt left turn, according to Sergeant Joshua Fosnight with the Huber Heights Police Department. Fosnight said the driver may have been trying to make a U-turn to go north in the southbound lanes, but it's unclear what caused the driver to make the turn at this time. The truck then struck a white SUV at an angle, causing the SUV to go off into a ditch. Two people from the truck were taken to an area hospital out of precaution. Details on their conditions were not immediately available. The driver of the SUV walked away and was not seen by medics, according to Fosnight. Crash investigators are on scene, reconstructing the crash. All but one lane on State Route 4 remains closed while police continue their investigation. There are no wrong-way driver detectors in that area, according to an ODOT spokesperson. We will continue following this story. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
