HOUSE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

January 17, 2003 Hearing Room 357

8:30am Tapes 2 - 4

MEMBERS PRESENT: Rep. Alan Brown, Chair

Rep. Terry Rep. Beyer, Vice-Chair

Rep. John Rep. Mabrey, Vice-Chair

Rep. Jackie Rep. Dingfelder

Rep. George Gilman

Rep. Mitch Rep. Greenlick

Rep. Cliff Rep. Zauner

STAFF PRESENT: Janet Adkins, Administrator

Ryan Sherlock, Committee Assistant

MEASURE/ISSUES HEARD: Informational meeting

These minutes are in compliance with Senate and House Rules. Only text enclosed in quotation marks reports a speaker’s exact words. For complete contents, please refer to the tapes.

TAPE/#	Speaker	Comments
Tape 2, A:
005	Chair Brown	Calls meeting to order at 8:35 am. Opens an informational meeting.
INFORMATIONAL MEETING
010	Bruce Warner	Director of Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT). Presents slide show (EXHIBIT A), with reference to (EXHIBIT B). Gives overview of ODOT organization, and functions.
060	Rep. Mabrey	Asks questions about number of employment positions at ODOT.
065	Warner	Indicates there are 4,844 positions with 4,686.26 of those being full time employees. Continues by outlining sources and uses of funds, recognizes the contributions of the Oregon Transportation Commission, and outlines the Area Commissions on Transportation and describes their function.
124	Rep. Dingfelder	Asks question about the Joint Policy Advisory Committee on Transportation in the Portland metropolitan area.
126	Warner	Describes the function of Joint Policy Advisory Committee on Transportation. Continues presentation with overview: Transportation Responsibilities: Transportation Safety, Rail Driver and Motor Vehicle Services (DMV) ridership statistics in Lincoln County Highways Public Transit Motor Carrier Transportation Transportation Challenges: Bridges Maintenance of the aging state highway system Access Management Transportation Opportunities: Road User Fee Task Force Innovative Finance Advisory Committee Reauthorization of the federal transportation funding bill Concludes with outline of ODOT priorities.
TAPE 3, A
010	Rep. Zauner	Asks question about rock quarries owned by the state, and whether they could be sold to raise revenue.
015	Warner	Discusses rock quarries currently owned by the state, and suggests future discussion.
037	Rep. Greenlick	Comments on conflict between constituent input from Washington County vs. ODOT survey.
040	Warner	Responds, describing the transportation needs of Washington County.
050	Rep. Greenlick	Questions the attitude of ODOT personnel to constituents.
110	Warner	Explains ODOT’s continuing efforts to increase customer service.
120	Rep. Mabrey	Discusses his experiences in Wasco County. Asks about the benefit of the link between ODOT and Oregon State Police (OSP).
150	Warner	Addresses the link between ODOT and OSP.
170	Rep. Gilman	Asks about savings created by consolidating different agency facilities in Jackson County.
180	Warner	Responds addressing the Jackson County-ODOT joint facility, and its value-saving properties.
200	Rep. Zauner	Asks who first proposed Jackson County facility consolidation.
205	Warner	Indicates that he is unsure who first initiated the Jackson County joint venture, but recognizes the individuals currently involved.
220	Chair Brown	Summarizes. Thanks Mr. Warner for his presentation.
240	Troy Costales	ODOT Transportation Safety Division Manager. Introduces slideshow on Transportation safety in Oregon (EXHIBIT C): Transportation Safety Division overview Staff and Budget.
335	Rep. Dingfelder	Asks about state vs. federal funding.
350	Costales	Describes how much funding is received from the federal government. Staff and Budget Grant Management
TAPE 2, B
005	Costales	Continues with presentation: Topic Expertise Media Legislation and Federal Representation Status of Safety Setting Goals Impaired Driving.
075	Rep. Zauner	Asks where most drunk driving fatalities occur.
080	Costales	Mentions where most drunk driving fatalities occur (EXHIBIT D). Continues with presentation on impaired driving.
0110	Rep. Dingfelder	Asks about difference in penalties between driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol and drug-impaired driving offences.
120	Costales	Compares the penalties for DUI and drug-impaired driving, indicating a need for more penalties for the latter.
125	Rep. Dingfelder	Expresses concerns for decreasing the funding for drug treatment. Asks whether ODOT works with the justice system on the issue of drug stops.
130	Costales	Explains that ODOT does sometimes fund justice programs for driving related offenses.
145	Rep. Greenlick	Questions whether ODOT funds any court action on DUII.
155	Costales	Answers affirmative. Continues with presentation on Impaired Driving, Occupant Protection.
190	Rep. Zauner	Asks why women buckle up more than men.
200	Costales	Answers, giving statistics on seatbelt use by men and women.
210	Rep. Mabrey	Discusses personal experience with seatbelt enforcement.
220	Rep. Gilman	Asks whether youth use seatbelts more.
225	Costales	Responds that youth do wear seatbelts more. Continues with presentation on occupancy protection.
255	Rep. Zauner	Asks about statistics regarding ethnicity and occupancy protection.
265	Costales	Describes the difficulty with determining ethnicity when monitoring occupancy protection. Continues with presentation on occupancy protection, speed.
310	Chair Brown	Asks whether safety zones help the speeding problem.
2315	Costales	Responds, that safety zones are only effective through enforcement.
325	Rep. Zauner	Asks whether speed differential has an impact in the amount of accidents, and where, geographically, speed accidents primarily occur.
330	Costales	Discusses the impact of speed differential in causing accidents on highways.
350	Chair Brown	Asks about safety corridor sunsets and whether any safety corridors need to be readdressed or renewed.
355	Costales	Indicates there are some safety corridors that need to be renewed.
385	Rep. Gilman	Asks about, and expresses distaste for, the 55 mph speed zones in metropolitan areas such as Eugene and Salem.
400	Costales	Responds that one of ODOT’s goals is to better regulated differences in speed zones.
430	Rep. Greenlick	Asks question about constituent concerns with speed limits and speed limit enforcement and explanation of the 85 percent principle.
455	Costales	Gives an explanation for the 85 percent rule, and addresses its place in deciding speed limits.
TAPE 3, B
045	Rep. Greenlick	Thanks ODOT for their response to a situation in his district.
050	Costales	Continues with presentation on speed, teenage drivers.
080	Rep. Dingfelder	Explains own experience with an accident involving a teenage driver. Asks about driver education programs in Oregon and other states.
090	Costales	Expresses need for drivers education and the value of such programs.
110	Rep. Dingfelder	Asks about percentage of major accidents caused about teenage drivers.
115	Costales	Answers, with statistical data regarding teen driving accidents.
125	Rep. Beyer	Asks about the yearly variation in the teen accident statistics.
130	Costales	Answers with statistics.
135	Chair Brown	Asks where the funds for drivers ed programs come from.
137	Costales	Explains that student driver education fund comes from a fee assessed on driver’s licenses.
140	Rep. Zauner	Asks about availability of drivers ed programs, and availability of privately owned drivers ed programs.
150	Costales	Explains that drivers education is not always available, indicates difficulty in getting subsidies to private drivers ed groups.
155	Rep. Zauner	Asks if the private sector could function without the subsidy, and notes the need to get kids into drivers ed schools without costing taxpayers more money.
160	Costales	Indicates that private sector driver’s education programs currently operate without subsidies. Continues with presentation: Booster Seats Work Zone Fatalities Program Priorities (Alcohol, Safety Belts, Speed) How Does Oregon Rate The Future Outlook, and gives conclusion.
380	Chair Brown	Asks about cell phone use and traffic safety information.
385	Costales	Indicates the difficulty in acquiring relevant data.
TAPE 4, A
001	Rep. Beyer	Indicates interest on cell phone use and traffic safety information, and asks if any of the information being presented is available online.
010	Costales	Describes online availability of information.
015	Rep. Zauner	Asks about possible loss of federal money for traffic safety.
020	Costales	Explains the change in how state compliance with federal traffic safety guidelines is enforced. Potential move from rewards for compliance, to sanctions for non-compliance.
030	Rep. Greenlick	Asks about motorcycle safety regulations.
045	Costales	Describes the advantages of motorcycle safety regulations.
050	Chair Brown	Thanks Mr. Costales for his presentation. Asks Committee Administrator Adkins to talk about upcoming schedule for the committee.
055	Janet Adkins	Talks about upcoming schedule for the committee.
100	Chair Brown	Closes informational meeting and adjourns committee meeting at 10:29 a.m.

EXHIBIT SUMMARY

A – Informational presentation of ODOT, Bruce Warner, 21 pp.

B – ODOT Transition Team Papers, Bruce Warner, 21 pp.

C – Transportation Safety Division Presentation, Troy Costales, 23 pp.

D – DUII Control System Performance Measures for Oregon Counties 1991-2001, Troy Costales, 52 pp.