HOUSE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

March 07, 2003 Hearing Room 357

9:00 AM Tapes 43 - 44

MEMBERS PRESENT: Rep. Alan Brown, Chair

Rep. Elizabeth Beyer, Vice-Chair

Rep. John Mabrey Vice-Chair

Rep. Jackie Dingfelder

Rep. George Gilman

Rep. Mitch Greenlick

Rep. Cliff Zauner

STAFF PRESENT: Janet Adkins, Administrator

Ryan Sherlock, 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 43, A
003	Chair Brown	Calls the meeting to order at 9:03 a.m., and welcomes Rep. Hunt to the meeting. Opens an informational meeting regarding the highway and bridge needs with presentations by the League of Oregon Cities, the Association of Oregon Counties, and the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT).
INFORMATIONAL MEETING
005	Bruce Warner	Oregon Department of Transportation, Director. Introduces Mr. Mather, and Ms. Noels. Offers an overview of what the informational meeting will cover. Starts written presentation (EXHIBIT A) outlining the states bridge needs: Oregon Road System Previous Analyses 2001 Oregon Transportation Investment Act (OTIA) Inflation Rising Fuel Efficiency Inflation and Fuel Efficiency Highway Fuel Revenue
100	Warner	Population and Registered Vehicles have Increased Public Road Vehicle Miles Traveled Have Increased, While Miles of Road Have Remained the Same Increased Congestion Additional Challenges
160	Chair Brown	Asks how land use laws affect ODOT project costs.
165	Warner	Refers to an ODOT report which outlines this issue, indicating he will get that for the committee.
170	Chair Brown	Asks about additional lane miles added to the state highways.
175	Warner	Indicates the number is pretty low, but he will get that information for the committee.
180	Chair Brown	Asks about additional lane miles in Portland.
185	Warner	Discusses the stability in the number of lane miles in Portland, except for some recent freeway and highway expansions.
195	Rep. Beyer	Asks about the figures outlined in the fuel revenue chart, and asks whether those figures take into account the additional vehicles on the road.
197	Warner	Explains that the additional vehicles is considered in the fuel revenue charts.
200	Rep. Zauner	Asks if the increase in the number of vehicles on the roads helps to offset the decrease in fuel tax income due to the increase in fuel efficiency.
205	Warner	Explains that the numbers are not totally equitable.
210	Rep. Greenlick	Comments on ODOT’s lack of accounting for increases in efficiency.
230	Warner	Reflects on ODOT’s past inability to highlight those increases in efficiency.
240	Rep. Greenlick	Refers to the increase in the number of cars on the road, and asks if this just increases revenue or does this increase have an effect on the wear on the roadways.
250	Warner	Refers to a study which couples the wear produced to the specific vehicle.
2701	Chair Brown	Refers to the recent decrease in bond ratings for the state, and asks whether these decreases affect the bonds backed by the highway trust fund.
280	Warner	Explains that the highway trust funds are still stable and not affected in the same way as the general state bonds.
285	Paul Mather	Oregon Department of Transportation. Offers an overview of the Oregon Economic and Bridge Options (EXHIBIT A, p. 13): Overview of Economic and Bridge Options Report Background – Bridges o Oregon’s Bridges are Showing Their Age o Posted/Cracked State Bridges Today o Posted/Cracked Local Bridges Today o Oregon’s Worsening Bridge Condition
360	Rep. Zauner	Asks whether the truck weight has increased during the period discussed.
365	Mather	Explains that the average weight has remained constant. Continues with presentation: o Recent Bridge Emergencies
TAPE 44, A
002	Mather	Continues with presentation: o June 2002: Bridge Task Force Report o Increasing Priority Placed on Bridges · Background – Freight o Trucks Carry 70% of Freight Shipping o Originating in Oregon o Loads Over 80,000 Pounds Gross Weight o Heavy Trucks Carry Many Commodities o Portland and Willamette Valley Areas Produce Most Goods Moved by Heavy Trucks o Goods Moved by Heavy Trucks are Important for Oregon’s Economy · Economic, Livability Effects o Economic Overview of Bridge Needs
100	Mather	o Investment has Regional Implications o Livability Declines without Investment o Economic Effects on Carrier Operations if Weight Restricted to 80,000 lbs. · Recommendations o Bridge Continue to Deteriorate o Invest with Four Key Priorities 1. Fix interstates to keep trucks off local streets 2. Fix important freight routes 3. Fix economically critical city and county bridges connected to key freight routes 4. Develop a funding strategy to address emergency bridge repairs o Staged Approach Maintains Freight Routes o Staged Approach Developed from Many Sources o Stage 1
210	Rep. Greenlick	Asks what amount of freight is through traffic which does not unload in Oregon.
215	Mather	Indicates that he does not know the number, and discusses the issue of through freight traffic.
225	Warner	Indicates that he is told the number is around forty percent.
230	Mather	Continues with presentation: o Stage 2 o Stage 3 o Stage 4 o Stage 5 o Need for Emergency Bridge Funding Decreases with Each Stage o Staged Approach Summary o Summary
355	Chair Brown	Comments on the difference between ODOT’s proposed package and the cost of the perceived problem.
360	Mather	Explains that ODOT is attempting to outline the most important fixes, that the state can budget.
365	Chair Brown	Clarifies that the ODOT package leaves many bridges left unfixed.
370	Mather	Acknowledges that the ODOT package of 2.2 billion dollars addresses those bridges which are of greatest concern.
375	Chair Brown	Comments that in ten years the problem will resurface without fixing everything.
380	Mather	Observes that the problem would most likely need to be readdressed in the future.
385	Rep. Greenlick	Comments on the number of local bridges included in the study, and asks about what consideration was given to those local bridges in Washington County.
390	John Oshel	Oregon Department of Transportation. Discusses the general issue of local bridges included into the package.
TAPE 43, B
015	Rep. Greenlick	Clarifies that it would be difficult for him to bring a package to his constituents that addresses major highway flow, but does not address the needs of his district.
025	Oshel	Explains the process in which local bridges were chosen for the list.
030	Rep. Greenlick	Clarifies that he is asking about specific bridges in his district.
040	Mather	Explains that none of the bridges mentioned by Rep. Greenlick are in the report.
045	Rep. Zauner	Asks where the funding for the proposal would come from.
050	Warner	Comments on the Governors mention of increasing vehicle registration, and further discusses the issue of funding.
060	Rep. Zauner	Asks about the total amount would be bonded.
065	Warner	Discusses the total amount which would be bonded.
070	Oshel	Offers a overview of the states basic maintenance needs, and defers to Mr. Harris.
095	John Harris	Transportation Operations Supervisor, City of Gresham. Offers a presentation (EXHIBIT A, p. 55) regarding the maintenance needs of the state: · Meeting the Challenge: Road Maintenance and Preservation · Achieving Efficiencies: Stretching the Buck o Contract Sweeping o Maintenance Crack Sealing o Maintenance Slurry Seal Treatment o Multnomah County Correction Crew
125	Rep. Zauner	Asks whether there are ever any complaints of having these corrections crews working in neighborhoods.
130	Harris	Indicates that his organization has received only one complaint regarding this issue, and further discusses the efforts to inform the residents about the work being done and the presence of the corrections crews. Continues with presentation: o Shared Resources: Rubberized Chip Seal – Placed by Clackamas Co. o What is a Pavement Condition Index (PCI)? o Typical Pavement Life Expectancy Curve § Alligator cracking
185	Rep. Mabrey	Asks if the alligator cracking is due to insufficient subsoil.
190	Harris	Explains that the subsoil is an extremely important issue, and water is the roadways biggest enemy. Continues with presentation: o Preventive Maintenance Graphed with Typical Pavement Life Expectancy Curve. o PCI = 100 o PCI = 79 o PCI = 50: Overlay o PCI = 14: Reconstruction o Average PCIs o Funding options
300	Chair Brown	Clarifies that the presented graph is of the Gresham city streets, and asks if this example is typical of other city streets from around the state.
305	Harris	Acknowledges, and discusses the problems in other cities.
315	Rep. Zauner	Asks where the rubber chips which are used in the roadways are obtained from.
320	Harris	Explains that the material in question is usually a latex which is provided by the contractor.
325	Oshel	Explains that tire rubber use is a new technology, and discusses the changes in that technology.
335	Rep. Zauner	Asks if ODOT knows how much damage is done by steel studded tires.
345	Oshel	Discusses the definition of damage done, and the varying degree of damage done by studded tires.
370	Warner	Discusses the costs incurred by ODOT in lane repair, and that some of the costs associated with studded tires is linked to increased repair.
380	Rep. Zauner	Clarifies that without studded tires ODOT would save ten million dollars per year.
385	Warner	Explains that ODOT would not have to spend about that much.
390	Andrea Fogue	League of Oregon Cities. Explains that the numbers as being presented by Mr. Harris are very good indicators of what the rest of the cities in the state are going through.
TAPE 44, B
001	Oshel	Continues with presentation (EXHIBIT A, p. 73): o Annual Maintenance/Preservation Unmet Needs (millions) o Maintenance Activities § Pavement Repairs § Pavement Preservation
035	Rep. Mabrey	Clarifies counties have more roads, but less monetary needs than cities.
040	Oshel	Explains that the average city street cost more to maintain.
045	Rep. Dingfelder	Asks whether the presented maintenance costs include culvert replacement.
050	Oshel	Explains. Continues with presentation: § Roadside Features § Traffic Services
090	Rep. Greenlick	Asks if sidewalk maintenance is included in the presented figures.
095	Oshel	Explains that the numbers in the presentation include the costs of repairing the culverts, but not the cost of making those culverts fish friendly. Continues with presentation: § Bridges § Snow and Ice § Drainage § Storm Repairs o Why Maintain and Preserve Oregon’s Highways, Roads, and Streets? o What do Oregonians lose without adequate road maintenance and preservation? o Oregon’s Economy Loses…
175	Rep. Mabrey	Refers to situations in his county and the lack of funding to repair roads.
185	Oshel	Explains that all counties are experiencing such problems.
195	Rep. Zauner	Refers to his work with the Bicycle Alliance, and asks how often the bike paths are swept.
200	Warner	Discusses the issues regarding street cleaning, and addresses the concerns in the bike community with bike path repair.
215	Rep. Zauner	Refers to a specific problem in his district regarding property owned by ODOT which is not currently maintained.
235	Warner	Explains ODOT’s requirements controlled by the constitution, to recover payments for property use, but points out that they are flexible in certain cases.
270	Fogue	Addresses the cities inability to address similar issues.
280	Chair Brown	Refers to a slide presented earlier and the difference in the proposed funding and the greater proposed need.
285	Oshel	Offers an explanation for the difference.
300	Chair Brown	Closes the informational hearing and adjourns the meeting at 10:47 a.m.

EXHIBIT SUMMARY

A – Informational, Status of Oregon’s Road System, Bruce Warner, 80 pp.