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Dear Friends,
I am happy to report the Oregon Legislature has
passed a $5.3 billion Transportation Investment Package. The long
effort involved hundreds of people working tirelessly over the last year,
holding 40 public hearings all over the state. While it has benefits for
all of Oregon, here’s what’s included for Beaverton and Washington County.
 We've all faced the soul-crushing congestion driving on Hwy. 217. I’m
there twice a day. That will soon come to an end because the transportation
package earmarks $98 million for widening Hwy. 217 in each direction. I
was insistent that this be included in the project. This is one of three large-scale highway
improvement projects in the metro-area financed by the package.
The others include congestion relief on I-5 at the Rose Quarter and widening
I-205.
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 With four fuels tax increases stair-stepped over seven years, cities and counties will get additional money each year for local infrastructure projects and maintenance. The City of Beaverton is expected to receive an additional $2.4 million each year and Washington County will receive an additional $13 million.
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The drafters of the package acknowledged the need to modernize the state's transportation infrastructure so the plan also includes:
Funding for transit districts. Statewide transit districts will receive $130 million per year. Tri-Met alone will receive $71 million per year - more than half of the total statewide investment in public transit.
Bike and pedestrian projects. Bike and pedestrian projects will receive $1.2 million statewide.
Safe Routes to School. $10 million per year is allocated for building safe routes to school. The amount will increase to $15 million per year in 2023.
Electric Car Rebates. Funding for electric vehicle rebates of $2,500 or more.
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The package calls to pay for those projects through:
- A 10 cent gasoline tax increase phased in over seven years;
- Tiered vehicle registration fees requiring owners of fuel-efficient and electric cars to pay their share for using the state's roads;
- A $15 fee on the sale of new adult bicycles;
- A 0.1% payroll tax; and
- A 0.5 tax on the sale of new cars or cars sold in other states and immediately brought to Oregon.
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I am proud to have supported this bill and to have represented you in the Oregon Legislature this session.
Most sincerely,
 Senator Mark Hass
Senate District 14
email: Sen.MarkHass@oregonlegislature.gov I phone: 503-986-1714
address: 900 Court St NE, S-207, Salem, OR, 97301
website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/hass
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