transportation

On the heels of his party’s reclamation of the House of Representatives, Oregon Democrat Peter DeFazio is firing up his transportation agenda. KLCC’s Brian Bull reports.

The City of Eugene and Lane Transit District are asking for feedback on how to improve safety and connectivity on five of the most traveled roads in the area.

A unique medical transportation program for Oregon veterans has just cleared a major milestone.

500,000 miles. That’s more than the distance to the moon and back. Oregon’s Highly Rural Transportation Program has logged that many miles on the ground, driving vets to doctor appointments or medical facilities.

The program, as its name implies, is for veterans living in the most remote parts of the state. According to the Census Bureau, “highly rural” is 7 or fewer people per square mile. Tyler Francke is spokesman for Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs.

Lane County has the unhappy distinction of having the highest rate of traffic fatalities of any Oregon county. Leaders hope to increase road safety and heighten awareness of the problem.

Travelers at the Eugene Airport can expect faster security lines and less crowding at the baggage claim.  KLCC’s Brian Bull reports on the completion of a two-year-renovation project.  

In roughly a year, the City of Eugene plans to have hundreds of bikes available for short commutes across the Downtown, University District, and Whiteaker areas.  KLCC’s Brian Bull reports.

Eugene's usually sleepy airport is going to be bustling this week with Thanksgiving flyers coming and going.

Oregon U.S. Senator Ron Wyden pushed for increased and long term highway funding during an address to a congressional committee, last week.

A recent report from the American Society of Civil Engineers asserts the U.S. needs to invest 3.7 trillion in infrastructure by 2020 just to reach satisfactory conditions. Senator Wyden accused Congress of limping from one short term funding package to another without a long term solution.

Lane Transit District is considering expanding its routes in the Eugene-Springfield area. Ideas include longer hours and possible bus service to the airport.

LTD is in talks with the City of Eugene about providing bus service to the airport. Russ Arnold, Marketing Manager with LTD says this is still just in discussion. He says the agency has heard from more than 2-thousand people with suggestions for improving service.

Lane Transit District and the Amalgamated Transit Union reached agreement on a three-year labor pact hours before its existing contract expired. 

The new contract was arrived at just in time to meet the current contract’s July first expiration.  It grants annual cost of living increases of two, two point 75, and 3 point 35 percent respectively through 2017. 

L-T-D’s  Andy Verbora says its labor negotiations have come a long way from 2005, when the union went on strike:

Safety experts say there are historically three big killers on the road: drunken driving, not wearing a seatbelt, and speeding. Public views have changed dramatically about seatbelts and driving drunk. But states are having a harder time changing attitudes about driving too fast, as anyone who’s ever zipped down I-5 can attest. There's still very little known about this ubiquitous bad habit or what to do about it.

Pre-Construction activities are scheduled to begin in May for the West Eugene Em-X transit project.

A report out Monday says Americans are increasing their use of public transportation. This is true in the northwest where the Cascade Line between Eugene and Vancouver, BC is one of the fastest growing rail lines in the country. Tuesday, there's a conversation about rail in Eugene.

Time is running short for Oregon lawmakers to take the lead in building a new I-5 bridge across the Columbia River. That's according to Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber. This week the Democrat issued an ultimatum to lawmakers to act before the end of the 2014 session in March. Otherwise he'll shut the project down. The warning is just the latest twist in the decade-long effort to break ground on the mega-project.

A University of Oregon group has put together a proposal for changing the bike lane on Eugene’s East 13th Avenue from one way to two ways.

Called LiveMove, the group consists of students who focus on how transportation systems relate to community quality of life. Their newest idea relates directly with the new Capstone building downtown. The current bike lane only leads to campus, not back. Faculty Advisor Marc Schlossberg says the proposal wouldn’t lead to any construction.

Skate boarders may soon have more places to ride in Eugene. The City is considering making it legal for them to use streets and bike paths.

City of Eugene Pedestrian and Bicycle Coordinator Lee Shoemaker says he's heard from skate boarders who complain they can't skate on the streets or sidewalk in downtown and by the U of O campus. It's currently illegal to skateboard on Eugene's streets.

Shoemaker: "

Oregon is looking at ways to improve train service between Eugene / Springfield and the Portland metro area. It's part of the Oregon Passenger Rail Project.

Oregon Department of Transportation says ridership has increased steadily on trains that go back and forth from Eugene to Portland and up to Vancouver, B.C. Over the next 25 years, the population of the Willamette Valley is expected to grow by 35 percent. ODOT's Jim Cox is Project Manager:

The nice fall weather might inspire more people to take part in the first-ever "Oregon Drive Less Challenge."

The 12-day challenge kicks off October 21st. The goal is to reduce vehicle miles traveled by a half-million. This will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and burn calories, says organizer Kelly Bantle.

Bantle: "May not work for everyone's schedule all the time, but even just taking your bike down the street to the store, can really save on money on the road and also help trim our waistlines."