Recent developments show
TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM PROGRESS
By David Lohman, OTC Commissioner Strong transportation partnerships and the recent success of the South Medford Interchange project well position the Rogue Valley to build upon its past successes as Oregon enters a new generation of transportation investment. Most people would readily concur with the goal of having an effective, efficient transportation system in the Rogue Valley, and in the rest of the state. And most people would readily agree that having an effective, transportation system in the Rogue Valley is essential to its long-term economic vitality. But getting consensus on what constitutes an efficient, effective transportation system, how to pay for it, and how to preserve its functionality is challenging, if not impossible. Especially challenging is developing substantial agreement on the sometimes-necessary trade-offs between transportation improvements and preserving community values, protecting the natural environment, or reducing public expenditures. Despite citizens’ understandably differing views about the meaning, objectives, components, management, and funding of the transportation system, there are some recent developments that should rightly be seen as Rogue Valley transportation system progress.
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South Medford Interchange — (a) The funding and planning partnerships between ODOT and the City of Medford on this project are role models for collaboration between state and local jurisdictions and show that local funding can make difficult state projects possible. (b) The innovative design of the new interchange functions much better than the old one and reduces the project footprint. (c) Separating the state system components — Interstate 5 and the interchange — from the local arterial Barnett Road enables them both to perform their respective roles more effectively. American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (federal stimulus) Projects — Whatever one thinks of the federal stimulus program, ODOT and local jurisdictions expended Oregon’s share of the transportation funding efficiently on projects that needed to be done in any event. Several projects in the Rogue Valley provided construction jobs at the time they were needed most. Without the spending from these transportation-related jobs, the Rogue Valley’s economic downturn would be even deeper and longer. Rest Areas — ODOT recently transferred responsibility for operation and maintenance of several I-5 rest areas to
ODOTMOVINGAHEAD.COM
June 11, 2010