News article
Posted
Release date: 06/21/2017
Sponsored by: County Administrative Office
Sponsored by: County Administrative Office
Chair Duyck, Area Leaders Urge Action on Transportation
Board of Commissioners Chair Andy Duyck joined leaders from throughout the Portland region in a statement of support for legislative action to fight congestion, expand transit and active transportation options and fix our aging transportation system. The text of the letter follows.To our friends and neighbors across Oregon,
Every road, transit line and bridge we use today exists because Oregonians made a choice to take action and invest in transportation.
Getting around easily has long been a part of what makes Oregon a great place to live –a source of pride and prosperity. We've long enjoyed the reliability of getting to work on time, getting home to our families quickly and safely, and getting out of town for the weekend.
Lately, it feels different. Getting around is increasingly frustrating.
As mayors, county chairs and regional leaders, we see it throughout our region's communities.
Our constituents feel it when they wait in traffic for an hour – just to move a few miles. They feel it when they have to apologize for being late to work…again. They feel it when they worry about loved ones making it home. They even feel it when local businesses wait longer for products to arrive in stores, and families pay more for those products.
We have two choices to preserve our quality of life: We can take action now, or let the challenges deepen as the fixes get more expensive.
This is bigger than any one city, county, or metro area. This affects us all, which is why we must all work together.
We want to let it be known: We are united and ready to move forward.
We support our lawmakers working on a statewide transportation package that makes strategic investments that keep people safe and serve our communities. By taking this action together, we succeed together.
Let's act now to fight the congestion, help our families live better, help our employers stay competitive, and get us all where we want to be.
Signed by:
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler
Clackamas County Chair Jim Bernard
Washington County Chair Andy Duyck
Metro Council President Tom Hughes
Gresham Mayor Shane Bemis Hillsboro
Mayor Steve Callaway
Beaverton Mayor Denny Doyle
Tigard Mayor John Cook
Lake Oswego Mayor Kent Studebaker
Oregon City Mayor Dan Holladay
Tualatin Mayor Lou Ogden
West Linn Mayor Russ Axelrod
Forest Grove Mayor Pete Truax
Wilsonville Mayor Tim Knapp
Milwaukie Mayor Mark Gamba
Sherwood Mayor Krisanna Clark
Happy Valley Mayor Lori DeRemer
Troutdale Mayor Casey Ryan
Cornelius Mayor Jeff Dalin
Fairview Mayor Ted Tosterud
Wood Village Mayor Tim Clark
King City Mayor Ken Gibson
Durham Mayor Gery Schirado
Rivergrove Mayor Heather Kibbey
TriMet General Manager Neil McFarlane
Port of Portland Deputy Executive Director Curtis Robinhold
Media Contact:
Philip Bransford, Communications Officer503-846-8685
[email protected]