 |
|
|
| |
|
|
| OTIA III helps support economy, jobs, highways and bridges |
|
|
|
| OTIA III creates employment opportunities. |
Across the state, April saw a strong increase in jobs at all levels on the OTIA III State Bridge Delivery Program. Of the 365 bridges in the program, 119 are currently under construction, and another 74 have been completed and are open to traffic. Bridge program jobs sustained in April:
-
Direct: 1,690 direct jobs
-
Indirect: 1,930 (supply and support positions not directly tied to actual construction, and jobs created when workers spend their paychecks)
In addition, the bridge program accomplished the following in April:
-
Generated just under $13 million in total income
-
Generated just over $1.1 million in tax revenue
The bridge program annually is spending more than $115 million on construction, design and program management. Overall, jobs sustained by the bridge program will hold around 3,400 for several years before dropping to around 1,300 jobs in 2012. Creating jobs and supporting businesses in Oregon are making this 10-year program a key investment in Oregon’s economy.
|
|
|
|
| New ID rules at DMV apply to everyone |
|
The next time you visit your local DMV office to renew your license, you will need more documents in order to prove your identity. It’s best to be prepared now so you can have the documents you need. Starting July 1, stricter requirements for driver licenses, instruction permits and ID cards take effect, based on legislation passed in Oregon in February, 2008.
Under Senate Bill 1080, passed by the February Oregon Legislature, everyone who applies for a first-time, renewal, or replacement driver license, instruction permit or ID card must provide documents that:
-
Prove U.S. citizenship or lawful presence in the country – such as a birth certificate, U.S. passport or foreign passport with U.S. immigration documents
-
Prove Social Security number – such as Social Security card, employment document or a tax document.
-
Prove that the applicant is not eligible for a Social Security number – such as immigration documents that do not include permission to work in the United States.
-
Prove full legal name – such as birth certificate, or a combination of documents that create a link proving current legal name, such as a birth certificate and government-issued marriage certificate.
Also this year, DMV is phasing in the use of facial recognition software to prevent individuals from obtaining a license or ID card under more than one name. This fraud-prevention program is a result of 2005 legislation.
“Oregon never before has made such a rapid and extensive tightening of license and ID issuance requirements in a span of less than six months,” McClellan said. “We will work hard to help Oregonians understand and prepare for their next renewal, but we also expect that transactions will take longer and that we’ll have to issue temporary driving and ID permits to some customers who need time to obtain required documents.”
As of July 1, driver license and ID card fees will increase a total of $4.50 per card – $1.50 under SB 1080 and $3 to fund facial recognition. For up-to-date information and lists of documents you’ll need, visit www.oregon.gov/ODOT/DMV/news/id_news.shtml.
|
|
|
|
| I-84 project in eastern Oregon will improve safety |
|
|
|
| Project to make navigating I-84 safer |
A 20-mile section of Interstate 84 south of Baker City that includes 12 miles of winding curves, known as the Burnt River Canyon, will be getting some much needed attention over then next couple years. The stretch of freeway, snaking through a series of sagebrush-covered hills, has been a trouble spot for large trucks and passenger vehicles since the interstate was first constructed. Because of a high rate of crashes, the route is a designated safety corridor.
The $34 Million construction project that began in March will realign two of the most challenging corners, widen bridges for safer truck passage, resurface a ten-mile section of freeway, and install intelligent transportation system devices such as weather sensors and reader board signs to help alert motorists.
This project has been a high priority for the local community, the trucking industry, Baker County and the Area Commission on Transportation. The project is expected to be completed by 2010.
|
|
|
|
| Annual numbers show continual work to improve roads |
|
ODOT Maintenance crews work hard year-round, in every corner of the state. Here are a few highlights of the work crews performed throughout 2007:
-
Crews laid 93,479 tons of asphalt — about 29 miles of trucks lined up back-to-back.
-
They spent $13,508,073 on emergency maintenance, helping Oregonians around the state.
-
They striped 16,083 lane miles of highways — more than five times the distance from Newport to New York City.
-
Maintenance crews performed $5,094,080 worth of snow plowing on highways statewide — one-third more than in 2005.
-
They used $5,968,171 worth of winter highway sand — enough to fill a line of dump trucks bumper-to-bumper on I-5 from north of Portland to north of Grants Pass!
Crews are out again in force now that it’s summer construction season, Guardrail repair, paving, vegetation management and more will keep crews busy for the next several months. Watch out for your ODOT Maintenance folks on the side of the road!
|
|
|
|
| ODOT recognized for environmental conservation work |
|
|
|
| Bridge work earns award for ODOT |
The American Road & Transportation Builders Association has presented the Oregon Department of Transportation with a 2008 Globe Award, recognizing the agency as one of the nation’s leaders in environmental protection and mitigation on highway projects. The award honors ODOT’s work on 11 Interstate 5 bridges between Eugene and Roseburg as part of the OTIA III State Bridge Delivery Program.
In the course of this work, ODOT contractors recycled roughly 30,000 cubic yards of demolition materials and 80 prestressed concrete box beams. The new bridges also include:
-
Bat habitats;
-
Chub fish protection;
-
Reduced water disruptions; and
-
Bioswales to treat storm water runoff.
Globe Awards are presented annually to recognize agencies that excel at enhancing and protecting the natural environment during the planning, design and construction of U.S. transportation infrastructure projects.
|
|
|
|
| By the numbers... |
|
Passenger Rail and Rail Freight
During the first quarter of 2008, ODOT’s Rail Safety Section conducted the following inspections:
Locomotives and rail cars
Defects found
|
2,378
507
|
Miles of track
Turnouts
Defects found
|
779
793
773
|
Federal crossing safety
Grade crossing records
Grade crossing signals
Defects found
|
131
31
45
|
Hazardous materials
Defects found
|
78
12
|
Operating practices observations
Deviations found
|
56
12
|
Railroad facilities
Defects found
|
32
102
|
Rail-served industries
Defects found
|
116
26
|
State crossing safety
Grade crossing records
Grade crossing signals
Defects found
|
102
33
19
|
Crossings
Defects found
|
438
116
|
Motor Carrier
Motor Carrier Transportation Division staff kept busy in the first quarter of 2008, generating the following:
Registration fees collected
|
$5,100,626
|
Weight mile taxes collected
|
$56,674,550
|
Weight mile tax audits performed
|
152
|
Unpaid taxes assessed
|
$ 1,513,529
|
Total truck and driver inspections
By MCTD staff
By law enforcement officers
|
9,218
4,372
|
Total trucks placed out-of-service
By MCTD staff
By law enforcement officers
|
2,279
467
|
Total drivers placed out-of-service
By MCTD staff
By law enforcement officers
|
1,660
501
|
Trucks weighed on static scales
|
503,266
|
Trucks precleared by Green Light weigh-in-motion
|
595,480
|
Citations issued
|
5,323
|
Warnings issued
|
5,536
|
Trucks required to correct size and/or weight
|
785
|
Driver and Motor Vehicles
DMV staff preformed the following activities during the first quarter of 2008:
Noncommercial driver licenses
Issued
Renewed
|
30,730
71,786
|
Commercial driver licenses
Issued
Renewed
|
1,629
3,674
|
Vehicle titles issued
|
231,406
|
On-the-road skills test (Class C)
Noncommercial
Commercial
|
20,760
416
|
Class C knowledge tests
Noncommercial
Commercial
|
59,337
2,680
|
Driver record requests processed
|
587,361
|
Vehicle record requests processed
|
169,323
|
Customer telephone calls received
|
444,586
|
Dealer inspections conducted
|
289
|
Number of complaint investigations completed
|
190
|
Highway Maintenance
Here's how Maintenance crews cared for Oregon's state roads during first quarter, 2008:
Tons asphalt laid
|
277
|
# Highway miles striped
|
203
|
# Feet guardrail installed/repaired
|
41,031
|
Spent on emergency maintenance
|
$5,632,330
|
Spent on snow plowing
|
$7,682,812
|
Spent on sanding
|
$5,199,518
|
Spent on bridge maintenance/repair
|
$582,402
|
|
|
|
|
| Dignitaries break ground in Newberg |
|
|
|
| Celebrating the Oregon 219 project |
From left (front row only):
Yamhill County Commissioner Leslie Lewis, Newberg Mayor Bob Andrews, US Rep. David Wu US Sen. Gordon Smith’s Office Rich Krikava, US Sen. Ron Wyden’s Office Fritz Graham
Elected officials participate in a May 29 ground breaking ceremony for a safety project in Newberg at Oregon 219 (Hillsboro – Silverton Highway) and Springbrook Road. Federal legislators garnered an earmark that helped pay for realignment of two intersections and installation of a traffic signal.
|
|
|
|
| Motor Carrier and partners team up for safety |
|
Oregon’s Ticket Aggressive Cars and Trucks campaign, or TACT, is designed to reduce truck crashes through education and enforcement. Specifically, TACT focuses on aggressive driving in the vicinity of large trucks. The campaign takes advantage of a unique partnership between ODOT, local law enforcement and the Oregon trucking industry to get the attention of aggressive car and truck drivers.
There are two components to the TACT campaign:
-
Education. Passenger car and commercial truck drivers are learning about the importance of sharing the road safely through the campaign’s highway signs, newspaper advertising, posters, brochures and other means.
-
Enforcement. Law enforcement officers ride in commercial vehicles spotting drivers (both passenger car and commercial drivers) who are following too close, improperly changing lanes, speeding or otherwise driving aggressively. When the officer sees a violation, he/she radios another law enforcement officer in a patrol vehicle. The patrol vehicle pursues the violator and issues a warning or citation and gives the driver a TACT brochure with tips on driving safely.
Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office, West Linn Police, Molalla Police, Canby Police, and Lake Oswego Police participated in the first enforcement exercise. They were supported by Blue Line Transportation Company Inc., Oak Harbor Freight Lines Inc., Redmond Heavy Hauling Inc., Independent Dispatch Inc., May Trucking Company, Haney Truck Line Inc, and Bennett Truck Transport LLC who generously provided commercial vehicles and drivers.
Here’s how you can share the road safely:
-
Don’t cut off trucks. For safety’s sake, it’s recommended that car drivers maintain one car length for every 10 miles per hour of speed.
-
Don’t tailgate. Unlike cars, trucks have large blind spots behind them. Also, car drivers who tailgate trucks can’t see traffic ahead. If the truck brakes suddenly, the car driver has no time to react and no place to go.
-
Allow trucks plenty of room. Both car and truck drivers must be especially careful when entering a highway or merging with traffic.
-
Don’t speed. Speed is the leading cause of all crashes in Oregon.
|
|
|
|
| Alternative format |
|
PDF
|
|
|
|
|
|
