advertisement

---

On Wednesday, Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski signed into law the Jobs and Transportation Act of 2009, which provides more than $1 billion to address the state’s transportation needs, including railroads, mass transit systems, highways, bridges, ports and airports.

The bill provides $300 million annually for deferred road and bridge maintenance, and more than $800 million in bond proceeds to relieve key bottlenecks, improve existing facilities and address safety concerns. The measure also includes funding for multi-modal transportation projects, increased appropriations for transit and continued funding for the ConnectOregon program, which aims to improve rail networks, transit systems, ports and airports.

“This bill represents a fundamental shift in how we approach transportation so that we are investing in all modes of transportation comprehensively — thus strengthening our economy, while also advancing our goals of reducing greenhouse-gas emissions and reducing our dependence on foreign sources of fossil fuels,” said Kulongoski in a prepared statement.