Portland State University PDXScholar Joint Policy Advisory Committee on Transportation Oregon Sustainable Community Digital Library 1-14-1999 Meeting Notes 1999-01-14 [Part B] Joint Policy Advisory Committee on Transportation Follow this and additional works at: https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/oscdl_jpact Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Joint Policy Advisory Committee on Transportation, "Meeting Notes 1999-01-14 [Part B] " (1999). Joint Policy Advisory Committee on Transportation. 260. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/oscdl_jpact/260 This Minutes is brought to you for free and open access. It has been accepted for inclusion in Joint Policy Advisory Committee on Transportation by an authorized administrator of PDXScholar. Please contact us if we can make this document more accessible: [email protected]. DRAFT 1998 OREGON HIGHWAY PLAN Public Hearing Draft January 1999 Oregon Department of Transportation Planning Section Statewide Mobility Unit Investment Policy The state highway system will need $29.1 billion for preserving the existing system and making feasible improvements during the next 20 years. Projected state revenues at the present tax rate and federal revenues including projected increases will bring in $13.9 billion over the next 20 years, leaving a revenue gap of $15.2 billion. In recognition of this gap, the Plan's investment policy places the highest priority for making investments in the state highway system on safety and managing and preserving the physical infrastructure. The Plan would manage and preserve existing infrastructure at least at 1998 levels before adding new facilities. The second priority is to invest to improve infrastructure conditions and to add new facilities or capacity to address critical safety problems, critical levels of congestion and/or desirable economic development. With significant funding increases, the Plan would develop feasible modernization projects, address long-term bridge needs and upgrade pavements to a more cost-effective condition. Specific Policies: Land Use/Transportation Policy The Land Use/Transportation Policy addresses the relationship between the highway and patterns of development both on and off the highway. It recognizes that state highways serve as the main streets of many communities and strives to maintain a balance between serving these main streets and the through traveler. It recognizes this main street function through the designation of Special Transportation Areas where the primary objective of the highway facility is community access and ciriculation and accommodation of pedestrian movements. The policy emphasizes compact development in Special Transportation Areas. It also encourages commercial development in compact Commercial Centers, but recognizes existing commercial patterns on urbanized low-speed District Highways. Freight Policies The Highway Plan contains two freight-related policies: • The State Highway Freight System Policy is intended to facilitate interstate, intrastate, and regional movements of trucks by designating statewide routes with heavy truck tonnage as the state freight system. Designated freight highways have higher highway mobility standards; their need for mobility is to be balanced with accessibility in Special Transportation Areas; they may be designated as Expressways; and they will be preserved with thicker pavements. • The Efficiency of Freight Movement Policy calls for identifying and eliminating roadway obstacles and barriers, encouraging uniform vehicle regulations and standardization of ITS commercial vehicle technology, maintaining roadway facilities that serve intermodal facilities and supporting financing sources for transportation systems that benefit highway performance. The Oregon Highway Plan in Brief January 1999 The Oregon Highway Plan sets long-range policy and investment strategies for the state highway system. The Plan will guide the way ODOT develops, manages and invests in the state system for the next 20 years. Planning Process Begun about two years ago, the Highway Plan process has relied on extensive input from internal and external stakeholders and the general public. Four policy advisory committees developed the basic policies, and a steering committee reviewed and directed the policies and investment strategies. Members represented regional and central ODOT staff, federal and state agencies, the MPOs, cities, counties, businesses, interest groups and environmental organizations. Members included representatives of DLCD, EDD, DEQ, and the Governor's Office. Review of the policies in the spring and review of the investment strategies in the fall involved 33 public meetings throughout the state, 6 regional workshops for local government officials sponsored by AOC/LOC, and over 35 meetings with governmental organizations and other business and professional groups. This week the Public Hearing Draft of the Plan is being mailed out in preparation for the public hearing on January 20. The Transportation Commission will be asked to adopt the plan at its February meeting. Policy Direction The Highway Plan focuses on making the highway system safer and more efficient. Its policies • link land use and transportation; • recognize the importance of freight movements; • add capacity through better management, alternative modes of transportation, and off- system improvements before adding major improvements; • recognize the importance of partnerships with other agencies, local governments and the private sector; • support the use of Intelligent Transportation Systems to improve safety, capacity and communication; • broaden the spectrum of types of safety improvements, but focus the safety program on the most hazardous locations of serious injury and fatality crashes; • provide standards for driveway/road spacing, access in interchange areas, and highway medians and a process for resolving proposed deviations from the standards; • recognize the importance of alternative modes and transportation demand management in improving highway performance; • recognize scenic byways and the scenic resources of the highway system; and • recognize the environmental responsibilities associated with the highway system. Oral comments on this plan may be made at the public hearing on Wednesday, January 20, 1999 at 1:00 p.m. in Room 122 of the Transportation Building, 355 Capitol NE, Salem. Written comments are due at the time of the hearing. To make comments or obtain additional copies of this draft, please contact: Carolyn Gassaway, Highway Plan Manager Phone: (503)986-4224 Fax: (503) 986-4174 E-mail: [email protected] Oregon Department of Transportation Planning Section 555 13th St. NE, Suite 2 Salem, OR 97301-4178 1998 OREGON HIGHWAY PLAN Public Hearing Draft January 1999 Oregon Department of Transportation Planning Section Statewide Mobility Unit Plan produced by: Statewide Mobility Unit Barbara Fraser, Statewide Mobility Unit Manager Carolyn Gassaway, Highway Plan Manager Richard Arnold, Highway Needs Coordinator John Williams, Transportation Planner Robert Royer, Plan Advisor Kimberly Jordan, Administrative Assistant Cambridge Systematics Steve Pickrell, Project Manager Arlee Reno, Principal Responsible With David Evans and Associates, Inc. HDR Engineering, Inc. Pacific Rim Resources, Inc. This project was funded in part by the Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation. 1998 OREGON HIGHWAY PLAN Public Hearing Draft Table of Contents PREFACE i EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ......1 I. THE VISION 5 VISION STATEMENT . 6 TRANSPORTATION FORECASTS 7 FUTURE TECHNOLOGIES . 9 POLICY AND LEGAL CONTEXT 12 DESCRIPTION OF THE HIGHWAY SYSTEM. 19 II. POLICY ELEMENT 25 GOAL 1: SYSTEM DEFINITION 25 POLICY 1 A: STATE HIGHWAY CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM 27 POLICY IB: LAND USE AND TRANSPORTATION 30 POLICY 1C: STATE HIGHWAY FREIGHT SYSTEM 50 POLICY ID: SCENIC BYWAYS 53 POLICY IE: LIFELINE ROUTES 54 POLICY IF: LEVEL OF SERVICE HIGHWAY MOBILITY STANDARDS 59 POLICY 1G: MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS 67 GOAL 2: SYSTEM MANAGEMENT .. .—. 70 POLICY 2A: PARTNERSHIPS 72 POLICY 2B: OFF-SYSTEM IMPROVEMENTS 73 POLICY 2C: INTERJURISDICTIONAL TRANSFERS 74 POLICY 2D: PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT 75 POLICY 2E: INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS 77 POLICY 2F: TRAFFIC SAFETY 80 POLICY 2G: RAIL AND HIGHWAY COMPATIBILITY 82 GOAL 3: ACCESS MANAGEMENT 88 POLICY 3A: CLASSIFICATION AND SPACING STANDARDS 90 POLICY 3B: MEDIANS 97 POLICY 3C: INTERCHANGE ACCESS MANAGEMENT AREAS 99 POLICY 3D: POLICY AND PROCEDURES FOR DEVIATIONS 105 POLICY 3E: POLICY AND PROCEDURES FOR APPEALS 110 GOAL 4: TRAVEL ALTERNATIVES . Hi POLICY 4A: EFFICIENCY OF FREIGHT MOVEMENT 112 POLICY 4B: ALTERNATIVE PASSENGER MODES 114 POLICY 4C: HIGH-OCCUPANCY VEHICLE (HOV) FACILITIES 116 POLICY 4D: TRANSPORTATION DEMAND MANAGEMENT 118 POLICY 4E: PARK-AND-RIDE FACILITIES 119 GOAL 5: ENVIRONMENTAL AND SCENIC RESOURCES 120 POLICY 5A: ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES 121 POLICY 5B: SCENIC RESOURCES 124 III.SYSTEM ELEMENT 129 STATE HIGHWAY NEEDS ANALYSIS 129 INVESTMENT POLICIES AND SCENARIOS 138 IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES 153 PERFORMANCE MEASURES 154 IV.APPENDICES 158 APPENDIX A: GLOSSARY 158 APPENDIX B: HIGHWAY PROGRAM DEFINITIONS USED IN NEEDS ANALYSIS 166 APPENDIX C: HIGHWAY CLASSIFICATION BY MDLEPOINT 169 APPENDIX D: ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS AND REGULATIONS 187 APPENDIX E: MEMBERS OF STEERING AND POLICY ADVISORY COMMITTEES 192 DRAFT1'998 Ongon Highway Plan \ Preface The 1998 Oregon Highway Plan defines policies and investment strategies for Oregon's state highway system