Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon news herald. (Drain OR) 2025-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 1, 2025)
Oregon News Herald January 2025 The Oregon Rural Report Page 11 Oregon’s Rural Road Fatality Rate Among the Highest in the U.S. Story by Milo Banks Backlog of Needed Repairs & Improvements to U.S. Rural Roads & Bridges totals $198 Billion Washington, D.C. – America’s rural transportation system is in need of repairs and modernization to support economic growth and improve traffic safety, but the US faces a $198 billion backlog in funding for needed repairs and improvements to its rural transportation system. This is according to a new report released today by TRIP, a national transportation research nonprofit. The report, Rural Connections: Examining the Safety, Connectivity, Condition and Funding Needs of America’s Rural Roads & Bridges, evaluates the safety and condition of the nation’s rural roads and bridges and finds that the nation’s rural transportation system is in need of immediate improvements to address deficient roads and bridges, high crash rates, and inadequate connectivity and capacity. Roads, highways, rails and bridges in the nation’s rural areas face significant challenges: they lack adequate capacity, they fail to provide needed levels of connectivity to many communities, and they cannot adequately support growing freight travel in many corridors. Rural roads and bridges have significant deficiencies and deterioration, they lack many desirable safety features, and rural non-Interstate roads experience fatal traffic crashes at a rate far higher than all other roads and highways. The chart below ranks states with the highest share of rural pavements in poor condition, rural bridges rated poor/structurally deficient, and fatality rates on non-Interstate, rural roads. Data for all 50 states is included in the report Appendices. The rate of traffic fatalities on Oregon’s non-Interstate, rural roads in 2022 was nearly two and a half times the fatality rate on all other roads in the state – 2.82 fatalities per 100 Farm and Forest Modernization Rules Passed at Land Conservation and Development Commission Oregon’s farm and forestland rules were made easier for local governments to apply and use by the Land Conservation and Development Commission (LCDC or commission) when they passed amended administrative rules Thursday, December 5, 2024. The rule updates align existing rules with Oregon legislation and caselaw, clarify terms, and standardize evidentiary standards. Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) staff convened a work group to develop recommendations on needed updates to administrative rule to improve the clarity and consistency of farm and forest protections across the state. Based on the workgroup recommendation, the commission directed staff to propose rule changes to codify areas of law that were not yet represented in administrative rules, increase consistent implementation of case law standards, and provide additional clarity to counties and permit applicants with the intent of reducing unnecessary appeals. According to the commission’s direction in January and April, members of a rulemaking advisory committee considered standards related to the following regulations: The “farm impacts test” (ORS 215.296) Agri-tourism and other commercial events “incidental and subordinate” and “necessary to support” standards Transportation facilities on rural lands The definitions of a “private park”, “preparation” and “processing” The evidentiary standard for the verification of income for certain uses Multi-path permitting uses “I was impressed throughout the process with the quality of the staff work, and the contributions of rules advisory committee members,” said Barbara Boyer, commission liaison to the rulemaking advisory committee. “County planners are asking for this – these rules will make their jobs easier. This work was essential to continue the legacy of farm and forestland across our state.” A summary of the adopted rules that outlines those adopted by the commission may be found on the Department’s website. million vehicle miles of travel vs. 1.17 – and is the fourth highest in the nation. There were 297 fatalities on Oregon’s non-Interstate, rural roads in 2022. Rural roads are more likely to have narrow lanes, limited shoulders, sharp curves, exposed hazards, pavement drop-offs, steep slopes and limited clear zones along roadsides. Seven percent of Oregon’s rural roads are rated in poor condition and 21 percent are in mediocre condition. Five percent of Oregon’s rural bridges are rated in poor/ structurally deficient condition. Bridges rated poor/structurally deficient have significant deterioration to the major components of the bridge and are often posted for lower weight or closed to traffic, restricting or redirecting large vehicles, including agricultural equipment, commercial trucks, school buses and emergency services vehicles. America’s rural transportation system provides the first and last link in the supply chain from farm to market, connects manufacturers to their customers, supports the tourism industry, and enables the production of energy, food and fiber. Rural Americans are more reliant on the quality of their transportation system than their urban counterparts, with vehicle travel in rural communities averaging approximately 50 percent higher than in urban communities. “This report underscores the need for infrastructure investment in rural America to ensure the roads, bridges, and highways our nation’s equipment manufacturers rely on are efficient, safe, and reliable,” said Todd Stucke, president of Kubota Tractor Corporation and chair of the Association of Equipment Manufacturers. “Our freight transportation network—which largely consists of rural communities where our food, fiber, and fuel is produced—remains a vital part of our economy’s supply chain. Allowing it to fall into a state of disrepair will not only cost us more money down the road to modernize, but it will also disrupt our industry’s ability to remain competitive globally.” Signed into law in November 2021, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) is providing a significant boost in federal investment in roads, bridges and transit and offers an opportunity for the nation to make progress in improving the safety, reliability and condition of America’s transportation system. The IIJA will provide $454 billion over the five- year period from 2022 to 2026 for investment in highways and transit, resulting in a 31 percent increase in federal investment over the previous federal surface transportation program. The IIJA includes a $2 billion Rural Surface Transportation Grant Program that will support projects to improve and expand the surface transportation infrastructure in rural areas to increase connectivity, improve the safety and reliability of the movement of people and freight, and generate regional economic growth and improve quality of life. “Rural roads, highways and bridges connect farms to the pantries of every family in America,” said American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall. “Transportation delays and poorly maintained roads put the safety of rural Americans at risk and undermine farmers’ ability to contribute to a stable food supply. While the IIJA offers an opportunity to improve the reliability and condition of America’s transportation system, we must increase funding in the National Highway Trust Fund to ensure our roads continue to bring agriculture products to market.” An analysis of the Status of the Nation’s Highways, Bridges and Transit Conditions and Performance Report, 25th Edition report, submitted by the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) to Congress in 2024, indicates that the U.S. faces a $198 billion backlog in needed repairs and improvements to the nation’s rural roads, highways and bridges. This includes a $97 billion backlog for rural road and highway rehabilitation, a $53 billion backlog for needed rural bridge rehabilitation, and a $48 billion backlog for needed rural roadway expansions and enhancements. “Transportation infrastructure provides critical connections for our rural communities nationwide, supporting their health and driving commerce. Addressing the significant deficiencies outlined in this report is essential not only for safety but also for ensuring that our rural communities continue to succeed,” said John Drake, vice president for transportation, infrastructure, and supply chain policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “With the support provided by the IIJA, we have an unprecedented opportunity to modernize these vital connections and strengthen the foundation of rural America’s economic future.” “The health of the nation’s economy and the safety and quality of life in America’s small communities and rural areas ride on our rural transportation system,” said Dave Kearby, executive director of TRIP. “Providing the nation with a rural transportation network that supports rural America’s economy and will support its future development will require that the U.S. invest in a rural transportation system that is safe, efficient, and well-maintained, and that provides adequate mobility and connectivity to the nation’s rural communities.” Veterans Corner Story by Scooter Brown It is a disturbing fact that 1,400 Oregon vets experience homelessness on any given night and more than half of them are unsheltered. This is data from US Department of Veterans Affairs and point to point counts. Current Governor Kotek and predecessor Governor Brown, brought forth initiatives to end veteran homelessness. The VA and Oregon Housing and Community Services combine federal and state resources with non-profits and faith-based organizations to provide homeless services. Dedicated veteran housing has been built, including a new 34-unit apartment complex called Courtney Place in Salem. A 2022 report by the Department of Housing and Urban Development found over the last 15 years, the number of homeless vets has increased in only three states: Maine, Vermont and Oregon. It is a persistent and ongoing challenge to fully address this dilemma. Tyler Francke, Community Coordinator for the Oregon VA, said veterans who are unhoused or at risk of homelessness are often hesitant to seek help and still need to be informed that assistance is due. There are Veteran’s Service offices in every Oregon county and on four tribal lands. “The US Department of Veteran’s Affairs estimates their budget based on Homelessness Persists for Oregon Veterans every veteran that they know exists. There are resources that are allocated to you,” Francke said. “So, you’re not taking dollars from someone else, you’re just taking advantage of the resources that you earned through your service.” According to Francke, it’s difficult to put an exact number on how many vets are unhoused each year, veterans are often included with civilians in the overall counts of homeless people served statewide. He added homeless vet cases tend to require additional wrap-around services in order to keep them housed. He say’s that getting vets off the streets is a top priority, because a majority of them are highly vulnerable. “Women veterans we know experience homelessness or housing insecurity at a higher percentage than the general population of veterans,” Francke said. “LGBTQ veterans are more at risk for homelessness. Older veterans too.” ODVA utilizes Homeless Veterans Coordinators who work directly with former armed service members who are in a housing crisis. Francke said there are actually many positive stories of how veterans have been housed or stayed housed with direct support from the office. Over the last several years, the City of Eugene and Lane County have been recognized for innovative work done to ensure “a home for every veteran.” In Douglas County the Veterans Service Office and United Community Action Network work to provide resources to at risk Veterans. All across Oregon, county, public and private organizations are active and involved. Advocates insist that work continues. Last month, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs announced in a press release it housed 47,925 Veterans experiencing homelessness in FY 2024, surpassing its goal to house 41,000 Veterans by 16.9%, and marking the largest number of Veterans housed in a single year since 2019. The work is not done by any stretch of imagination, in fact still only a drop in the bucket. Support all Veterans.
