Monday, June 13 at 4:00 PM, a diverse coalition of Oregonians will hold a press conference to highlight the need for state investment in transit and safe streets. State legislators are convening at 5:00pm in Portland Community College’s Mt. Tabor Building to discuss development of a transportation package to be voted in in the 2017 legislative session. Past transportation bills have emphasized investment in highways on the outskirts of communities rather than investment in transit and safe streets in cities and suburbs where most Oregonians live. The location of the hearing is a prime example – a neighborhood with historic underinvestment, the intersection of the 2 busiest bus lines in Oregon that run along high-crash corridors where collisions are commonplace, and sidewalks and streets in poor state-of-repair. Individuals who understand the need for improved transportation options will explain why the state must invest in transit and safer streets that save lives, improve access to jobs and make neighborhoods more livable.
What: Press conference featuring local leaders and highly-impacted Oregonians calling for investment in transportation options and safe streets.
Who: Tricia Tillman – Director, Multnomah County Public Health Department
Ray Johnson - Elders in Action
Teresa Raigoza - Bus Riders Unite, Portland’s Transit Riders’ Union
Rachel Kimbrow - Parent at Harrison Park Elementary School (see video)
A high school student addressing youth access to transit
Other speakers to be announced
When: 4:00 PM, Monday, June 13
Legislative hearing starts at 5:00 PM
Where: North Quad, outside Mt Tabor Hall
Portland Community College, SE Campus - SE 82nd and Division
Visuals: A gathering of transportation advocates and impacted individuals will tell their stories. The adjacent intersection of SE 82nd Ave. and Division St. is the intersection of the two busiest bus lines in Oregon. You will see many people boarding buses and walking in a dangerous pedestrian environment - long crossing distances across the intersection, sidewalks in poor condition or non-existent, and pavement in poor condition.
Transportation for Oregon’s Future (T4O(f)) is a network of concerned organizations, businesses, and citizen leaders supporting transportation choices for the 21st century. Steering committee members include 1000 Friends of Oregon, Better Eugene Springfield Transit, Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA), OPAL Environmental Justice Oregon, Oregon Environmental Council (OEC), Oregon Walks, Transportation for America (T4A), and Upstream Public Health. Contacts: Chris Rall, T4A [[email protected], 971-230-4745]; Angela Crowley-Koch, OEC [[email protected], 503-867-3378]; Gerik Kransky, BTA [[email protected],(503) 226-0676 ext11]
Community Leaders Demand Transportation Options
When state legislators visit Portland to gather input on a transportation package, they will hear the need for investment in transit and safer streets.
June 13, 2016
