By KATHY GRAY
The Dalles Chronicle
September 27, 2007

THE DALLES — Oregon is in the slow lane where its transportation system is concerned, says Oregon Sen. Rick Metsger, and other state economies are benefiting because of it.

Metzger stopped in The Dalles last week as part of a tour of 31 Oregon cities to hear about transportation concerns outside his own district, and talk about what he hopes will become a grass-roots mandate for improved transportation investment. The Democrat from Welches chairs the Senate transportation and business committee.

“We are the ninth most transportation-dependent economy in the country,” Metsger said, citing Oregon Business Council statistics.

A study by the Oregon Business Council suggests Oregon’s economy could lose $1.7 billion annually and 16,000 jobs by 2025 without additional investments in transportation. Accessibility of global markets is one factor in Oregon’s transportation dependence, Metsger said.

“So there are opportunities and risks,” he said. “Four hundred thousand, or one of five jobs, is transportation-dependent; transportation reliant.” Metsger uses a Columbia Gorge company as one nearby example.

“When we were trying to bring Cardinal Glass to Hood River, a key point was whether they could get goods into and out of Hood River,” he said. “If they couldn’t depend on rail service and truck service, they couldn’t locate here.”

But Oregon has not been keeping up with its neighbors in transportation investment, he added, which could imperil the state’s ability to attract other businesses.

“If they can’t depend on getting goods and services in a timely fashion, they’ll go somewhere else with better dependability.”

The Oregon Business Council study found that Oregon invests less per capita in transportation than any other western state.

“As a result, Oregon firms from all sectors and geographic areas of the state are impacted by under-investment in the transportation system,” said a report on the study, which was conducted by the Boston firm Economic Development Research Group.

Calculated based on sales of gas, Oregon pays just 35 cents per gallon to support transportation. That figure is based on the 24-cent-per-gallon gas tax and other related fees. In Washington, the figure is $1, while in California it is $1.13, Metsger said.

“Even Nevada and Idaho are double Oregon,” Metsger said.

Aggravating the problem for county governments is the prospect of losing federal payments to counties in lieu of timber receipts. In Wasco County, for example, over half of the road budget comes from federal dollars.

“It’s a fact,” Metsger said. “We don’t have enough revenue to build our infrastructure.”

Oregon has made some recent investments in its transportation system, Metsger noted. The 2003 Oregon Transportation Investment Act provided money for bridge repair and replacement around the state.

The Portland metropolitan area, where growing traffic jams typify the problem, is already in debate over transportation. Massive spending and gas tax increases are proposed at both the city and Metro levels.

“They recognize the issue,” Metsger said. The problem, he said, is if the metropolitan area goes forward alone, the rest of the state won’t be able to garner enough support in the legislature to address its needs. The result is balkanization of the transportation system.

“We can’t have a transportation system that’s effective in one part of the state and breaks down somewhere else,” Metsger said. He hopes to persuade Portland to throw its lot in with the rest of the state. Because of its population, Portland is already a major contributor to the transportation system throughout the state.