Don't write a blank check for a bad project

Governor Kitzhaber is asking the state legislature for unlimited authority to borrow as much as the Oregon Department of  Transportation (ODOT) wants to build the Columbia River Crossing (House Bill 2800). We need to tell our legislators that we can't give ODOT a  blank check without cost constraints and less expensive alternatives  being considered.   

It is unclear how much of the estimated $10 billion in construction and finance costs Oregon will have to cover.   There has been no reliable estimate of toll revenue, no reliable analysis of how much traffic would be diverted onto I-205, and no  realistic assessment of how much money the federal government will put  in.   Please email and/or write your legislator urging them to reevaluate the CRC.

Please take a moment and tell your legislators why you feel strongly about this issue.  Did you know you can increase the impact your letter will have by doing these two simple things:

1) Write a unique email subject line

2) Use the Talking Points below to personalize your Letter

Your words make a difference!

 

Talking points

• We can't give ODOT a blank check to build the CRC as currently designed. Transit experts  have developed better, cheaper, and common sense alternatives to the CRC  that have never been given a fair review.
• It would be unconscionable for Oregon to commit money to begin construction of the CRC without raising new revenue, given that Oregon  can’t afford to maintain existing roads and bridges.  
• It is wrong to require all Oregonians to pay higher gas taxes and/or vehicle-related fees in order to fund a poorly planned highway  expansion. The same money could be better spent on solving transportation problems more evenly across the state.
• According to the CRC’s Environmental Impact Statement, global warming pollution along the highway corridor after building the CRC  would be 31% higher than pollution today. We should not throw good money at bad solutions.