OR bill to turn some state hwys to cities; make Cornelius Pass a state route

[Sub-Urbanite]

"Senate Bill 117, which got its first public hearing Monday, would assign a 12-person task force to complete a draft report by the end of 2015 for prioritizing which so-called "orphan highways"  within city limits for the state to upgrade and transfer to local control."

http://bikeportland.org/2015/03/19/bill-moving-salem-includes-map-roads-transferred-city-control-135772

[nexus73]

In Coos Bay the section of SR 540 within that city's boundaries was transferred to the city back in the 80's.  What made it happen was ODOT giving the city around $17 million and the city agreeing to maintain the route.  Back then we had higher interest rates than today so the money was invested in interest-bearing accounts and the interest payments went toward maintenance.

As time passed there was seen a need to improve a part of the route through town.  Interest rates had dropped.  Principal was spent and the improvements took place about a decade ago

Under this new proposal it appears ODOT will do the improvements followed by turning over the road to another agency, whether it be city or county.  I would urge any such transfer be done only after a thorough improvement of the route had been done.  The lower levels of government will only get one chance to make a deal so they had better make it a great deal since after that they will be stuck with the responsibilities for the route until the end of days.

Rick 

[Bickendan]

As long as the shields stay up (or get put up, if needed), I don't care who maintains the route. I can only imagine OR 43 going away, or OR 99E not really being signed north of I-205 though

[roadfro]

Under this new proposal it appears ODOT will do the improvements followed by turning over the road to another agency, whether it be city or county.  I would urge any such transfer be done only after a thorough improvement of the route had been done.  The lower levels of government will only get one chance to make a deal so they had better make it a great deal since after that they will be stuck with the responsibilities for the route until the end of days.

This seems to be the approach Nevada DOT is taking towards relinquishing routes. NDOT has not turned over as many routes as they wanted to over the past couple decades. They are working on a standard process by which negotiations for route relinquishments and jurisdiction transfer of roads from state to local control (or vice versa) will be handled and how the entities will be compensated.

In one case (don't recall the route), NDOT slightly improved the road before turning it over, and agreed to stripe it annually for ~10 years and do snow removal for some time as well.

[NE2]

This would be making Cornelius pass a state *highway*. They can put up signs to make it a state *route* tomorrow.

PS: is PDX pronounced pee-dicks?

[Bickendan]

We just say Pee-Dee-Ex.

[TEG24601]

Maybe then we can improve the safety over the pass.  The ultimate question is, will is be a signed route just between US 30 and US 26, or all the way down to TV Highway, with an extension to 10 or even 210 near Scholls or even Pacific Highway (99W) near Sherwood?