The nation's capital was the scene of a friendly invasion last week, as more than two dozen leaders from the Portland metropolitan area descended upon Congress to pursue support for the region's top transportation priorities.
The annual visit to Washington, D.C., by members of the Joint Policy Advisory Committee on Transportation offers an opportunity for members of Congress from Oregon and Southwest Washington to hear from regional leaders about the transportation policies and projects that can best support job growth, economic development and the creation of livable communities. JPACT members make a point of meeting as a group with members of the region's congressional delegation, delivering a unified message in support of regional priorities and reinforcing each other's project requests.
JPACT members thanked the delegation for passing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which has provided $142 million to fund 79 transportation projects in 23 local jurisdictions over the last year, creating approximately 3,000 jobs. They also urged the prompt passage of the transportation authorization bill currently pending before Congress. Draft legislation would provide up to $500 billion nationally over a six-year period and revamp federal transportation programs to support more strategic multimodal investment in metropolitan regions. Finally, regional leaders urged support for individual projects of local and regional importance ranging from major bridges and interchanges to transit, trail and marine projects.
Chaired by Metro Councilor Carlotta Collette, JPACT includes representatives of cities, counties and public agencies from both sides of the Columbia River. It serves jointly with the Metro Council as the federally designated metropolitan planning organization for the Portland region.