Better Eugene Springfield Transportation (BEST) is proud to support the INVEST in America Act, the $547-billion surface transportation reauthorization bill introduced last Friday by Oregon’s own U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Chair Peter DeFazio.

Earlier this year, BEST connected national transit leaders with staff for Rep. DeFazio, resulting in improvements to already good provisions in his INVEST in America Act.

Since first coming together in 2012 to support the $95-million West Eugene EmX, BEST has continued to support projects we believe are good public investments, including three recently designated by Congressman DeFazio:

Lane County: Territorial Highway Reconstruction Phase 3 ($5 million) In 2006 while she was bicycling along Territorial Highway with friends, Oregon State University nutrition expert Jane Higdon was struck and killed by the driver of a logging truck as she was attempting to avoid another cyclist who had fallen. The road winds through Lane County’s amazing wineries that draw tourists from around the world. Recognizing the dangers for both people bicycling and driving, and with state funding from the 2017 Keep Oregon Moving package, Lane County has begun reconstructing Territorial Highway with wide shoulders and better lines of sight to improve safety for all. Funding designated by DeFazio will help complete this critical project sooner.

City of Eugene: River Road-Santa Clara Ped/Bike Bridge ($1.5 million) A top priority for Eugene-Springfield Safe Routes to School, this pedestrian and bicycle bridge will connect the River Road and Santa Clara neighborhoods, west of River Road, enabling more people to use active transportation for school, work, shopping, and other trips. The bridge will connect half of the North Eugene High School service area to the high school and allow students to travel on quiet neighborhood streets, avoiding those that are on the Vision Zero “High Crash Network.” Along with other planned improvements, it will also connect residents to shopping, services, transit, and the broader active transportation network.

Lane Transit District: Electric Bus Purchase ($1,844,322) Last year, LTD adopted a climate action policy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from its vehicle fleet by 75% over the next 10 years and to eliminate the use of fossil fuels in 15 years. Three months ago, LTD took delivery of all 11 electric buses it had ordered from New Flyer America, Inc. Funding designated by Rep. DeFazio will enable LTD to continue to transition to cleaner buses.

Read the complete message from BEST here: https://mailchi.mp/cfa544ad3926/2021-06-10