74th OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2007 Regular Session
 
 
                            Enrolled
 
                   Senate Joint Resolution 15
 
Sponsored by COMMITTEE ON BUSINESS, TRANSPORTATION AND WORKFORCE
  DEVELOPMENT
 
 
  Whereas Interstate 5 is the only continuous north-south highway
on the West Coast and provides a vital commerce and travel
corridor that links Mexico, Canada and the United States,
including the states of California, Oregon and Washington; and
  Whereas operation of the Interstate 5 crossing over the
Columbia River is directly influenced by the five-mile segment of
I-5 between State Route 500 in Vancouver and Columbia Boulevard
in Portland and includes interchanges with three state highways
(State Routes 14, 500 and 501) and five major arterial roadways;
and
  Whereas the existing Interstate 5 crossing of the Columbia
River consists of two side-by-side bridges, built in 1917 and
1958, that do not meet current seismic standards, leaving them
vulnerable to failure in an earthquake; and
  Whereas the Interstate 5 bridges served 30,000 vehicles per day
in the 1960s and now serve 125,000 vehicles per day on weekdays;
and
  Whereas traffic on the Columbia River Crossing is anticipated
to reach 180,000 vehicles per day by 2020 and regional truck
traffic is projected to increase by approximately 130 percent in
the next 25 years; and
  Whereas congestion on the Columbia River Crossing is projected
to grow to 13 hours a day by 2020, making congestion a nearly
continuous condition during daylight hours; and
  Whereas the Portland/Vancouver I-5 Transportation and Trade
Partnership, commenced in 2001, brought Washington and Oregon
citizens together to develop a plan to address congestion on I-5
between Portland and Vancouver; and
  Whereas the Washington State Department of Transportation is
currently widening Interstate 5 in the Salmon Creek area of north
Vancouver and the Oregon Department of Transportation is on track
to begin construction of the Delta Park Interstate 5 widening
project in late 2008; and
  Whereas bistate cooperation has enabled the process of drafting
a Columbia River Crossing Environmental Impact Statement for the
river crossing and other improvements in the five-mile segment of
Interstate 5 connecting Oregon and Washington; and
  Whereas the Oregon and Washington legislatures have
independently enacted public-private partnership legislation that
may apply to construction of a new Interstate 5 crossing of the
Columbia River; and
  Whereas the Columbia River Crossing is a crucial transportation
project that will contribute to the economic vitality of the
Northwest and the nation as a whole by ensuring safe and
efficient movement of goods and people; now, therefore,
 
Be It Resolved by the Legislative Assembly of the State of
  Oregon:
 
 
 
Enrolled Senate Joint Resolution 15 (SJR 15-INTRO)         Page 1
 
 
 
  That we, the members of the Seventy-fourth Legislative
Assembly, recognize that completion of the Columbia River
Crossing Project will require strong partnerships among all
levels of government, the private sector and the citizens of
Oregon and Washington; and be it further
  Resolved, That we support members of the Oregon and Washington
legislatures coming together to work toward a common project
through continuing education and study; and be it further
  Resolved, That we support the continuation of bistate and
bipartisan efforts in planning, coordinating and funding the
Columbia River Crossing Project; and be it further
  Resolved, That we recognize the importance of addressing the
impacts of the project on marine, rail, air, freight and
pedestrian transit as well as on the needs of business centers
and neighborhoods affected by the project; and be it further
  Resolved, That we support the cooperation of the federal
government and federal regulatory agencies to streamline the
regulatory process and remove unnecessary impediments to the
completion of the project; and be it further
  Resolved, That we support advocacy by the Oregon and Washington
Congressional Delegations for the Columbia River Crossing Project
and the delegations' work to obtain federal funding and other
assistance to advance this project of regional and national
significance.
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                                 Adopted by Senate February 28,
                                              2007
 
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                                       Secretary of Senate
 
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                                       President of Senate
 
 
                                  Adopted by House June 7, 2007
 
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                                        Speaker of House
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Enrolled Senate Joint Resolution 15 (SJR 15-INTRO)         Page 2