Sunrise Corridor moves to top of state's transportation package

By dave hunt and brent barton

The Clackamas Review, Apr 21, 2009, Updated Oct 30, 2009

ADVERTISEMENTS

As you sit stuck in traffic on the Sunrise Corridor (Highway 212/224), take a moment to reflect on the sources of the congestion that take important time away from your family, your workplace or your favorite pursuits.

Oregon has underinvested in its transportation system for more than two decades, failing to fund basic infrastructure in growing communities such as Clackamas, Damascus, Boring and Estacada. This short-sightedness has significant consequences: longer commutes, less time with families, higher costs for business and a greater dependence on foreign oil.

Investment in transportation infrastructure is the key to unlocking our economic growth potential and will promote economic recovery. The Sunrise Corridor serves as the trucking center of Oregon, providing thousands of jobs in our community. Local businesses, from large corporations to small manufacturers and nurseries, all require efficient access to our highway system.

During this legislative session, we’ve spent countless hours working to craft a statewide job creation and transportation package that will address these critical issues. Working with local partners, Senate colleagues, the governor and the Department of Transportation we’ve moved the Sunrise Corridor to the top of the priority list.

Some have argued that given the economic crisis, this is a bad time to invest in our transportation system. We argue the time could not be better. A state transportation package — including improvements to the Sunrise Corridor — will provide both short and long-term economic benefits to our community and our state at a time when we need to get our economy moving again.

In the short term, constructing the Sunrise Project and others like it around our county and state will create thousands of family-wage jobs that will help Oregonians stay in their homes and keep food on the table.

In addition, the resulting infrastructure and improved freight mobility will keep local businesses from relocating, as well as attracting new companies to Clackamas County.

Creating jobs, using tax dollars wisely and helping grow our local economy are all good reasons to support a statewide transportation plan that includes major improvements to the Sunrise Corridor.

Best of all, none of us will miss being stuck in traffic, away from our families.

Speaker of the House Dave Hunt, D-40, represents Gladstone; State Rep. Brent Barton, D-51, represents Clackamas.