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Rural Consultation Practices
Oregon: Expanding Rural Official Input Through
Regional Partnerships

In response to local official requests, the Oregon Transportation Commission established a new process in the late 1990s to strengthen state-local partnerships in transportation planning, programming and development. [Link to Oregon DOT website.]

Through a network of regional advisory committees, known as Area Commissions on Transportation (ACTs), rural local officials and other key stakeholders are given a forum to discuss and coordinate long range transportation issues, recommend priorities for capital investments, and advise the state on regional and local issues.

Under the state guidelines, area commissions were initially chartered in the Mid-Willamette and Rogue Valley regions to test the process. After proving successful, the state invited local officials across the state to form advisory committees within their regions. Before being chartered by the state, local officials in each region were required to establish geographic boundaries and criteria for voting and ex-offico membership, identify a host organization and support staff, and outline a work program.

Each region was also encouraged to obtain a broad representation of local elected officials and the private sector, as well as set up a technical advisory group.

Currently, there are nine regional advisory committees, leaving three areas without a formal process. However, since the state gave a significant amount of flexibility to the locals, the ACTs have varying structures and staff arrangements. In the majority of regions, the local officials opted to designate their regional development organization, such as the Oregon Cascades West Council of Governments (COG), as the support organization. In other areas, the state DOT may provide the staff assistance.

Since each advisory committee is expected to address all aspects of transportation, such as surface, marine, air and transportation safety, most ACTs have representatives from city and county government, tribal councils, port and transit authorities, and private industry. State transportation and community development officials are also active participants.

To carry out the work plan, the state DOT typically provides financial assistance to the support organization. The paramount duties of the area commissions are to play a key advisory role in the development of the statewide improvement program.

Another role may be to sponsor venues for gathering public input into the project selection and prioritization process. For example, the Cascades West COG hosts at least 24 meetings a year to compile transportation improvement goals.

Bill Wagner, Executive Director of the Cascades West COG, describes their contractual arrangement, “We receive state funds of about $45,000 a year to cover a staff of two full time employees and some operational costs. Start-up was easy because we were already undertaking transportation planning for the region. In addition, we already had well established community relationships, which has proven to ease the process of gathering local input from the 27 communities in our three-county region.”

According to the Cascades West ODOT Area Manager Richard Upton, “Since the COG has taken on ACT duties, the spirited discussions have positively impacted the goal selection process for the statewide planning. At both state and local levels, it has been satisfying.”

Through the new process, the state has seen increased stakeholder understanding of transportation programs, funding and issues. Communications between state and local officials, along with the business community, has improved. And, there is becoming more local support of projects, resulting in fewer delays and reduced project costs. For more information, contact Bill Wagner of the Cascades West COG at (541) 967-8720; Richard Upton, Oregon DOT Cascades West Area Management, at (541) 757-4211.

Link to Oregon DOT website for Area Commissions on Transportation.


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