Dear Sellwood Bridge User,

When Governor Ted Kulongoski signed the Oregon Jobs and Transportation Act of 2009 this week, our project to replace the Sellwood Bridge took a giant leap forward. The legislation helps fund a new bridge in these ways:

· $30 million is designated to build a new interchange where the bridge connects with Highway 43.

· Multnomah and Clackamas counties are permitted to enact local vehicle registration fees to fund a new Sellwood Bridge.

· All Oregon counties and cities will receive new transportation funds from state vehicle fees and the state gas tax. The City of Portland and Multnomah County are negotiating an agreement whereby the City would commit $8 million a year of its new funds to raise $100 million for the new Sellwood Bridge.

The legislation creates the local and state funding sources we need to secure federal funds to complete the project. We thank members of the Oregon House and Senate and the Governor for recognizing the need to replace this important regional bridge.

Now the focus on funding will shift to important decisions at the local and federal levels. We expect the elected boards of Multnomah and Clackamas counties will consider enacting local vehicle fees later this year. The Portland City Council will take up the funding agreement with Multnomah County before the end of this year as well. We want to have these local sources in place before Congress acts on our request for $40 million as part of the next federal transportation bill, likely in 2010.

If replacing the Sellwood Bridge is important to you, now is a great time to let your elected leaders know and thank them for supporting the project. Follow these links to contact your elected leaders:

· Multnomah County Board of Commissioners
· Clackamas County Board of Commissioners
· Portland City Council
· Congressman Earl Blumenauer
· Congressman Kurt Schrader
· Congressman Peter DeFazio
· Senator Jeff Merkley
· Senator Ron Wyden

Thank you again for your participation in the Sellwood Bridge project.

Ted Wheeler, Multnomah County Chair
Deborah Kafoury, Commissioner – District 1

July 6th – Kevin Gordon, a bluesy songwriter based in Nashville who is playing at the Waterfront Blues Festival on July 4th.

July 13 – the good time country rock of the Garcia Birthday Band

July 20th – it’s a tropical latin dance party with Conjunto Alegre

July 27th – the Midnight Serenaders‘ hot Jazz Age swing

There will again be a secure bike corral at the park . . . and NEW this year – overflow parking at the south end of the Oaks Park parking lot.  It’s a shorter walk (and a lot faster) than parking up in the neighborhood. A big thank you goes out to Oaks Park and the Community of Adsideo for their time and energy to coordinate both. There will also be food vendors, so don’t worry if you don’t have time to grab food before the show.

For more information about the entire Portland Parks and Rec Neighborhood concerts go here.  If you’d like to know more about free music in parks throughout the region, go here.

Look forward to seeing you at the concerts!

2008 Sellwood Riverfront Park Concert

For more background on Sellwood-Moreland’s nearly two decades of tranportation planning history, read the Tacoma Main Street Plan, which was adopted by the City of Portland in 2002.  It reflects a long history of transportation planning with regards to Tacoma Street, the local collector street connected to the bridge.