Tagged: Transportation

There’s a lot of talk these days about tolls to pay for new state highway projects and bridges. Most drivers reluctantly pay up. But some will go miles out of their way to avoid a toll. That can clog local roads. Now one small Washington city is considering a toll of its own.

President Obama has announced that the Columbia River Crossing -- and three other infrastructure projects around the nation -- will be expedited.

Northwest drivers could be paying more at the pump.   That’s because this week’s refinery fire in California is likely to affect gas prices.  Ruby de Luna has more.

Analysts say get ready to pay as much as four dollars or more per gallon. You can blame the refinery fire in California for the spike. But what does that have to do with fuel prices here?

Overstreet: “We’re locked together at the hip by refinery system on the West Coast.”

A joint effort in Oregon and Washington to make sure truckers are following safety rules turned up a higher than expected number of weary drivers. More than a quarter of drivers inspected in Oregon were found to be on the road when they shouldn't have been.

This week crews are cleaning up about 30 train cars full of coal that overturned near Mesa, in Eastern Washington. The accident has raised questions about proposed increased train shipments of coal through the nearby Columbia River Gorge. Correspondent Anna King has more.

Congressman Greg Walden says a one-year extension of federal payments for timber-dependent counties is included in the Transportation bill. Walden predicts the bill could come to a floor vote by Friday.

The proposal would secure $100 million dollars for places like Josephine, Curry, and Lane Counties. All three counties have struggled to raise revenue as timber harvests have dwindled. Walden acknowledged the revenue problems in timber country have dragged out over the years with extension after extension.  But he sees the issue coming to a head with this last payment.

University of Idaho and City of Moscow officials held a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday for a new $2 million Intermodal Transit Center on the Palouse. The facility will be located on the east end of the university campus and serve as a hub for regional buses, taxis, and other transportation services. This is UI President Duane Nellis.

Nellis: “This type of facility is something that I think is important for our community, that is a community that we are looking to grow in a quality way, toward sustainable development.”