| Transportation Facts and Figures |
|
|
 |
| Interesting information from Oregon's past and present |
|
Rail
- Passenger Rail
- Trips originating/ending at Oregon stations, 2007: 855,141
- Since 1999, passenger rail ridership has steadily increased, reaching its highest level in 2007.
- Passenger rail ridership surpassed the 2007 target by 23,033, a 7 percent increase from 2006.
- Freight Rail
- Oregon has two Class I railroads: the Union Pacific and the BNSF Railway.
- Oregon has 17 short line and three terminal railroads.
- There are 2,388 miles of railroad tracks in Oregon.
- Oregon Railway & Navigation Company, built a railroad along the south bank of the Columbia east to the Umatilla River. In 1883, having gained control of the Northern Pacific, Villard created Oregon's first transcontinental link with the OR&N
Bridges
- Oregon has approximately 6,700 bridges included in the National Bridge Inventory. ODOT owns nearly 2,700 of these bridges; counties, cities and other public agencies own the remainder.
- Bridges contribute to our cultural heritage. Eighty-one Oregon bridges are listed on the National Register of Historic Places and 120 more are eligible for listing.
- Oregon has the largest collection of covered bridges in the West and one of the largest in the nation. The covered-bridge-building tradition in Oregon, begun in the 1850s, helped pioneers make their way around our state’s rivers and streams. Using Douglas fir — in abundance and well-suited to bridge construction — pioneers built bridges and “houses” over the timber trusses to protect them from the damp western Oregon climate. Oregon currently has 50 covered bridges.
- Conde B. McCullough came to Oregon in 1916 to teach structural engineering at Oregon Agricultural College (known today as OSU). He moved to Salem in 1919 to become the State Bridge Engineer. McCullough headed the Oregon State Highway Department’s bridge design and construction program for eighteen years. The pinnacle of McCullough’s career in Oregon was completion of five major bridges along the Oregon Coast Highway in 1936—the Yaquina Bay Bridge at Newport, the Alsea Bay Bridge at Waldport, the Siuslaw River Bridge at Florence, the Umpqua River Bridge at Reedsport, and the Coos Bay Bridge at Marshfield/North Bend. McCullough was an impassioned promoter of state-sponsored bridge building that incorporated engineering efficiency with economic practicality and aesthetic appeal. Many of his bridges are rich in architectural detail; the finest among them are embellished with classical, Gothic, and Art Deco/Moderne elements.
- Photos and more information about historic bridges.
Highways
- Vehicle Miles Traveled (2007)
- In Oregon: 34.8 billion
- On Oregon State Highway system: 20.6 billion
- There are 8,038 centerline miles of state highway in Oregon. Centerline mileage is the number of miles of two-way roads. A street with a lane in each direction; a street with two lanes in each direction and a turn lane in the middle; and a divided freeway with four lanes in each direction all count equally in terms of centerline mileage. Lane mileage counts a mile for each lane in each direction. Thus, a mile of street with a lane in each direction counts as two lane miles.
- The first rest area along I-5 was constructed at Oak Grove between Albany and Eugene in 1962. Its immediate popularity as a place to stop, stretch and relax in a quiet atmosphere far exceeded the wildest estimate of usage, especially by truckers. Now, Oregon has 22 strategically located rest areas along the I-5 and I -84 corridors (plus another 45 along other Oregon highways).
- In 1913 there were only 25 miles of paved roads in Oregon. In 2008, there are more than 36,000 miles of paved roads.
- Photos and more information about road construction.
Public Transit
- In 2007, Oregonians took:
- 113.6 million rides in urban transit districts; and
- 6.7 million rides in rural areas.
- People with special transportation needs (seniors and people with disabilities) took 3.7 million van or volunteer trips. Total trips provided averaged more than 31 rides per Oregonian.
Aviation
- Statewide air travel (2007)
- 2.9 million domestic visitors, a 5.1 percent increase over 2006
- Passenger Boardings at Portland International Airport
- 2006: 7.02 million
- 2007: 7.33 million
Ferries
- George H. Armitage, an early Lane County settler, operated the first ferry across the McKenzie River. He also served as postmaster at the McKenzie post office, est. on Jan. 21, 1854 near the present site of Armitage State Park. The office was discontinued in Oct. 1859.
- 'When the highway system was first designated, there were a considerable number of ferries, some of which were operated by the counties on a free ferry basis and others operated by private parties as toll ferries.
- More information on ferries
Miscellaneous
- Partnerships have a long history in Oregon, especially when it comes to transportation. In 1859, a party of pioneers set out in search of a route over the Cascades. They largely followed trails used by Native Americans. When they returned from their journey, they proclaimed success and joined with local ranchers to form the toll-funded Willamette Valley and Cascade Mountain Wagon Road Company. To go from Sweet Home to the Deschutes River using the route, it cost a rider and horse $.75.
- From 1804 – 1806, explorers Captain Merriwether Lewis and William Clark traveled from Missouri across the Rockies and down along the Columbia River, all the way to the Pacific Ocean. By 1833, Oregon’s first shipment of lumber sailed for China. In 1846, confident in the promising future of ocean shipping in Oregon’s early economy, the territorial legislature authorized the appointment of the first pilot board.
- Packing companies and teamsters responded to the needs of mining communities and residents of distant communities. Outfitted with mules and horses, they carried the food, clothing, and tools demanded by the miners in Canyon City, Auburn, and Baker City or the farmers along Crooked River and Ochoco Creek. Teamsters like Henry H. Wheeler braved blizzards in winter and scorching heat in summer to carry mail, passengers, and freight across the Columbia Plateau and into the mountains of eastern Oregon.
|
|
| |
|
|
