February 1, 2005

The Honorable Greg Walden
United States Congress
1404 Longworth House Office Building
Washington DC

Dear Congressman Walden,

The City of Ashland supports the need for an enhanced Transportation funding authorization bill. In the Rogue Valley, we work very diligently to support the regional needs of all of our cities in the Jackson-Josephine County area through our Rogue Valley Area Commission on Transportation. One of our regional priorities is the Fern Valley Road Interchange project. This $28.7 Million project will significantly benefit the transportation network within the south valley area. This project is of regional significance with construction scheduled to begin in 2007, but depends upon the full authorization of the next transportation bill (or a further extension of the existing TEA-21 legislation).

Our two-county region works closely together to identify and prioritize projects that provide the most benefit as our community continues to grow. We identify projects that meet the needs of the area, are ready for implementation, and meet the goals of the Oregon Transportation Plan. The Fern Valley Interchange project is on our I-5 Interstate. The Fern Valley Interchange is located to meet the needs of an increasingly used destination area for our community, and is a major truck stop for interstate traffic. This project includes necessary widening and interchange improvements to meet the needs on into the future.

We sincerely appreciate your efforts toward increased transportation funding for the State of Oregon. As you know, these funds are the primary source of funding for the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) and ultimately determine the amounts of federal and state funds that become available for state and local transportation projects. Your approval of the transportation legislation and this special federal earmark for the Fern Valley Road project will help to further our transportation network and continue the local funding of very needed transportation projects.

Thank you for considering our important request.

Very Respectfully,

Chris Hearn
Council President