The Legislature will consider funding for roads and transit at upcoming special session and an Aug. 25 public hearing

By Meg Wade for Ashland.news

Derreck Moore, the new traffic enforcement officer at the Ashland Police Department, met with members of the Transportation Advisory Committee last week as they conducted their regular six-month review of crash and near-miss data for the city.

“I prefer the term safety officer,” Moore said Thursday while introducing himself to the committee. “It’s about more than just enforcement.”

Moore comes with a background of working on traffic incidents, including time on the collision reconstruction team at the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office. He previously worked as an officer for the Central Point Police Department.

At the meeting, committee members reviewed the specifics of crash details and a list of locations that have seen enough incidents to warrant mitigation efforts by the city. Members said lack of attention on the road was among their major concerns.

Moore echoed their worries, and said that the bulk of citations that he writes are for distracted driving and cell phone usage. The penalties for using a phone while driving are steep, and the escalate over a 10-year period for any individual driver. The fine for a first violation is $265 and the second is $440. A third citation within 10 years of the first violation becomes a criminal charge, with a penalty of up to 60 days in jail or a $2,000 fine.

Asked after the meeting what he would tell Ashland drivers, O’Moore said, “Put your phone away while driving. Everybody else’s safety matters. And not using your phone while you’re driving keeps everyone else safe, and keeps you safe too.”

Majority of crashes happen on major thoroughfares

Crash data for the first half of 2025 remains in line with past trends that show the bulk of crashes occur on the city’s major thoroughfares. Out of 76 incidents, over half were on Siskiyou Boulevard, Ashland Street, North Main Street and East Main Street.

The concentration of crashes can be seen in a map on the city’s GIS hub.

Driving under the influence was involved in nine of those incidents, accounting for 12% of the total. Hit-and-runs, in which the driver responsible for the crash did not stay on site, accounted for a similar percentage. One incident involved a driver who intentionally backed into a pedestrian in a wheelchair in a crosswalk. The pedestrian suffered a severe back injury. Many of the hit-and-run drivers were located and cited afterwards.

Another common type of crash involved drivers who rear-ended other vehicles that were stopped to wait at a crosswalk for pedestrians. Drivers are required by law to stop at crosswalks when a person is in the crosswalk is standing and waiting to cross.

Transportation cuts hit the PedalPower Community Bike Program

The committee also received news from member Dave Kahn that the Transportation Options program at the Rogue Valley Transportation District is being reduced as part of the decision to scale back in the face of major budget shortfalls at RVTD. The Transportation Options coordinator position, which has been held by Ashland resident Mike Vergeer for the last six years, is being eliminated at the end of August. That affects support for the PedalPower Community Bike Program, a collaborative project between RVTD and Ashland Parks & Recreation.

The program currently operates two weekly work sessions at the Grove in Ashland, at which volunteers repair donated bikes which are then distributed to community members through partner organizations. Kahn shared that the physical space for the program at the Grove is also being reduced by about 60%, and that the program is in the process of moving into a smaller room. The program is not charged by Parks & Recreation for the space.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen, honestly,: Kahn said. “The plan is to continue, but those two things are definitely a blow to the program.”

The cuts to the Transportation Options program are in addition to service and operational cuts approved by the RVTD board at its July 23 meeting.

Transportation System Plan update still waiting on ODOT

The Oregon Department of Transportation has likewise been facing cuts since the end of the regular legislative session. The agency had initially announced that it would cut some 500 positions. Those cuts were delayed after Gov. Tina Kotek scheduled the August special session.

City of Ashland staff has expressed concern that progress on the update to the city’s Transportation System Plan could be slowed given the uncertainty at ODOT. Public Works Director Scott Fleury said last week that the contract with plan consultant Alta Planning, announced at the transportation committee’s July meeting, is making its way through ODOT’s procurement system.

Fleury says he now expects the Transportation System Plan process to begin in December, not the fall, and that Ashland residents should look for public engagement events regarding the plan next spring.

Public hearing announced for special session transportation package

How many of the cuts to ODOT and RVTD will remain permanent could be determined this week as the Oregon Legislature gathers for a special session on Aug. 29 to consider a package of transportation funding proposals from Kotek.

The Legislature failed to pass a comprehensive transportation funding package during its normal session this year.

In advance of the special session, the Joint Interim Committee on Transportation Funding will hold a public hearing at 3 p.m. Monday, Aug. 25, at the state Capitol. A draft and summary of the funding proposal are available on the Oregon Legislative Information System. Interested parties can register online to testify at the hearing.

Email Ashland resident and freelance journalist Meg Wade at [email protected].