As the chair of the Benton County Board of Commissioners and a co-chair of Association of Oregon Counties Transportation and Community Development Steering Committee, I am worried about county roads.
In Benton County, only 58% of our roads are in good condition and 12% are in poor condition or worse. Without increased state funding, our county road department will be forced to further reduce maintenance and operations services resulting in deterioration of critical infrastructure and dangerous road conditions – putting the community at risk.
I am especially concerned because the risk of dying in a vehicle crash is significantly higher outside an urban corridor. When crashes occur in rural areas, there is limited cellphone reception and longer emergency response times, placing lives in jeopardy…