From Tim Heider, Clackamas County Public Affairs Coordinator, 503-742-5911

06-10-2010

Media Advisory

Clackamas Commission Chair Lynn Peterson to testify before Congressional subcommittee Thursday

Clackamas County Board of Commissioners Chair Lynn Peterson has been invited to testify Thursday before a Congressional subcommittee studying ways to locally implement "practical design" a concept that integrates environment and community-centered philosophy into surface transportation projects.

The Highway and Transits Subcommittee, which is chaired by U.S. Rep Peter DeFazio, is scheduled to discuss practical design - a transportation strategy to reduce costs while providing creative and innovative design solutions. Peterson will discuss how Clackamas County and Oregon are embracing the concept to improve and enhance local transportation systems.

Others testifying before the committee include officials from the Federal Highway Administration and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation; top executives from two major transportation engineering and consulting firms and a professor from the University of Kentucky.

The practical design concept has gained momentum in recent years. The Federal Highway Administration has included "environmental stewardship and streamlining" among its vital goals and is encouraging states to incorporate these into planning philosophies.

Committee members will discuss ways to include such ideas in future transportation projects. The hearing follows a recent push by Transportation Secretary Ray Lahood to create "livable communities" that integrate public transportation, bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure into local transportation plans.

Peterson, a civil engineer, has an extensive background in highway design and construction and transportation. She has played a prominent role in such supporting high profile projects as the Sunrise System; Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail and improvements to I-205. She was also instrumental in convening a national coalition of public- and private-sector experts on the subject of practical design and has worked with a wide range of national transportation policy groups to include practical design in their policy platforms.

Peterson has been Chair of the county commission since November 2008. She was elected to the county commission in 2006.