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DRAFT 2010-2013 STATEWIDE TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM <br />closing our highways. Culverts are replaced <br />based on their structural condition, as de- <br />termined by field inspections and hydraulic <br />hazard. The worst pipes are replaced first to <br />reduce the possibility of catastrophic failure. <br />For more information on Fish Passage, call <br />503-986-3518. For more information on <br />Large Culvert Improvement, call 503-986- <br />3365. <br />Immediate Opportunity Fund <br />The Immediate Opportunity Fund (IOF) <br />supports economic development in Oregon <br />by constructing and improving streets and <br />roads that are needed to serve site-specific <br />economic development projects. It is man- <br />aged on a case-by-case basis in cooperation <br />with the Oregon Economic and Community <br />Development Department. <br />The fund's use is discretionary, and it can <br />only be tapped when other sources of finan- <br />cial support are unavailable or insufficient. <br />It is restricted to potential economic devel- <br />opment projects that require a quick re- <br />sponse and commitment of funds to assist in <br />locating or retaining businesses that provide <br />primary industry jobs in a community. Pro- <br />ject applicants are expected to provide a <br />match of at least 50% of the total funds re- <br />quested. Funding is reserved for cases <br />where an actual transportation problem ex- <br />ists, and where a location decision hinges on <br />an immediate commitment of road construc- <br />tion resources. For example, a new industrial <br />park has commitments from new businesses <br />to locate there and needs improved highway <br />access. <br />For more information on IOF, call 503-986- <br />3261 <br />Modernization <br />The Modernization Program funds capital <br />construction projects that add capacity to the <br />highway system, either by adding lanes or <br />building new highways or investing in other <br />system improvements that result in added <br />highway system capacity. The program is <br />one of the largest sources of funding for im- <br />plementing long-range transportation plans. <br />The process for deciding which projects to <br />fund for the Modernization Program is the <br />most complex of any program in the STIP. <br />The reason is that needs far exceed available <br />resources and the decision whether or not to <br />improve a state highway facility requires <br />cooperation from local governments. <br />Funding for the Modernization Program <br />comes from state and federal sources and <br />indirectly from local governments that <br />match state/federal funds. State dollars pri- <br />marily come from the State Highway Fund, <br />which is supported by the state gas tax. Ore- <br />gon law (ORS 366.507) requires ODOT to <br />dedicate the equivalent of its share of two <br />cents per dollar of State Highway Fund <br />revenues for highway modernization work. <br />This share can be funded with either federal <br />or state revenues. <br />While the project selection for many ODOT <br />programs is centralized, particularly those <br />using management systems, the opposite is <br />true for Modernization. Project selection is <br />decentralized and managed by ODOT re- <br />gions. Each of ODOT's five regions has <br />their own process. While all of the regions <br />use similar steps in the project selection <br />process, there are significant differences be- <br />tween them. Common steps include the use <br />of adopted long-range plans as source <br />documents for projects, the use of region <br />technical service centers to scope and pre- <br />pare cost estimates for candidate projects, <br />the use of the Project Eligibility Criteria and <br />Prioritization Factors to screen projects, the <br />use of advisory committees to prioritize pro- <br />Page 17 <br />