Governor's request trumps policy on naming highways
SALEM, Ore. – Did the Oregon Transportation Commission go against the spirit of its own policy in renaming Eugene’s Beltline Highway to the Randy Papé Beltway?
That’s the question opponents of the plan posted on Facebook after uncovering an OTC policy stating: “The Oregon Transportation Commission generally will not name highway facilities after individuals.”
On the surface it appears commissioners might have gone against that recommendation when they voted on March 11 to rename Beltline after Pape, but the truth is murkier.
Oregon Department of Transportation spokeswoman Shelley Snow confirmed to KVAL News that the OTC does have a policy that recommends not naming highways after people.
However, she explained when the request to rename a road comes from the governor or state legislature, that request generally supersedes the written policy.
In this case, Governor Ted Kulongoski requested the change.
Snow said the practice is not a written policy, but there is precedent for it happening.
For example, the Oregon Transportation Commission had in the past rejected an idea to rename U.S. 97 in Central Oregon to the World War II Veterans Memorial Historic Highway. However, when state lawmakers voted to recommend the idea, the commission voted to change the name.
Opponents of the Beltline name change are mostly upset with the $250,000 price tag to change signs to reflect the name change. One Facebook page called “Keeping the hwy named Beltline instead of ‘Randy Pape Beltway’” had almost 4,400 fans as of Thursday afternoon. A second group called "I don't want Beltline renamed" had more than 3,400 fans.
Governor Kulongoski has denied multiple interview requests to speak with KVAL about the name change. Instead his spokeswoman Anna Richter Taylor answered our questions on Wednesday.
“I think there are a lot of transportation projects underway and the governor feels very strongly this is an opportunity to memorialize and honor somebody who continued to give back. This is about honoring a man who was a great contributor to the State of Oregon and was the ultimate public citizen,” she said.
