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With only six senators voting in opposition, a bill that raises gas taxes and vehicle fees with the promise to create 4,600 jobs passed the Oregon Senate Friday and awaits the signature of Gov. Ted Kulongoski.

The governor proposed the transportation package and has expressed his eagerness to sign it.

House Bill 2001 – approved by the Senate 24-6 – would increase the gas tax by 6 cents per gallon by January 2011. The bill would also increase the two-year vehicle registration fee by $32 and the vehicle title fees by $55 by the end of this year.

Architects of the bill claim it will create 14 jobs for every $1 million spent – an average of 4,600 jobs in the next five years. The bill would bring in $300 million annually for three years for road and highway projects, amounting to a total price tag of $1 billion.

"In these tough times, we cannot allow Oregon to get stuck in traffic," said Senate President Peter Courtney, D-Salem.

"This transportation package keeps our state moving by building roads, creating thousands of jobs and reducing greenhouse gases. The Legislature has found a path during these troubled times to avoid a partisan detour and dead-end gridlock."

Rep. Rick Metzger, D-Hood River, chairs the House Transportation Committee and chaired the Senate following the House, which approved the bill 38-22 last week.

"Transportation is the vascular system from which commerce in Oregon flows, and it is the lifeblood that determines the business heath of our state," he said.

The bill ran into opposition from environmentalists during public hearings who claimed the bill does too little to encourage people to leave their cars at home in favor of mass transit.

Rep. Terry Beyer, D-Springfield, said the bill sets aside an additional $100 million for rail, marine, air, transit and train projects under the Connect Oregon III program. And it uses $70 million annually to bond $1 billion worth of road projects to reduce congestion and improve freight mobility.

Under the bill, cities and counties will split approximately $140 million a year to maintain roads and fund additional projects in local communities. Rep. Cliff Benz, R-Ontario, said that will put people back to work and fund much needed improvements.

"In rural counties, the need for this is clear," said Benz.