In 2021, the Oregon Legislature passed HB 2342 -- introduced by Representative John Lively (D-Springfield) -- which imposes mandatory per-mile road usage fee for registered owners and lessees of passenger vehicles of model year 2027 or later that have rating of 30 miles per gallon or greater, beginning July 1, 2026. Now, the newly-created Road User Fee Task Force is set to meet to implement this. The first meeting is March 15th by video conference only.

Julie Brown, Oregon Transportation Commissioner chairs the task force comprised of two sitting state representatives, two elected local officials, a tribe representative and two from vehicular NGO’s.

The Task Force being newly created, the agenda will be mostly introductory. A review of HB 2342 will be followed by an overview of recent and ongoing projects. 10 minutes are allotted for public comment in the RUFTF two hour meeting comprised mainly of ODOT staff presentations. HB 2342 passed out of committee 7 to 5 on a straight party line vote for referral to Ways and Means in 2021.

In 2017 the Oregon Legislature passed HB 2017 was passed -- among other things -- to implement tolls on I-5 and I-205 in the Portland Metro region to help manage traffic congestion. Variable rates are contemplated with higher rates in effect during hours of heaviest use. Variable rates also goes by the names "congestions pricing," "value pricing," "variable pricing", "variable rate tolling", "peak-period pricing" or "market-based pricing". Drivers may alter their hours of use or routes taken to mitigate high toll rates. Tolls are collected electronically so toll booths and long lines aren’t an issue. Equity pricing will aid low income users.

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

Goals and Objectives will be presented by Travis Brouwer Assistant Director of Revenue, Finance and Compliance for ODOT. Brouwer is a very busy guy these days “getting out his grant writing pen and spending a lot of time trying to bring additional money back to Oregon” according to his interview with Bike Oregon. Oregon will be aiming to get a share of the $100 billion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, IIJA, money expected from the Federal Government. The money is for discretionary grant opportunities involving roads, rails, ports, airports, transit and other modes to be awarded by USDOT.

Tolls could start as early as 2024 on the I-205 corridor, near the Abernathy and Tualatin River bridges in Clackamas County. ODOT asks, “will this management tool work well? Has past management of our highway systems been successful”? further down their posting ODOT answers its own question stating “unfortunately, our transportation system isn’t keeping up”. The state is awash in tax revenues yet priorities have ODOT facing a $510 million annual shortfall just to maintain existing roads. The quest to force people out of their automobiles continues.

Questions can be submitted to the ODOT project team at oregontolling@odot.state.or.us


--Tom Hammer

Post Date: 2022-03-05 06:34:23

Last Update: 2022-03-04 11:18:48