By the time you read this, TOLLS on both I-5 and I-205 at the Oregon border could be law in Oregon. On Thursday afternoon, July 7th, the Oregon Senate passed their $5.3 Billion transportation package. It goes to Governor Kate Brown’s desk for her signature.
SW Washington has an estimated 70,000 citizens who work and pay taxes in Oregon. In the failed CRC, Clark County citizens would be paying over 60 percent of the tolls in that proposal.
Oregon’s plan is a new twist – called “congestion pricing” or variable tolls.
Congestion pricing, the disastrous WSDOT policy on Seattle’s I-405. Citizens pay up to $10 to drive the HOV lane, avoiding the congestion nightmare created for everyone else stranded in the “free” lanes. Yet Seattle has the 10th worst traffic congestion in the nation.
OPB reported: “The measure orders the Oregon Transportation Commission to move forward with implementing variable tolling in conjunction with major freeway projects on Interstates 5 and 205. The idea is that higher prices to use roads can manage congestion.”
The first problem — this negatively impacts the low wage worker much more than wealthy drivers. Our “progressive” friends are usually sensitive to “regressive” taxes. Next — those using the non-tolled lanes found driving times increased significantly.
Finally, ask a very simple question. Will SW Washington citizens “benefit” from any of the road improvements in the bill? With minor exceptions, the answer is “no”.
We all know the real bottleneck on I-5 in the region is the 2-mile, 2-lane section of I-5 at the Rose Quarter. It has the highest accident rate of any section of road in Oregon. Yet Oregon is unwilling to add new through lanes on I-5 at the Rose Quarter. They are only adding “auxiliary lanes” at the Rose Quarter for merging on/off I-5. The bulk of the Rose Quarter money will be spent to add two “lids” across the top of I-5, which does nothing to reduce traffic congestion.
But in the same transportation plan, Oregon is proposing to ADD new lanes to I-205 from Stafford Road to Oregon City – roughly 6 miles in each direction. Additionally, they will WIDEN the Abernethy Bridge crossing the Willamette River and do a seismic upgrade. It’s presently 3 lanes wide, and they want to make it wider! They’re spending $452 million ADDING vehicle capacity to I-205, and they want SW WA citizens to help pay for it.
SW Washington citizens have repeatedly rejected tolls. It’s particularly outrageous when there is no benefit for Clark County drivers.
Citizens must now turn to Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler. The tolls must be approved by the Federal Highway Administration (FHA). We need our Congresswoman to tell the FHA to reject Oregon’s request to toll both I-5 and I-205.
SW Washington citizens have spoken multiple times —“no tolls” and therefore no congestion pricing. Clark County citizens should not pay for Oregon’s transportation projects. Those working in Oregon are already paying significant income taxes in Oregon.
