Alternatives ODOT Won't Consider for Awhile...
With VMT not considered for 6 month to a year what else has ODOT put on hold...
Over this past year we have mentioned a few options to tolling. A Vehicle Mileage Tax (also know as Road Usage Tax), an increase to the Gas Tax and registration fee increases… and these are the most equitable options when measured against tolling. Washington County even has a fee on property taxes that helps with road maintenance.
While ODOT has mentioned these as “options” we now know that these are most likely last resorts if tolling falls through.
Currently, all is very quiet. No news is a bit of bad news as we know monies are being spent on back office infrastructure and there are rumors of gantries being mapped out and wired… this from a few legislative and state officials.
Maybe it is a good time to really dig deep and see what options best fit Oregonians and provide the most equitable funding mechanism. Or maybe it is best to plow ahead with tolling and only consider options if absolutely necessary.
In Short
Article 1 - Currently eight, or more, States are increasing EV registration fees in order to make up for lost Gas Tax revenue. In this Washington Post article, the information gets a bit fuzzy as there is no definitive dollar amount that equates what is lost in Gas Tax revenue.
We do the math for you, in our Podcast, to say the average loss, in Oregon, is $228 per Electric Vehicle.
Article 2 - This article, from 2020, sheds light on the Back Office percentage paid to collect and process tolls. Note the “Lack of Control and Standards” section in the article.
Remember also, in one of our articles last week, that Washington State is about to raise its tolls for many of the same reasons listed.
Article 3 - We continue, in our podcast, to hit the main points of what it means to vote for or against Initiative Petition 4 (IP-4). Last week we talked about voting for it… this week we talk about what happens if it is voted down.
Weekly Articles
Washington Post article on States raising EV Registrations,,,
Material Handling and Logistics article on the efficiencies of tolling...
Listen to this weeks, and last weeks, podcast for the main effect of voting in favor or against IP-4.