Changing the Way a Picture Looks, with a Frame
ODOT speaks about the Governors stop to tolling and what it might really mean...
Ever try to frame a bad painting? No matter the style one might try it is difficult to improve upon a bad piece of art. Although the judgement of art is in the eye of the beholder.
The Regional Mobility Pricing Project for I-5 and I-205 have now been stopped but the picture of tolling, in Oregon’s future, is not coming off of the wall. It is hanging there for all to see and, no matter how you frame it, it is tolling.
In Short
Article 1 - In this KGW article, ODOT Official Brendon Finn gives his insight into how tolling might unfold in the future. Are his words meant as an “if” or rather than a “when”… you decide.
Article 2 - KGW was busy talking with ODOT the last few weeks. In this article, ODOT’s Director Kris Strickler, weighs in on the stop to tolling and how ODOT needs has a funding void.
Article 3 - A few days ago, New York, NY made it official… Congestion tolling will come to Manhattan. The fee, $15 dollars a day to enter the corridor.
Manhattan will be the first of its kind for this type of tolling in America… not Oregon.
Weekly Articles
KGW reports on a west side toll plan
Bad art needs to be destroyed, and placed in the Recycle Bin.
We need to start working on funding for Transportation. My Priorities are -----
Efficient
Fair
Out of State drivers pay
their correct share
Big trucks also.
Transparent to WE THE PEOPLE where our money is going. Reality is nice, not just smoke & mirrors.
Affordable
A program that is difficult to cheat.
Tax studs, when purchased
Heavy vehicles (like EVs
and full size trucks) need to pay more.
Enforce current tag laws
20% extra fee on traffic tickets except parking
EVs already pay more for vehicle registration, just FYI. They actuallly aren't all that heavy. My Tesla weighs about 100 lbs. more than my Jeep Wrangler. We do need a better funding model, but I want something that doesn't control people's movement they way tolling or straight mileage fees do. And we need to ensure privacy, so no GPS-based tracking.
I recommend repurposing the existing DEQ inspection infrastructure into just checking odometers once a year. No, it's not perfect...as you may drive out of state, but it's a close enough approximation of how much you use the roads.