Entering Into The Fog...
When what is ahead is unknown, do you stay in the fast lane?
There is always something sinister abut driving in the fog. The question always looms as to what is out there… and as to when the fog might go away.
In our Podcast, we will lend a bit more to the mysteries of fog, but here we merely want to point out how ODOT has left us in a fog. What is truth and what is a concoction of words, presentations and committees designed to keep us unable to discern the realities of ODOT’s finances. And while legislators look deeper, will they turn a blind eye?
Cue the music… The Fog is rolling in…
In Short
Article 1 - On November 7th, Mazen Malik, with the Oregon Legislative Revenue Office, presented a “Financing Roads in Oregon” report to the Senate Interim Committee on Finance and Revenue. The report is a "What, How and Where of the status of Oregon highway funding
In the Articles section below, we give you the Power Point slides for the presentation. Note slide #18 where stated, Cumulatively, gross revenues are $125.5M above the prior forecast and $123.5 M above in net revenues through FY 2031.
Article 2 - The Oregon Transportation Commission meet last week in what one might call an epic fail. The sound was so bad, from anyone at the Commissioners’ table, that even the individual teletype was unable to clearly type out what said.
BUT, in the meeting Power Point materials, linked below in our Articles section, note Appendix J. This is where ODOT is asking for $20 mil more dollars to complete the Abernethy Bridge project.
In lieu of Article 1, this might have been bad timing by ODOT or… you decide…
Weekly Articles
Senate Interim Committee on Finance and Revenue
ODOT's Support Material for the 11-19-23 Oregon Transportation Commission meeting
ODOT claims the gas tax doesn't raise enough money. Yet the actual FACTS from their own presentations prove otherwise. They lie, they mislead, they use selective "facts" to paint a narrative that supports their support for picking the people's pockets even more. If they would stop wasting money, especially on mass transit projects that fewer and fewer people ride, ODOT could fixing our roads and bridges!
I had an interesting trip last Thursday to Bellevue Washington. It was a night time trip to our kids in Sultan and I arrived at the I 405 about 7 pm. We immediately hit bumper to bumper traffic. It was a 5 lane stretch of highway I think. Three left lanes was bumper to bumper and the left two lanes were flowing very fast. Guess what the left lanes were TOLL LANES for the charge of $10. Obviously the right lanes were bumper to bumper and slowly moving because of the $10 toll. We were tired so we took the toll lanes- I haven't got the toll bill yet from the state. I started thinking as I drove past the right lanes that were creeping along at bumper to bumper speed. Is this what is in store for a Tolled I 205 or I 5? It seems to me that opening the left lanes to all traffic would have made the trip much more pleasant and faster to all those on I 405. (i.e. more lanes in use equates to less congestion and less gas wasted for all those climate types.) Sounds simple until the government gets it greedy paws on the $10 toll collected. Oh, I was also told that that toll was scheduled to go up to $16. Haven't verified that yet. Still a $10 toll seemed a little extreme. I don't know the impact on the surface streets around I 405. I would guess it is impacted as well. Are we sure that tolling I 205 and I 5 is the correct solution? I say it isn't and it needs to be removed as the first choice for lots of reasons. Mark me as a NO VOTE on I 205 or I 5 tolls!