Lawsuits, Meetings and High Tolls...

A bit of everything this week as we continue with more roadworthy news...

Legislators alerted themselves, several months back, that Truckers, traveling in and through Oregon, were being over taxed. This being the weight-mile tax that trucks weighing 22K pounds or more must pay. At that time, Legislators said they needed to get it fixed now! Another Legislator stated they should talk about it in the following months lunch sessions as there was no time to talk about it in the present.

Now the Oregon Truckers Association has decided to get the talks started… in Court!

Meanwhile the Regional Toll Advisory Committee (RTAC) met for the first time in 2024. Eager to get the Regional Mobility Pricing Project started sooner (Jan. of 2026?) RTAC is still trying to get ODOT to define diversion (last weeks OTU podcast) and looking for value in the program for consumers.

And in New York… drivers in downtown Manhattan are looking at paying $75 a week for the privilege of going to work. That’s over $3,700 a year not including bridge tolls.

Are the lights about to go out on Broadway?

In Short

Article 1 - Last week the Oregon Trucking Association, and several small private trucking companies, filed a lawsuit against the State of Oregon. This because of the continuous over taxation on trucks that travel in and thru Oregon.

The current over-payment, by truckers, is close to $200 million but will be over $500 million within 2 years. Hear what Oregon Trucking Association President Jana Jarvis has to say about the lawsuit on our podcast this week.

Article 2 - Wrapping up last weeks RTAC meeting, and other tolling points, is John Ley’s article in Clark County Today. It goes into many talking points of Oregon’s current situation.

Article 3 - When tolling begins this year, in downtown Manhattan, New York will be the fist state to implement Congestion Tolling… not Oregon… although they say they are the first. Regardless, people traveling into Manhattan will face a steep toll for the privilege of going to work or doing business downtown.

It remains to be seen if the shift to mass-transit will happen, but if anyone has the proper infrastructure it is New York City. Too bad we have nothing to compare it with in most of the Tri-County area.

Articles

Oregon is over taxing those that want to "Keep on Trucking"

Clark County Today.com article on RTAC meeting and updates...

Manhattan will be first with Congestion Tolling...