PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — As traffic congestion steadily gets worse in the Portland metro area, the Oregon Department of Transportation is looking into charging tolls as one way to help reduce the problem.
ODOT calls it “value pricing,” and Monday the agency began exploring a proposal to implement tolls on parts of I-5 and I-205.
It’s very early in the process — this was the first public meeting held on the topic — and ODOT made it clear putting tolls on roads is just one of many options they’re looking at to reduce congestion.
The Value Pricing advisory committee — made up of 25 members from the “business community, equity and environmental justice interests, public transportation and environmental advocates and local
governments in Oregon and Washington” — will explore all the pros and cons of placing tolls on roads.
The roads under discussion at this time are I-5 and I-205 from the state line on the north down to where the highways meet south of Tualatin.
Travis Brouwer with ODOT said the committee will look closely at tolling systems already in place around the Seattle metro area.
“In the Seattle metro region they have been very successful in using various types of tolling, including peak hour value pricing, to decrease congestion and help pay for transportation projects,” Brouwer told KOIN 6 News.
The next meeting is set for December 7 at ODOT office, 123 NW Flanders in Portland
The basic models include converting a carpool (HOV) lane to a toll lane with possible higher prices when demand is greater, or setting a variable toll on a new or converted highway lane.
“The commitment we have made is that those who pay a toll and use the infrastructure will get a better, more reliable, less congested trip,” he said.
Consultant Trey Baker said, “Pricing can actually save billions of dollars in lost time and monetary costs.”
Along with the cost-effectiveness, the committee is also considering variables such as the impact of diverted traffic on surface roads, transit service and the community.
All of the tolling would be done with high-speed, electronic card readers. The goal is to be able to apply to the Federal Highway Administration for approval of a tolling system by the end of 2018.
ODOT’s Brouwer promised 2 things.
“You have our commitment. No one will have to stop at a toll booth to throw coins into a basket,” he said. And he added, “We will allow folks to have their voices heard at every step along the way.”
The next meeting is set for December 7 at the same location — 123 NW Flanders in Portland.