March 11, 2024 Update: At the direction of Governor Kotek and the Oregon Transportation Commission, we have stopped work on the Regional Mobility Pricing Program and have begun to slow our efforts for the I-205 Toll Project and the remainder of the Oregon Toll Program.
We are working to wrap up various efforts to ensure our future readiness for a revived toll program if the Oregon Legislature re-affirms the direction to implement tolls in the Portland metro region. These pages will be updated soon.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
About the Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee
To ensure equitable I-205 and I-5 toll projects and processes, and to help develop a framework, ODOT convened an Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee. This committee is a group of individuals with professional or lived experience in equity and mobility coming together to advise the Oregon Transportation Commission and ODOT on how tolls on the I-205 and I-5 freeways, in combination with other demand management strategies, can include benefits for populations that have been historically and are currently underrepresented or underserved by transportation projects.
In providing input to the Oregon Transportation Commission, the committee shall consider needs and opportunities for achieving community mobility and equity priorities as part of the National Environmental Policy Act process for toll implementation. Currently, ODOT is considering options for tolling locations on the I-205 and I-5 corridors. The committee will advise on the equity foundation of these toll projects, including guidelines, strategies and processes.
After two years of thoughtful, dedicated work and candid conversation, Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee (EMAC) members brought their July 2022 recommendations to the Oregon Transportation Commission (OTC). Hear from these community leaders about why they are engaged in this work, their perspectives on the intersection of equity and mobility, and their ideas on how to advance an equitable toll program.
The public is welcome to join regular EMAC meetings; click here to get information about both past and upcoming meetings.
The committee shall advise the Oregon Transportation Commission by:
Providing input and supporting ODOT during the technical and environmental review process to ensure milestone decisions and project developments are grounded in the draft toll projects' equity framework, including the development and refinement of performance measures and the evaluation of alternatives for the I-205 and I-5 Toll Projects.
Providing input on mobility and equity strategies as the I-205 and I-5 Toll Projects are going through the environmental review process, including:
- Availability of transit and other transportation options.
- Transportation needs of, and benefits for, people of color and people with low-incomes, limited English proficiency or disabilities that live near or travel through the project area.
- Better understanding of neighborhood benefits and impacts for the communities near the tolled facilities (e.g., changes to cut-through traffic, pedestrian and bicycle options, transit access).
- Developing an equitable engagement plan that will result in ongoing input and participation from communities that have been historically and are currently underrepresented in transportation planning.
- Supporting the implementation of the equitable engagement plan by hosting or cohosting meetings, events and/or other activities as determined by the engagement plan.
The Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee has adopted a Committee Charter to guide their work.
The
Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee is developing recommendations to create
equitable toll projects in Oregon. These recommendations consist of policy and
strategy considerations that were presented to the Oregon Transportation
Commission in July 2022. The meeting recording is available
here. EMAC’s
recommendations, in the form of recommended actions, inform guidelines,
strategies, processes, and policies to advance equity with implementable measures
before and after tolling begins. Review EMAC’s final recommendations document
here.
The Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee has 13 members, including members appointed by the ODOT director and selected through an open application process.
The 13 committee members represent a spectrum of mobility and equity interests. We selected members for the experiences and perspectives they can offer as Oregon develops the toll program.
Forming the committee was a collaborative process between states, cities and counties. To start, we asked local agencies in Clackamas, Washington, Multnomah and Clark counties, as well as the cities of Vancouver and Portland, for their advice on who should represent their communities. For transit and ride services representation, we asked TriMet, Ride Connection, CTRAN, and SMART to identify members with equity and mobility experience. Then, to add experience in active transportation, racial equity, social equity and large business, we invited regional partners to offer recommendations. County coordinating committees and their technical staff in Clackamas, Washington and East Multnomah counties contributed, as did nearly 20 non-profit organizations in the Portland metro area.
We designated three at-large committee members through an open application process. ODOT's project team reviewed more than 40 applications using a blind review system. They selected top candidates on diversity and equity criteria, including: commitment to, and experience in, supporting or advocating for equitable processes and outcomes; experience with the transportation system in the Portland metro area and/or Southwest Washington; and, interest in participating on the committee. From the original pool, the project team created a “short list" of five candidates; ODOT named three of them to serve at-large.
Roster
Amanda Garcia-Snell
| Washington County Community Engagement
|
Dr. Philip Wu
| Oregon Environmental Council
|
Duana Johnson
| At-large member
|
Germaine Flentroy
| Beyond Black/Play, Grow, Learn
|
James Paulson
| WorkSystems Inc. Board
|
Jan Campbell
| Disability Awareness Resource Team (DART)
|
Jeff Christian
| At-large member; Columbia Distributing
|
John Gardner
| TriMet
|
LaQuinta Daniels
| Clark County Juvenile Court
|
Leah Fisher
| Clackamas County Public Health Department and Department of Transportation & Development |
Olivia Kahn
| City of Vancouver
|
Paul Burgess
| Fourth Plain Forward
|
Rachel Winslow
| At-large member
|
Tangerine Behere
| Ride Connection
|
Alicia Chapman, Oregon Transportation Commissioner, serves as the committee liaison.
Upcoming Meetings
Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee (EMAC) Meeting #28
Wednesday, March 13, from 2:30 p.m. to 3:15 p.m.
Held online. Members of the public can watch the YouTube video livestream of the meeting.
Please visit the EMAC Documents page for meeting materials and information on past EMAC meetings.