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Regional Mobility Pricing Project


 

ODOT - How will tolling work? from Oregon Toll Program

Project Status

The Regional Mobility Pricing Project would toll all lanes on I-5 and I-205 in the Portland metropolitan region. Tolling is part of ODOT's long-term strategy to help pay for transportation improvements, and help get you where you need to go on time.

ODOT and the Federal Highway Administration are conducting an environmental analysis to identify the project's potential benefits and effects. The results of the environmental assessment will be published for review and comment in 2024.

In response to partner and community feedback, ODOT has developed a few options for how tolling could work on I-5 and I-205. This process involved looking at how well each option would meet project goals, including improving traffic flow in the Portland metro region and paying for roadway safety and improvements. We shared the tolling options with the Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee on Aug. 7, 2023; learn more here.In fall 2023, we're inviting community members and regional partners to provide their input and help inform future decisions about the toll program– stay tuned for how to get involved!  Sign up for the email newsletter to learn about project updates and opportunities for involvement.

Thank you for your comments!

Thank you to everyone who provided input during our comment period that ended January 2023! Find out what we learned from nearly 4,500 comments and how we'll use this feedback as the project moves forward by reading the Engagement and Comment Summary

The Regional Mobility Pricing Project will reduce traffic and provide more predictable travel by applying congestion pricing on all lanes of I-5 and I-205 in the Portland metropolitan area.

​What is being proposed?

The proposed project has been informed by planning, public input and analysis over the past several years. 

  • Tolling on all lanes of I-5 and I-205 in the Portland metropolitan area. Tolls are being studied on I-5 between the Columbia River and the Boone Bridge in Wilsonville and on I-205 from the Columbia River to where I-205 intersects with I-5 in Tualatin. The toll boundaries may be adjusted during or after the environmental analysis.​
  • Tolls based on a set schedule. Drivers would know the toll rate in advance. A set schedule allows drivers to determine the cost of their trip ahead of time to plan their travel. 
  • Tolls based on location and time of day. Toll rates would vary based on time of day and location, known as congestion pricing. Drivers would be charged higher toll rates at congested locations during morning and afternoon rush hours and lower tolls at less congested locations during other times of day. Drivers would only pay for the portions of I-5 and I-205 they use.  
  • Drivers would pay a toll through an all-electronic collection system—Drivers would not stop to pay a toll.  
  • Toll rates would be monitored and adjusted after tolling begins. The Oregon Transportation Commission will set toll rates.
For more information: Review the Proposed Action fact sheet or the full NEPA Proposed Action Technical Memorandum.

 
Please click on image to enlarge.


​How would tolls work on I-5 and I-205?​

How tolling works graphic.png

  • Toll systems will read a toll tag, a small sticker placed on the inside of the windshield or capture a picture of the vehicle's license plate to collect a toll by mailing the vehicle owner a bill.
  • ODOT will provide a discount or credit for people experiencing low incomes. Some discounts or credits for select vehicle types or users may also be available.
​See what all-electronic tolling would look like.​​

Посмотрите видео о работе электронной системы взимания платы за проезд здесь
https://youtu.be/6UW0fpeDgf8​

请收看全电子收费相关流程的视频
https://youtu.be/korN1TmsPqE

Vea aquí un video sobre el funcionamiento del peaje totalmente electrónico
https://youtu.be/bkl3VvGz67U

Xem video về hoạt động thu phí hoàn toàn bằng điện tử tại đây
https://youtu.be/6i8534Oz1Q4 

Purpose​​

Our outdated transportation system requires us to take action and make improvements. 

The cost of congestion on freeways in the Portland metropolitan region was $1.2 million a day in 2019, according to ODOT's 2020 Traffic Performance Report. The metropolitan area is expected to grow 23% by 2040. Yet, Oregon faces an annual shortfall of $510 million to adequately maintain bridges and roads.

Tolling is one necessary tool to fix our transportation system. 

Congestion pricing, a type of tolling, will bring more predictable trips and address congestion in the Portland metropolitan area, resulting in reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Toll revenue from the Regional Mobility Pricing Project would be an additional source of funding for transportation improvements identified in existing regional transportation planning documents.

How does this help keep traffic moving? ​

In cities, space is limited, and communities make choices about how best to use that space. When something is in high demand, the value or price increases. 

Congestion pricing charges a higher fee during rush hour (generally 7-9 a.m. and 4-6 p.m.), compared to other times, so travelers can make informed choices, such as:
  • Delaying running errands until off-peak hours.
  • Taking a bus, biking, or carpooling instead of driving alone.
  • Paying a toll for a more predictable trip.
Removing as little as 5% of the vehicles from a busy road reduces traffic and allows a more efficient flow of cars. Fewer vehicles on the road during peak travel times means less traffic.



Portland is not the first city to explore congestion pricing as a tool to reduce traffic. Places like Seattle and Minneapolis/St. Paul have been using congestion pricing for over a decade with great success. In Seattle, the Federal Highway Administration reported traffic volumes decreased by 35-40 percent, and in Minneapolis/St. Paul​, the state's Department of Transportation found drivers were able to travel at speeds above 45 mph approximately 96 percent of the time.

Oregon is committed to using congestion pricing on I-5 and I-205 to manage traffic in the Portland metropolitan area.

The State of Oregon is exploring tolling as part of a comprehensive approach to better reduce congestion in the Portland metropolitan region. In 2017, the Oregon Legislature approved House Bill 2017. In 2021, the Legislature adopted another bill, HB 3055, which clarified and reinforced the transportation direction from HB 2017. These directed the Oregon Transportation Commission to pursue and implement tolling I-5 and I-205 in the Portland metropolitan region and committed funding to projects that will reduce traffic congestion and improve the transportation system statewide, including improvements to highways, the freight network, transit, and bicycle and pedestrian facilities. ​

Expected Benefits

  • Improves travel time and increases travel predictability, safety and efficiency.
  • Reduces greenhouse gas emissions and fuel consumption.
  • Establishes a new, sustainable funding source through a user fee.
  • Supports enhanced transportation equity and mobility. 
The Regional Mobility Pricing Project will use congestion pricing to reduce traffic congestion on I-5 and I-205 in the Portland metropolitan area in a manner that will generate revenue for transportation system investments. Additionally, we are designing the project so that congestion pricing on I-5 and I-205 achieves the following:
  • Provides benefits for historically and currently excluded and underserved communities.
  • Limits additional rerouting to adjacent roads and neighborhoods due to drivers avoiding the tolled interstates.
  • Supports transit, walking, and rolling choices to reduce congestion.
  • Supports safe travel.
  • Contributes to regional improvements in air quality and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
  • Supports regional economic growth.
  • Reduces traffic congestion.
  • Is compatible with tolling planned for the I-205 Toll Project and the Interstate Bridge.
Learn more by reviewing the Draft Purpose and Need Statement.

ODOT seeks extensive public and stakeholder involvement to inform project goal setting, development, and equity and mobility strategies. See our Equity and Mobility Page.

 We have planned multiple strategies to ensure the Oregon Transportation Commission and ODOT staff hear from community members in the Portland metropolitan area, including Southwest Washington, before making decisions.​

Planned strategies include:

  • Collaboration with the Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee.
  • Equitable and focused engagement with communities who have been historically and currently excluded and underserved by transportation projects.
  • Broad public and community outreach using interactive events and online channels.
  • Briefings and discussions with existing regional policy groups (for example, Joint Policy Advisory Committee on Transportation, Region 1 Area Commission on Transportation).
  • Seeking input from technical work groups of partner agency staff on methodologies and analytical results that incorporate stakeholder input.

As the Regional Mobility Pricing​ Project moves forward, ODOT will be offering other digital opportunities to provide valuable feedback and hear directly from the experts. Learn more about how to get involved and sign up​ for project updates to find out about upcoming events.

​The process to implement a toll program requires substantial analysis, public input, construction, testing and driver education before the system can be operational. Early planning for tolling on I-5 and I-205 started in 2021. We are beginning an environmental analysis to identify the project's potential benefits and impacts and will share a Draft Environmental Assessment in late 2024. The earliest tolling could begin under the Regional Mobility Pricing Project is 2026. Learn more about the ongoing I-205 Toll Project.











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