Regional Mobility Pricing Project

ODOT - How will tolling work? from Oregon Toll Program.

Project Status

The Regional Mobility Pricing Project would toll 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 provide faster, more efficient trips through the Portland metro region.

We developed options for a regional toll system on I-205 and I-5 and are currently analyzing how well they meet traveler and regional needs. You can read about the findings of our initial analysis here (translated versions: 中文 , Русский, Español, and Tiếng Việt). You can also learn more about the options by scrolling to the “Regional Tolling Options" section below.

Options survey is closed! Thank you for sharing your feedback! We received over 8,500 responses to our survey about the tolling options. We are in the process of reviewing your responses and look forward to sharing results with you, local communities, and project partners later this year. Your input will help us refine the project to make sure we are building the right toll program.

We welcome comments at any time! Here's how you can share your input:

Email Oregontolling@odot.oregon.gov, submit an online comment form, or call 503-837-3536 to leave a voicemail.
Attend and listen in to toll advisory committees. View upcoming meetings on our calendar and committee webpages to learn how to comment: Regional Toll Advisory Committee, Statewide Toll Rulemaking Advisory Committee, and the Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee.

We developed three options for when, where, and how drivers would be charged a toll.

All options we are studying for regional tolling would:

Toll portions of I-5 and I-205 in the Portland metro region.
Toll vehicles on all lanes with an all-electronic system.
Not charge a toll overnight.
Charge higher tolls during rush hours and in areas with more traffic.
Have a set toll schedule so you know the toll before your trip.
Allow for average travel speeds of 40 to 55 mph to get you a faster trip.
Include a discount for low-income travelers.

OPTION 1: SYSTEM-WIDE TOLLING

Under Option 1, all drivers would pay a base toll when they enter the highway during daytime hours. Drivers would pay an additional toll when they go through high-traffic toll points to keep traffic moving.

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How drivers would pay tolls with Option 1:

When: During daytime hours (5:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.)
Where: At on-ramps as you enter the highway and when you drive through high-traffic toll points.
Example trip from Tualatin to I-405: Base toll + Toll Point E + Toll Point D + Toll Point C = Total cost

This option would include overhead toll structures, or “gantries," at each toll point and toll infrastructure at on-ramps to collect base tolls.

OPTION 2A AND 2B: TOLL ZONES

Under Option 2a or 2b, drivers would only pay tolls when they travel through toll zones during high-traffic times of day. These zones are shaded in the above maps. Compared to Option 1, there is no base toll and tolls in the zones would be $0 during low-traffic times of day.

Option 2a

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Option 2b

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How drivers would pay tolls with Option 2a and 2b:

When: During daytime hours (5:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.)
Where: Only when you drive through a toll zone. You would only pay once per toll zone.
Example trip from Tualatin to I-405: I-5 Zone 3 + I-5 Zone 2 = Total cost

The toll zones would be located in typical, high-traffic areas. Some places on I-5 and I-205 would not fall within a toll zone. We will decide the location of toll zones based on public feedback and technical considerations.

Option 2a and 2b would include overhead toll structures, or “gantries," in each toll zone. The amount you pay would depend on the time of day and how many zones you drive through.

Learn more in our factsheet about the tolling options (also available in Spanish, Vietnamese, Russian, and Chinese)

Metro, our regional government, conducts traffic analyses for major transportation projects in the Portland area. In Metro's initial analysis of tolling options, they found that all proposed options would successfully result in average travel speeds of 40-55 mph. All options would also:

Raise revenue for transportation improvements.
Reduce regional vehicle miles traveled.
Minimize traffic on nearby roads caused by drivers avoiding a toll.
Have similar average costs for travelers.

Key differences between the options include:

Option 2a and 2b may be less expensive and simpler to design, build, and operate than Option 1.
Option 1 would likely take longer to build than Option 2a or 2b.
Option 1 may encourage people to take other modes of travel (like public transit) instead of driving alone more than Option 2a or 2b.

Read more about the findings of our analysis here.

The Regional Mobility Pricing Project would toll I-5 and I-205 in the Portland metropolitan region to help pay for transportation improvements and get you a faster trip.

What is being proposed?

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

Tolling on I-5 and I-205 in the Portland metropolitan region. As part of the Regional Mobility Pricing Project, 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 collection points will be determined during 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. Higher tolls would be charged during rush hours and in areas with more traffic. Lower or no tolls would be charged at times and in places with less traffic.

Not charge a toll overnight.

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?

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.

ODOT - How will tolling work? from Oregon Toll Program

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

Travelers rely on our transportation system to get to—and through—the metro region.

Unfortunately, our transportation system isn't keeping pace with travelers' needs. Roads and bridges are aging, funding to maintain and improve our roadways isn't enough, people are stuck in traffic, and our region is expected to grow to more than three million residents by 2040

Now is the time to modernize our regional transportation system and the way we use it. Tolling can be part of the solution. Here are the top reasons why we're planning tolling on I-5 and I-205:

Fund critical transportation needs in the region. With increasing costs and declining fuel tax revenue as vehicles become more fuel efficient, tolls are a part of our long-term strategy to pay for transportation improvements that improve traffic flow and make everyday travel safer in the Portland metropolitan region. This includes safety and maintenance on I-5 and I-205, such as roadway paving, pothole repair, clearing debris and graffiti, and making our bridges earthquake ready.
Create better traffic flow for more efficient and predictable trips. Time stuck in traffic comes with a high cost to individuals, businesses, and communities. A higher toll at rush hours and where bottlenecks occur can help reduce traffic and improve traffic flow.
Additional benefits could include reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Tolling encourages some drivers to choose other modes of travel instead of driving alone or make fewer trips. This could lead to reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

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 this type of tolling (also called congestion pricing) as a tool to reduce traffic. Other cities and regions are using tolls to manage congestion, including New York, San Francisco and Seattle.

Oregon is planning a regional tolling system on I-5 and I-205 to manage traffic in the Portland metropolitan region.

The State of Oregon is exploring tolling as part of a comprehensive approach to better reduce congestion in the Portland metropolitan region. In 2017 and 2021, the Oregon Legislature adopted laws that directed the Oregon Transportation Commission to pursue tolling on I-5 and I-205 in the Portland metropolitan area. 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.

The Regional Mobility Pricing Project will use tolling to reduce traffic congestion on I-5 and I-205 in the Portland metropolitan region in a manner that will generate revenue for transportation system investments. Additionally, we are designing the project so that tolling on I-5 and I-205 achieves the following:

Provides benefits for historically and currently excluded and underserved communities.
Results in a minimal amount of traffic on nearby roads caused by drivers avoiding a toll.
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.

We continue our commitment to listening and engaging with the community as we develop a toll program.

Strategies include:

Collaboration with the Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee, the Statewide Rulemaking and Advisory Committee, and the Regional Toll 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 regional tolling moves forward, ODOT will be offering many opportunities to provide valuable feedback and hear directly from the experts.

There are many decisions still to be made for this project, and we need to hear from you to help us build a regional tolling system that works for our communities. 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 conducting an environmental analysis to identify the project's potential benefits and effects and will share a Draft Environmental Assessment for public review and comment. The earliest tolling could begin under the Regional Mobility Pricing Project is 2026. Learn more about the ongoing I-205 Toll Project.