January 2022

What does the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act mean for Oregon? - An interview with Travis Brouwer of ODOT. 

The recent passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (referred to here as the “Infrastructure Bill") in November 2021 represents the largest investment in our nation's infrastructure in several decades, and is an increasingly rare bipartisan achievement in federal legislation. The Oregon Toll Program project team connected virtually with Travis Brouwer, Assistant Director for Revenue, Finance, and Compliance at the Oregon Department of Transportation, to learn how the Infrastructure Bill will change the landscape of transportation in Oregon. 

Project Team (PT): I understand that getting an infrastructure bill passed is something you have been working on for at least a decade. How does it feel now that an infrastructure bill is a reality?

Travis Brouwer (TB): It's true that I have been working hard to increase the federal level of investment, and counter federal disinvestment in transportation for a long time. I came to ODOT a few months after Congress passed a substantial infrastructure investment, SAFETEA-LU, in 2005. Federal funding has pretty much been stagnant since that time, and the lack of partnership and investment from the federal government has been really frustrating. So, it feels really great to have an infrastructure bill finally passed, and it is a once in a generation investment into our transportation system. 

PT: The Infrastructure Bill includes more than $500 billion in funding for transportation, but most people aren't tracking this every day like you are. What does this mean for Oregon? How will this change the day-to-day lives of Oregonians?

TB: One thing that Oregonians will see is a significant investment in bridges across the state. We need to address bridges that are reaching the end of their functional lives, and we need to keep them open and safe by preserving and protecting them. It usually costs less to keep our transportation infrastructure in good condition compared to letting it deteriorate to the point where we have to rebuild roads and bridges from scratch.

Another impactful area where Oregonians will see increased investment is electric vehicle charging infrastructure. Many people would love to own an electric vehicle, but they are concerned about running out of juice, and rightly so! I own an electric vehicle and my family recently wanted to take it out to Seaside. But we realized we couldn't get there and back on one charge, and there isn't a public charging station in Seaside. Investing in electric vehicle charging infrastructure will be really helpful in transitioning our auto fleet away from fossil fuels and will help us achieve our climate goals.

There will also be a lot of focus on sustainable methods of transportation, like increased funding for bike paths and walkways and transit, so that people can get out of sitting in traffic and do so safely

PT: So, if Oregon is set to receive more infrastructure funding, why do we still need tolling? 

TB: I've been getting this question a lot lately. The reality is that federal money alone is not enough to fund maintenance of the system we already have, much less improving it. Projects we need in the Portland metropolitan region to address mobility are so large, we cannot fund them using state funds, like the gas tax, even with the infusion of federal money. We're getting about $400 million from the Infrastructure Bill that the Oregon Transportation Commission must decide what to do with. Even if we used every single dollar coming to the entire state, it would not be enough to completely fund even a single project in our program, certainly not the Interstate Bridge Replacement or Rose Quarter, which is estimated to cost $1.18 to $1.25 billion.

There are major new grant programs in the Infrastructure Bill for freight movement and reconnecting communities. Toll funding will be used to leverage those grant funds; if we are able to show that we have a plan to raise funding on our own, we have a better chance of securing federal grants. That will ultimately reduce the total amount that Oregonians will directly pay. We also need to use tolling to better manage traffic and keep it in check, so it is not only about funding either.  

PT: Why is tolling beginning on I-205 first? 

TB: Investing in the section of I-205 around the Abernethy Bridge was identified as a priority project by local leaders in Clackamas County, the region and the state. In order for ODOT to keep the I-205 Improvement Projects on schedule, including the work being done to remove bottlenecks, we need to complete the environmental analysis under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and obtain a federal decision in late 2022. This will allow implementation of tolling on this section of I-205 in late 2024. The Regional Mobility Pricing Project needs to complete additional planning and community conversations before beginning review under NEPA, and will require additional federal decisions. The I-205 Toll Project and regional tolling project will be integrated once both are brought online by late 2025.

PT: Helping manage ODOT seems like a big, complicated challenge. What keeps you motivated to come into work every day and get these projects off the ground?

TB: When the Infrastructure Bill passed, I had a moment of exhilaration, followed by the quick realization that we had a lot of work in front of us. This is a great opportunity to use a billion dollars of investment to make our communities better places to live. That’s what keeps me going, even in the face of working many hours through thorny issues. All of us are going to be working our backsides off getting this money out into the streets.

PT: You've mentioned a number of big projects in the Portland metropolitan region. What does the transportation network look like in 10, 20, or 50 years? How are people getting around?

TB: I love that question. We are known as an agency that runs the freeways, but we would love a day in the future where demand on the freeway is lessened. We need to make investments across the multimodal system, to take pressure off our freeways so they can serve trucks and long-distance trips to keep the economy moving. We want active transportation systems and public transportation systems to work better. We imagine a future where people can safely walk or bike to their jobs because our development patterns support that, or not commute at all because we have an accessible and equitable broadband system that allows people to work from home. We are not going to grow the freeway system at the same rate as our population grows, because that is impossible. Meeting the growing demand for transportation should be done largely through public and active transportation. As an agency, we are focused on getting people around equitably, efficiently, and safely, while still enabling access and the ability to get around conveniently. 

Travis Brouwer is the Assistant Director for Revenue, Finance, and Compliance at the Oregon Department of Transportation. Travis grew up in Bellingham, Washington, but has lived in Salem for more than 20 years, when he came to ODOT after working as a congressional aide. Of his move into the transportation agency Travis said “I was looking for something less political. It is really rewarding to see the concrete results, literally the concrete, of my efforts."  He can be reached by email at travis.brouwer@odot.oregon.gov. 

December 2021

I-205 Toll Project Community Conversations

What we heard in Clackamas County.

Thank you for your feedback. The Oregon Department of Transportation participated in several meetings with Clackamas County community members in the past month. During discussions with the Leaders for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Council, the Oregon City Business Alliance, and after participating in the Clackamas County Town Hall, we heard some of the following themes:​

• ​Diversion: Concern about drivers avoiding tolls by using local streets. Many commented that they are already experiencing diversion and are worried that the tolls would increase traffic on local roads.
• Equity: Interest in avoiding unequal negative impacts to working people, seniors, and those without alternative route options. We heard ODOT should consider how underserved drivers in different geographies will be affected differently.
• Funding: Questions about why tolling is needed and why other funding sources cannot be used to make improvements.
• Fairness: Concern that the project is unfair to those in Oregon City, West Linn, and the surrounding areas since transit options are limited and that area will be tolled first.​
  

In advance of the release of the Environmental Assessment in Spring 2022, the project team is continuing to meet with communities in Clackamas County and provide information about what we know now and how questions will be answered. If your community organization is interested in a briefing, please email Oregontolling@odot.oregon.gov.

 

Regional Mobility Pricing Project Updates

Regional workshop results are now available. ​

In November 2021, the Oregon Department of Transportation hosted two virtual workshops to explore congestion pricing in the Portland metropolitan area with elected officials, business and community leaders, and local and regional agency staff. Thank you to over 50 workshop attendees who participated and everyone who responded to the public survey. You can read the full summary here or view meeting materials and videos from the workshops here.

November 10 workshop poll results: What three words describe an ideal transportation system?

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Engaging with community-based organizations.​

On November 17, we invited several community-based organizations to a virtual discussion to learn more about the Oregon Toll Program and the Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee’s role while discussing the program and preferences for future engagement. Thank you to representatives from the Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon, Black United Fund, Exceed Enterprises, Latino Network, and Ride Connection for joining us. We value the interests and concerns of community-based organizations. They highlighted the need for alternative transportation options, potential impacts of tolls, and the best ways to continue the conversation with their communities.

Please contact Hannah Williams, ODOT Community Engagement Coordinator, at Hannah.Williams@odot.oregon.gov if your organization is interested in participating in a future discussion. 

We're moving!

Introducing the Urban Mobility Office newsletter. 

In January 2022, our monthly news is moving to a new Urban Mobility Office newsletter. You’ll still have access to Oregon Toll Project updates in this new format, along with important news about projects in the Portland metropolitan area. Our website is always the best source for immediate information and to answer your questions. All subscribers of this newsletter will automatically receive our new newsletter and Toll Program updates. Thank you for reading our articles. We wish you a safe and happy holiday season.

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November 2021

​Travelers and the community have their say about congestion pricing in the Portland metropolitan area

Participants agree traffic is a problem, but they have questions and concerns about potential solutions. 

In response to questions about how to design a congestion pricing project that can work for the Portland metropolitan area, thousands of people shared their perspectives about traffic and proposed solutions earlier this year.

The Oregon Department of Transportation learned many people view congestion as a problem in the Portland metropolitan area, including southwest Washington. The proposed use of congestion pricing – a type of tolling where the fee is higher during peak travel times – generated many questions and concerns during online meetings and surveys held June through November. ODOT continues to invite public input on a congestion pricing project to keep the economy and travelers moving.

“As we have discussions with communities, the idea that we need to think holistically about the transportation system comes through again and again. People say they need options and real choices for mobility," said Lucinda Broussard, ODOT Toll Program Director. “We hear this and will be working closely with our partners to address these needs."

The Regional Mobility Pricing Project would apply congestion pricing on all lanes of I-5 and I-205 in the Portland metropolitan area to manage traffic congestion and raise revenue for priority transportation projects that improve mobility. The project area begins just south of the Columbia River in Oregon and ends at the Boone Bridge in Wilsonville.

A separate project, the I-205 Toll Project, is under environmental review. This project would apply congestion pricing on vehicles that cross the two I-205 bridges over the Willamette River (Abernethy Bridge) and the Tualatin River to raise revenue for completion of the I-205 Improvements Project, which will eliminate an existing bottleneck along a 7-mile segment of highway. 

For both projects, toll rates would vary on a set schedule based on time of day, type of vehicle, and the distance travelled on I-5 and I-205.

Below are some highlights of what we've learned so far to inform future planning for the Regional Mobility Pricing Project. A full report on community engagement activities and input from June to September 2021 may be found online.

Community feedback 

• 2 November workshops with elected officials, business and community leaders, and public agency staff 
  
• 6 discussion groups with historically excluded and underserved communities, including Black/African​ American, Native American, Latin American, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Russian/Slavic communities
• 6,500+ responses from 5 surveys
• 29 briefings (June-September)
• 12 meetings of advisory committees and work groups (June-September)
• 300+ emails, letters, web comments (June-September)
  

Community voices

ODOT partnered with community engagement liaisons to invite feedback through discussion groups with historically excluded and underserved communities. Learn more about what they heard from their communities.

“It was clear that no one wants to pay for being on the road, but it was also clear that people also don't want to be in traffic." – Hanna Grishkevich, Slavic Community Engagement Liaison

What we heard

1. Participants agree traffic is a problem, and COVID has not significantly changed travel. Over 2,000 survey responses (85%) think traffic is a problem or somewhat of a problem in the Portland metropolitan area. Nearly 1,800 responses (69%) identified traveling the same or more since the rise of the pandemic in March 2020.

2. Participants have questions about how a toll system can help address congestion and what benefits they would see. People want to know more about the need for transportation funding, how it will be used, if it will benefit travelers, and how congestion pricing will help keep traffic moving. Workshop participants said that if drivers pay tolls, they want to experience travel time reliance and predictability improvements that are worth those costs.

3. Participants want to ensure vulnerable populations are not disproportionately impacted by the tolling program. Meeting participants discussed that it was critical to develop a tolling system that doesn't make existing inequities worse, but rather helps make progress toward regional equity goals. About a third of survey respondents (37%) supported a discounted toll rate for drivers experiencing low incomes and other impacted groups.

4. Diversion is a significant concern. Questions about how tolls would impact traffic on local street networks emerged during many discussions, as well as the consequences of traffic diversion related to safety, local businesses, and overall quality of life for residents. While some workshop participants acknowledged that tolling could have a positive impact by keeping vehicles moving on I-5 and I-205, there was concern that if toll rates are too high people might use other routes instead.

5. Participants want travel choices. There was support for toll-free travel options, such as toll free routes, lanes or improved transit service. Half of survey respondents (52%) noted that they would consider paying a toll if it would save them 30 minutes of travel time. Participants voiced a need for better alternatives to driving, such as improvements to bike, walk, and transit options. Workshop participants requested more clarity on how these options could be funded through toll revenues.
   

Moving forward to find a solution

Feedback will help advance early planning.

We're appreciative of community feedback about the need for accessible, affordable transportation. With the feedback we've heard to date, we will update the draft Purpose and Need Statement for the Regional Mobility Pricing Project, and begin to develop a concept for what congestion pricing could look like on I-5 and I-205. Congestion pricing is an effective tool to fix our transportation problems, and a key component of ODOT's vision to keep people moving through the greater Portland area.

Congestion pricing will be a big change, and we need your help to get it right. Please look for future opportunities in winter 2022 to help us shape a solution. We invite you to stay engaged to hear about future opportunities and share your voice!​

October 2021

​Introducing the R1ACT+ Toll Work Group

Joining together to provide a discussion forum on tolling. 

The Region 1 Area Commission on Transportation is an Oregon-based advisory group that provides a forum for collaborating on transportation issues and advising the Oregon Transportation Commission. One goal is to strengthen state and local partnerships. In that spirit, the R1ACT+ Toll Work Group brings together the R1ACT members, elected officials in southwest Washington, and stakeholders to discuss key questions on tolling.

The R1ACT+ Toll Work Group had its first meeting in September 2021 and will continue with meetings every other month. The group does not take formal votes or actions. Their role is to discuss key questions to help stay informed about the Toll Program.  

The next R1ACT+ Toll Work Group meeting will be Monday, Nov. 1, 5:30-7:30 p.m. You can join the webinar here. There will be 10 minutes reserved for public comment. See the R1ACT website for the agenda and meeting information.  You may submit your written comments by emailing the committee at Oregontolling@odot.state.or.us.

 

The Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee continues to refine recommendations 

Join us for the next meeting on October 27   

The Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee​ is preparing to present to the Oregon Transportation Commission in November. Over the last several committee meetings, members have talked about policies and strategies to support transit and multimodal travel, neighborhood health and safety, and transportation affordability. In October, the committee will focus on key statements as the foundation for a future recommendation to the OTC to advance equity in the Oregon Toll Program.

Please join us for the next meeting of the Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee on Wednesday, Oct. 27 at 3:30 p.m. You can find the meeting information on the website. Submit written comments at any time to the committee by emailing Oregontolling@odot.state.or.us.

Monthly video series continues

Last month we started our monthly video series to share information about the Oregon Toll Program more broadly. You can watch here or access the links through our social media channels. Here is the latest video in the series:

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September 2021

​Monthly video series begins

In recent weeks, we have heard a need to get more information about the Oregon Toll Program into public conversations. We've started a monthly video series to do just that. We will share the links here and through social media. Here is the latest: 

 

“The toll rate will be the sweet spot between the goal of managing congestion and generating revenue." - Garet S. Prior, Toll Policy Manager

Get a snapshot of the progress our toll team made in our monthly video recap video. Watch the full video here. 

Addressing transportation problems on I-5 and I-205

Draft Purpose and Need Statement available for public comment.  

This fall, we are continuing early planning and inviting feedback for the Regional Mobility Pricing Project. Key activities include:

• Gathering comments on a discussion draft Purpose and Need Statement to describe what key issues the Project will address based on the problem statement and public input to date. Please share your thoughts by emailing the project team at OregonTolling@odot.state.or.us by October 29, 2021, with “Purpose and Need Statement" in the subject line.
• Summarizing the findings from the over 6,500 responses to the quick surveys this summer and discussion groups with multilingual and underserved communities.
• Developing a range of project options to meet the project purpose. To do this, we'll start with outcomes from our initial tolling analysis in 2018. We'll also consider public feedback to date and ODOT's vision for urban mobility.

Public involvement is key so we understand community interests and needs as we develop the project. Sign up for project updates and follow us on social media to hear about future opportunities to comment.

I-205 Toll Project Update

Why are we moving forward with our I-205 Toll Project?  

We've recently updated the I-205 Toll Project Purpose and Need Statement, which describes the reasons why tolling will be critical to raising revenue to fix the bottleneck on I-205 and manage congestion long-term. 

Revenue from the I-205 Toll Project is needed to complete the I-205 Improvements Project

Without tolls and future roadway upgrades, the almost seven hours of daily congestion and safety risks will continue to grow as more people use the highway. Diversion to local streets will also increase when I-205 has stop-and-go traffic. Read our fact sheet to learn more.

We met with people at the Oregon City Farmers Market on Saturday, September 25

We heard support for improvements to the corridor and the need for more consistent funding. People also expressed concerns regarding increased traffic on local streets and the ease and convenience of paying for tolls.

Public outreach for the I-205 Toll Project and I-205 Improvements Project  is moving full steam ahead. Together, we will be meeting with stakeholders in Oregon City and West Linn in the coming months. Follow us on Twitter to get program updates.

We anticipate having the I-205 Toll Project Environmental Assessment available for your review in spring 2022. When we release the document, we will notify you and give you the opportunity to provide written or verbal comment on our analysis before decisions are made. Contact us if you would like to schedule a briefing.

Getting to know the Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee 

The Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee includes 15 individuals with professional or lived experience in equity and mobility. This month, we're introducing Diana Avalos Leos, Founder and Director of the Latino Youth Conference and Southwest Washington resident. Diana has been involved in hundreds of different initiatives at institutions and in communities.

Over the last five years, Diana has seen a rise in agencies removing bus routes from the most populated, high density, and low-income areas in Vancouver, Washington. She understands the impacts and inequities those decisions have caused for people who relied on those bus routes as their only mode of transportation. 

“I joined the committee to bring a voice that has been missing in terms of representation from SW Washington. If we drill down a little bit further, it's the voice of our communities of color, of disenfranchised folks who never have a voice at these critical discussions and decision-making points that mostly impact them."

She is most proud of the work EMAC has done regarding equity, and how that is the catalyst for future projects. Diana believes leading with equity and the equity framework will serve as a standard for future projects and how they look at communities.

Get involved

Join us for the next Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee on October 27 at 3:30 p.m. You can find the meeting information at the website. Submit written comments at any time to the committee by emailing Oregontolling@odot.state.or.us.

Learn more about outcomes from the August meeting, which focused on transportation affordability.​

August 2021

​August 2021​

I-205 Toll Project moves forward

Revenue from the I-205 Toll Project is needed to complete the I-205 Improvements Project. 

The I-205 Improvements Project will begin construction in mid-2022 to make the Abernethy Bridge the first earthquake-ready highway bridge across the Willamette River.

The I-205 Improvements Project  will be constructed in phases. These initial improvements, called Phase 1A, will use financing tools recently approved by the Oregon Legislature.

Toll revenue is needed to construct future phases of the I-205 Improvements Project and could be used to pay back funds borrowed for the Abernethy Bridge. This decision depends on completing the required environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

When fully constructed, the I-205 Improvements Project will address the bottleneck caused by the last remaining two-lane section of I-205. The project will reduce crashes and daily congestion by more than four and a half hours each day by adding a third lane in each direction with shoulders that could accommodate buses.

If the toll alternative is selected, potential toll gantries would charge tolls at two locations: the Abernethy Bridge and the Tualatin River Bridge.

The I-205 Toll Project under study would toll vehicles crossing the Abernethy and Tualatin River bridges.  The earliest tolls could begin is in 2024.

Without tolls and future roadway upgrades, the almost seven hours of daily congestion and safety risks will continue to grow as more people use the highway. Without action, diversion to local streets will also increase when I-205 has more stop-and-go traffic.

Continue to talk with us. 

We have worked with the I-205 community since 2017 and received strong support to construct project improvements. Statewide, we’ve heard the need to remove this bottleneck.  

We know people have concerns with tolls and we are working to create a system that works for all the region’s travelers. Over the next year, ODOT will complete the required federal environmental analysis for the I-205 Toll Project and determine how a new toll system can be implemented equitably. We will host discussions in the coming months to share findings from the environmental review. Before final decisions are made, we will also host a listening session on the I-205 Toll Project Environmental Assessment and gather verbal comments.

More information:

• OregonTolling.org    
• i205corridor.org
  
  

Listening to you

Community engagement for the Regional Mobility Pricing Project.  

Thank you for your input!

We received over 6,000 responses to our series of five, one-minute surveys over the past month about the Regional Mobility Pricing Project. Thank you for sharing your feedback! We’ve learned about your travel preferences, what matters most to you, and what could make a regional toll program easier on community members.

Inclusive engagement

An important part of the Regional Mobility Pricing Project is making sure we hear from everyone. For this reason, we are partnering with Community Engagement Liaisons (CELs) to invite participation from multilingual and underserved communities through discussion groups and surveys. 

Thank you to the community members who participated in discussion groups for Native American, Latin American, Russian, Chinese, and Vietnamese communities. Upcoming discussions are scheduled with Black/African American communities and people living with disabilities. We are committed to advancing equitable engagement, as outlined in our Equity Framework.

Next steps

Over the next month, we will review and summarize the results. We’ll share what we heard and how it will inform our next steps. If you missed the surveys, it’s not too late to give feedback! There will be plenty of opportunities to get involved throughout this process. Keep an eye on your inbox or our website for ways to engage.

We appreciate all those who participated in discussion groups and shared their feedback about a future regional tolling program.

Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee discusses recommendations to Transportation Commission.

Join us for the next Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee meeting on September 29 at 3:30 p.m. The focus in September will be on refining recommendations to the Oregon Transportation Commission. You can find the meeting information at the Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee website. Submit written comments at any time to the committee by emailing Oregontolling@odot.state.or.us. 

Learn more about recent meeting outcomes from June and July meetings, which focused on neighborhood health and safety.

About the Oregon Toll Program 

ODOT has two toll projects underway in the Portland metro area – the I-205 Toll Project and the Regional Mobility Pricing Project – to manage traffic on I-205 and I-5 in a way that is equitable and addresses climate change while providing needed funding for critical infrastructure and safety improvements. While separate projects, they inform each other. Toll prices will be higher at peak traffic times, a concept known as “congestion pricing.” With both projects:

• Drivers only pay for what they use.
• Tolls help traffic move more smoothly.
• Tolls provide a more reliable trip.
• Toll prices will not be a surprise.

The Oregon Department of Transportation invites your input to make tolls work for our community.

July 2021

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July 2021​

July 22, 2021

What's happening this week? 

Tell us about transportation challenges on I-5 and I-205. 

Thank you for your responses last week to our survey about potential toll benefits! So far, we've received over 1,600 responses to our two quick surveys.

Traffic delays on the highway can lead to traffic problems in local communities, while also negatively impacting our climate, safety, and health. We need a new approach.

This week – in our series of one-minute surveys – we want to know what you think about transportation challenges on I-205 and I-5 in the Portland metro area. Please take our quick survey linked here! 

Missed the earlier surveys? It's not too late! Use the links below to tell us what you think.

• Survey 1: Travel on I-5 and I-205.
• Survey 2: Potential toll benefits.
  

How can tolls help?

Tolls could help address transportation problems on I-5 and I-205. 

In last month's eNews we described how travelers need to get to, through and around greater Portland – and our transportation infrastructure isn't keeping pace with our needs. The Regional Mobility Pricing Project will focus on solutions to these problems. To guide our work, we asked for your help in improving the “Problem Statement."

If you would like to provide input on the draft Problem Statement, please email your comments to the project team at OregonTolling@odot.state.or.us and put “Problem Statement" in the subject line. To help inform our planning, we invite responses by Friday, July 30.

Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee Meeting

The Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee is studying ways to advance equity in:

• Transit and multimodal: Improve public transportation and other travel options.
• Neighborhood health and safety: Minimize or lessen impacts to neighborhoods near toll roads.
• Affordability and environmental justice: Consider impacts to people experiencing low incomes or who are underserved.

We know a successful toll program must address these factors, based on what we've heard from the public.

Neighborhood health and safety

Join us for the next Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee meeting on Wednesday, July 28 at 3:30 p.m. The focus will be on neighborhood health and safety. Topics include strategies to minimize impacts on historically underserved neighborhoods and the effects of drivers using local streets to avoid tolls.  Updated meeting information, including links to participate on Zoom or view the YouTube livestream, is available under Meeting Information on the committee's webpage.

Recent meeting outcomes

In April and May, the Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee discussed transit and multimodal strategies to be implemented with a toll program.  The committee's preferred actions included:

• Exempting public transit vehicles and registered vanpools and carpools from paying tolls.
• Creating an integrated and easy-to-use fare system coordinated between Oregon and Washington, as well as across different types of mobility (for example, bike, scooter, carpooling, car sharing).
• Pursuing a regional vision for bus-on-shoulder service with connections to local mobility hubs.
  

How to get involved

The Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee is studying ways to advance equity in these areas. The committee will share their findings with the Oregon Transportation Commission. Over the next four months, please follow along and participate in this important process. Committee meetings are the last Wednesday of each month. You can find links for meetings and recordings of previous meetings here. Submit written comments at any time to the committee by emailing Oregontolling@odot.state.or.us

July 15, 2021

Tell us: What matters most to you when it comes to tolling?

Traffic delay on the highway can lead to traffic problems in local communities. Over the next month, we are inviting feedback through a series of quick surveys, with different questions each week. We want to learn from you about travel, transportation problems and priorities, and what you would like to see from the toll program. 

Click here to take our second survey to share what matters most when it comes to tolling on I-5 and I-205. Keep an eye on your inbox – we'll be sending weekly updates for the next four weeks.

Miss the first survey? It's not too late! Tell us here about using I-205 and I-5.

What is the project?

ODOT has two toll projects underway in the Portland metro area – the I-205 Toll Project and the Regional Mobility Pricing Project – to address traffic on I-205 and I-5 in a way that is equitable and addresses climate change and safety. While separate projects, they inform each other. Toll prices will be higher at peak traffic times, a concept known as “congestion pricing." With both projects:

• Drivers only pay for what they use.
• Tolls can help traffic move more smoothly.
  
• Tolls provide a more reliable trip.
• Toll prices will not be a surprise.
  

Why do we need tolls?

Traffic is getting worse. It is:

• Making life harder.
• Bad for our economy.
• Creating more emissions and contributing to climate change.

There is not enough money from gas taxes or other revenue sources to fix Oregon's highways and fund projects to reduce traffic. It's not easy for people with low incomes, disabilities, and other barriers to get to where they need to go. Tolls can help address these problems and provide a reliable funding source for transportation projects. The Oregon Department of Transportation needs your input to make tolls work for our community.

Advancing equity with tolling: ADA turns 31!

Have you ever noticed curb cutouts or talking traffic signals for people crossing the street? These help make transportation accessible for everyone. This is thanks to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), signed into law 31 years ago this month. The Toll Program wants tolls to improve transportation for people - not make it worse. Our Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee is working on strategies that center transit and multimodal options, neighborhood health and safety, and affordability and undeserved communities. This includes people experiencing a disability.

To help celebrate the 31st anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, there is an upcoming series of free lunch and learn opportunities.

Here are the basics:

What: The Oregon Disabilities Commission and the Northwest ADA Center are hosting a webinar series in recognition of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) 31st anniversary. The series kicks off with Disability Rights Activist Judy Heumann, recently featured in the Oscar-nominated documentary “Crip Camp".

• Read more about the speakers
  
• Read Governor Brown's Proclamation 

When: Tuesdays, July 20 and 27 from noon to 1 p.m.

You can sign up for the free lunch and learn opportunities here.

For more information about the ADA, see Accessibility at ODOT and details about Engineering for Accessibility on the ODOT website. ​

June 2021

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June 2021

Are you on the road again? Take a minute to let us know

On the road again … or not just yet? We're launching a weekly series of one-minute polls to hear from you about using I-205 and I-5. Each week we'll ask different questions – follow us on social media to have your voice heard. Click to share your experience on I-205 and I-5 over the past year. 

Tell us: What problems could tolls on I-5 and I-205 help address?

The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) understands that crowded highways are a problem. Traffic delay on the highway can lead to gridlock in local communities, and it is negatively impacting our climate, safety, and health. We need a new approach. 

For the Oregon Toll program, ODOT has two toll projects underway – the I-205 Toll Project and the Regional Mobility Pricing Project – to address traffic on I-205 and I-5 in a way that is equitable and addresses climate change and safety. While separate projects, they inform each other.

The Regional Mobility Pricing Project  plans to use tolls that vary throughout the day. Toll prices will be higher at peak traffic times, a concept known as “congestion pricing." You will know the toll rate before you get on the highway.

Congestion pricing will help to manage traffic and raise money for investments that improve travel. This project will plan for tolls on I-5 and I-205 from the Columbia River to Boone Bridge – as shown in the map below. We're taking a regional approach based on community concerns about the effectiveness of congestion pricing on shorter segments of I-5 and I-205. 

The next steps for the Regional Mobility Pricing Project include studying:

• Toll options and start/end points of the tolled area.
• Effects to communities of drivers using neighborhood roads to avoid paying a toll.
• Transit service to give travelers an alternative to paying a toll.
• Equity and mobility strategies so people who have been historically underserved receive travel benefits.

To design a successful project, we need your help crafting a “Problem Statement" that will help guide our future work. Read more and share your thoughts.

• Draft Problem Statement
• Email the team OregonTolling@odot.state.or.us. Please put “problem statement" in the subject line.

Get involved this summer!

We want to continue to hear from you as we look at ways to address traffic congestion, equity, and climate change.

 Starting this week, we will use social media for a series of quick surveys, with different questions each week through July. We want to learn about your travel, thoughts on transportation problems and priorities, and what you would like to see from the toll program. Check out our social media channels and follow us so that you can participate in the surveys. Your input will help the ODOT team develop a project that will benefit the region for generations to come.

Stay connected

Please follow along with us to receive updates on the Regional Mobility Pricing Project and the I-205 Toll Project and tell us what's on your mind.

• Twitter:
• Urban Mobility Office on Twitter (new!)
• ODOT Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram
• YouTube
  

Moving equity and mobility strategies forward

Since the beginning of our work, many of you expressed the need to address the following factors to make this an equitable, successful toll program:

• Transit and Multimodal: Improve public transportation and other travel options.
• Neighborhood health and safety: Minimize or lessen impacts to neighborhoods near toll roads.
• Affordability and environmental justice: Consider impacts to people experiencing low incomes or who are underserved. 

The Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee is studying ways to advance equity in these areas. The committee will share their findings with the Oregon Transportation Commission. Over the next five months, please follow along and participate in this important process. Committee meetings are the last Wednesday of each month. You can find links for meetings and recordings of previous meetings here. Submit written comments at any time to the committee by emailing Oregontolling@odot.state.or.us

Tolls, transit and multimodal investment

In April and May, the Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee discussed transit and multimodal strategies to be implemented with a toll program.  The committee's preferred actions included:

• Exempting public transit vehicles and registered vanpools and carpools from paying tolls.
• Creating an integrated and easy-to-use fare system coordinated between Oregon and Washington, as well as across different types of mobility (for example, bike, scooter, carpooling, car sharing).
• Pursuing a regional vision for bus-on-shoulder service with connections to local mobility hubs.
  

Read the draft Transit and Multimodal policy and strategy options. 

Tolls and key neighborhood issues

This summer, the committee will discuss strategies to:

• Address effects from drivers using local streets to avoid tolls.
• Minimize impacts on people experiencing low incomes.

The Equity and Mobility Advisory committee's Game Plan below shows each of these topics.  It also identifies how the committee's work and recommendations will be shared with the Oregon Transportation Commission and toll projects.

Next steps

• Upcoming Equity Mobility Advisory Committee meeting: The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, July 28, at 3:30 p.m. Visit the Committee's webpage for meeting details. ​
  

May 2021

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May 2021

Planning begins for the Regional Mobility Pricing Project 

This first-of-its-kind pricing project will address congestion, equity, and climate change while providing needed funding for critical infrastructure and safety improvements.

Travelers across the Portland metro area and throughout Oregon will benefit from more reliable transportation and better mobility in the region under a new project.

In the spirit of continuing Oregon's history as a transportation innovator, we are proposing to implement tolls on all lanes of Interstate 5 and Interstate 205 to help manage congestion and fund improvements that can further reduce congestion. This type of “congestion pricing" on existing roadways would be the first-of-its-kind in the nation.

The exact boundaries of I-5 and I-205 that would be tolled will be determined as part of project planning in late 2021.

The study area for the Regional Mobility Pricing Project includes:

• I-5 from the North Columbia Boulevard interchange south to, and including, the Boone Bridge over the Willamette River in Wilsonville (coordinated with the Interstate Bridge Replacement Project).

• I-205 from just south of the Glenn Jackson Bridge over the Columbia River to the I-5/I-205 split (coordinated with I-205 Toll Project and the Interstate Bridge Replacement Project). 
  

We cannot build our way out of congestion. 

“We are at a critical time as we begin the slow process of emerging from the pandemic. Rush hour traffic is returning. At the same time, we have to address the climate crisis and recognize the past harm that highways have done to communities," said Lucinda Broussard, of the Oregon Department of Transportation. “Oregonians are asking us to manage our system differently. It requires all of us to be open to new ideas because we know we can't build our way out of congestion." 

The driver pays for what they use. 

Drivers would pay for the segments they use of I-5 and I-205. For example, if a driver is traveling on I-5 through central Portland, they would pay a toll proportional to the segments of I-5 they use. They wouldn't pay a toll for use of segments of I-5 north or south of their entrance and exit points.  If the driver instead decided to take transit, they wouldn't pay the toll. Small differences in the number of vehicles on the road can make a huge difference in traffic congestion.

Congestion Pricing improves reliability. 

We get it – no one likes paying tolls or fees. But like the cost of any service – it's all about what you get for the amount you pay. In Oregon, the benefit of paying a toll will be a more reliable trip with less traffic. Congestion pricing will give people the choice for a more reliable highway trip when they really need it – like when they're late for work or need to pick up their child from school or daycare. Congestion pricing is a type of tolling that charges a higher price during times of higher traffic, known as variable rate tolls. These tolls encourage some drivers to choose other travel options such as carpools or transit, or change their travel time to other, less congested times of the day. This improves traffic flow for the entire system. 

Your toll rate will not be a surprise.

We are considering a predictable way of tolling where toll rates vary according to a set schedule so you would know the cost in advance. The proposed project would toll all lanes of I-5 and I-205 on the Oregon side of the Portland metro area. Our goal is to give travelers better options. If they choose to pay a toll on I-5 or I-205, our intent is they could travel 45 miles an hour on average, even during rush hour.

Revenue generated from the tolls is part of an essential funding strategy for approved priority transportation projects in the region. 

The regional pricing project aims to address five problems.

• Daily traffic congestion in a growing metropolitan region that affects quality of life. Traffic congestion has more than tripled on I-5 and on I-205 over the last five years and is getting worse as the Portland metro population grows. The Portland metro population is expected to add a half million new residents by 2040.
• Gas tax revenue isn't keeping up with needs to modernize and maintain the system. Current levels of funding cannot pay for the costs of maintaining Oregon's transportation system or constructing new projects. ODOT revenue comes from a mix of federal and state sources, but the federal gas tax has not been adjusted since October 1993. As a result, federal contributions to state transportation projects have greatly decreased. As drivers and companies purchase more fuel-efficient vehicles, funding has actually dropped, even as the number of vehicles using the system has increased.
• Congestion is holding back economic growth and recovery from COVID-19. In 2017, the economic cost of traffic congestion in the Portland metro area was $2.0 million per day. In 2020, the traffic counts declined with the COVID-19 pandemic but are now back to about 90% of pre-pandemic levels and expected to return to 2019 levels as the economy improves. This affects the region's ability to grow its economy and to recover from the economic effects of the pandemic. 
• Inefficient travel contributes to climate change. Personal cars and light trucks create approximately 36% of all greenhouse gas emissions in Oregon. When motor vehicles are stuck in slow-moving traffic, greenhouse gas emissions increase. ODOT is required under Executive Order 20-04 to take actions to reduce and regulate greenhouse gas emissions.
• Travel options are inequitable for historically and currently excluded and underserved communities. Past land use and transportation projects have disproportionately affected communities of color, immigrant communities, and people experiencing low incomes. Members of these communities frequently have fewer transportation options and travel farther between destinations. This project will apply an equity framework to maximize potential positive benefits and minimize negative effects to these communities.

Stakeholder comments led to advancing a region-wide approach. 

During a public comment period for the I-205 Toll Project, many commenters and local agencies expressed concerns about fairness, diversion, equity, climate, and congestion management associated with planning for one project. This region-wide approach will evaluate congestion pricing for a larger area than previously planned, but is consistent with a longer term vision advocated by stakeholders and adopted in 2018 by the Oregon Transportation Commission.

We want to hear from you. 

During the next year, there will be many opportunities for project partners and stakeholders to be part of the planning process. This summer, we will engage the community on project vision, desired outcomes and conceptual alternatives. Later in 2021, the project team will narrow down conceptual alternatives to those that best meet the needs of the project. Toward the end of 2021, the project team will identify the alternatives to carry forward into the formal environmental review.

Keep reading this e-newsletter every month to stay up to date and provide your input. 

Visit our website to track the toll projects. 

Check out our website for more information about the Regional Mobility Pricing Project. 

Providing you with up to date information is important to us. Track the toll projects and opportunities for providing your input on the following pages: the I-5 and I-205 Regional Mobility Pricing Project, the I-205 Toll Project, Frequently Asked Questions,  Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee. ​

April 2021

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April 2021

Your comments influenced the I-205 Toll Project 

Final I-205 Toll Project Engagement Summary now available.

The Oregon Department of Transportation held an information and engagement period for the I-205 Toll Project from Aug. 3 through Oct. 16, 2020. We needed your help to improve and refine the project's goals, the toll alternatives to study, and key issues to consider.

On March 31, 2021, the final I-205 Toll Project Engagement Summary was published online. This report includes ODOT's responses and actions to what we heard from more than 4,600 survey responses, letters, emails, voicemails, and comments at meetings and briefings. Here are our responses to frequent issues we heard:

We heard: Concerns about how the I-205 Toll Project and I-205 Improvements are connected.

Our response: Toll funding is needed to fund portions of the I-205 Improvements Project. That project will provide:

• A safer and less congested I-205 corridor.
• Critical seismic improvements to the Abernethy Bridge and eight other bridges.
• A third lane in each direction.
  

We heard: Concerns about fairness, diversion, equity, climate, and congestion management throughout the region.

Our response: We are changing our approach on the I-5 Toll Project. We will expand the I-5 Toll Project area to include regional I-5 and I-205 tolling. More information about the process and schedule for this regional effort will be shared in our next edition of the e-news.

We heard: Concerns about the impact of tolling on finances, health, and need for more transit.

Our response: We will address these concerns throughout the next two years through:

• Continued work with communities to share data from ongoing analysis and gather input on how to improve outcomes.
• Discussions with agency staff at transit/multimodal and modeling work groups.
• Collaboration with the Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee.
• Coordination with jurisdictional partners.
  

We heard: Requests to prioritize equity in toll project planning.

Our response: We are centering equity by using the Oregon Toll Program's Equity Framework to guide development of the I-205 Toll Project. Based on public and stakeholder feedback, we updated project goals, objectives, and performance measures to prioritize equity.

All responses to agency and public comments may be found in chapters 10 and 11 of the full report.

Next Steps for I-205 Toll Project

Starting this spring, we will conduct a detailed analysis of the benefits and impacts, as the environmental review process moves forward. The results of this analysis will be published for public review in a draft environmental assessment in 2022 and a final environmental decision in 2023. If approved, tolling on I-205 could begin as early as 2024.

 

Figure 1. I-205 Toll Project Schedule

Three alternatives move ahead for the I-205 Toll Project enviornmental review. 

Alternatives 3 and 4 will be assessed along with a "No Toll" alternative.

In 2020, ODOT identified and evaluated five tolling alternatives for the I-205 Toll Project. Our assessment and results of public comment identified Alternatives 3 and 4 as the two alternatives that would best meet the project goals and limit diversion. Read the Comparison of Screening Alternatives Report for an in-depth analysis of why these two alternatives and a No Toll Alternative will be carried forward for additional study.

Why are alternatives 3 and 4 moving forward?

• They would better manage traffic congestion on I-205 while also generating more revenue for transportation improvements than the other alternatives.
• They offer more flexibility in using variable-rate tolls to manage congestion on I-205 by “fine-tuning" tolls in specific locations as conditions and needs changes over time.
• They could be readily scaled to other highways in the region and applied throughout a larger tolling network.
• There would be less concentrated diversion in nearby communities. Vehicles that reroute to avoid the toll would be distributed along the entire I-205 corridor so that no single roadway or community would receive the full impact of rerouted traffic.
  

Figure 2. Alternative 3. 

Alternative 4, could also be refined to produce similar regional transportation system benefits as Alternative 5, but with more flexibility. 

Figure 3. Alternative 4. 

For a detailed explanation on why alternatives 1, 2 and 5 are not moving forward, please see the Comparison of Screening Alternatives Report.   

 

 

Learn the latest plans for the I-205 Improvements Project. 

Join us for an online open house for the I-205 Improvements: Stafford Rd to OR 213 Project, available in English and Spanish April 12 through April 30.  

ODOT is designing improvements to I-205 to support a healthy Oregon economy with safer, more reliable travel that improves regional access to work, health and play opportunities. Travelers will benefit from earthquake-ready infrastructure, less congestion, more predictable travel times and fewer crashes each day. Toll funding is needed to fund portions of the project. Find out more by participating in our online open house and share your thoughts with our project team. You and others can also stay in the loop by joining our email list for this project.

Results of recent committee meetings.

Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee Meeting

The Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee is gearing up for an ambitious year where they will develop recommendations for how ODOT should address needs for transit and multimodal transportation options, affordability, and neighborhood health and safety. On March 31, 2021, the committee met and provided direction for ODOT to move forward with a committee work plan (overview and detailed schedule) for the next 12 months and finalize its approach to process equity performance measures. Watch the meeting recording for the full discussion.

Committee members will discuss policies to address transit and multimodal transportation at a workshop on April 28, 2021. These policies will help the project team ensure the toll projects meet equity and mobility goals described in the Equity Framework.

Region 1 Area Commission on Transportation Meeting

On Monday, April 5, 2021, the Region 1 Area Commission on Transportation heard an update from Oregon Transportation Commission members Bob VanBrocklin and Alando Simpson.

The commissioners reminded the group that congestion in the Portland area is a significant concern to residents and businesses statewide. House Bill 2017 requires ODOT to move ahead with specific projects, including tolls.

Simpson said the region must work in partnership to solve complex interconnected transportation, economic and social problems.

“[I] urge folks and ask folks to pull up their pants, roll up their sleeves, put aside your emotions, put aside your egos, put aside your insecurities, put aside your own personal agendas and really focus on working together," he said. “ODOT does not have all the answers…nor does any one agency have all the answers -- but I think collectively by working in unison, we will have the answer for our future."   -- Alando Simpson, OTC

See the video of the full meeting here. ​

March 2021

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March 2021

Tolls can manage congestion and generate revenue for better travel.

Clarifying our goals and coordination between tolling and congestion management.

Tolling is a widely used industry term to describe road pricing programs. It is worth clarifying upfront that ODOT is using 'tolling' as an umbrella term for the program, which is expected to include various types of tolling such as congestion pricing (also known as variable rate pricing), and other applications needed to generate revenue and manage congestion.

The two toll projects underway have a dual purpose: manage congestion and generate revenue.  We are working to identify a balanced toll rate that enhances traffic flow while generating revenue for transportation improvements. A toll that is too low won't manage congestion well. A toll that is too high leads to too many highway drivers using local streets. With a balanced toll more people benefit from improved travel on the highway and throughout the region.

We get it—no one likes paying tolls or fees. But like the cost of any service—it's all about what you get for the amount you pay. In Oregon, the benefit of paying a toll will be a faster trip with less traffic. Congestion pricing will give people the choice for a faster highway trip when they really need it—like when they're late for work or need to pick up their child from school or daycare. Read on for more details. 

“Toll" and “tolling" are general terms.

Definition: A toll is a user fee to drive on a road or across a bridge. Tolling is currently in place in many cities across the country, including Tacoma and Hood River. What we are doing: We use the words “toll" and “tolling" instead of “pricing" or “user fee" because most people understand these words, they translate better into other languages spoken in the region, and we want to be transparent.

Congestion pricing is a type of tolling.

Definition: This type of tolling charges a higher price during peak traffic periods. It's also called value pricing or variable rate tolling. The higher fee encourages some drivers to use other travel options such as carpools or transit, or change their travel time to less congested times of the day, or change where they are going. Congestion pricing is used in places such as on the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge and in Seattle for the SR 520 Bridge and the SR 99 Tunnel. This is different than fixed-rate tolling, in which users pay a flat, static rate to use a road or bridge regardless of congestion or time of day. What we are doing: We are using variable rate tolls or congestion pricing. The rate of the toll will vary based on congestion at peak and non-peak hours. Even a small decrease in the number of people trying to get on the highway will make for faster commutes.

Dynamic pricing is a type of congestion pricing.

Definition: In a dynamic pricing system, tolls fluctuate in real time based on congestion. San Diego is one city with dynamic pricing on express lanes. What we are doing: In the Portland area, we are considering a predictable way of tolling where toll rates vary according to a set schedule so you would know the cost in advance. We are analyzing variable rate tolls, not dynamic pricing. We want highway users to know how much a toll costs before they start their trip.

Learn more about congestion pricing and tolling from the Federal Highway Administration or the Oregon Toll Program website. 

Analysis shows local users make up a heavy share of I-205 trips. 

Results from the I-205 Corridor User Analysis. 

An I-205 Corridor User Analysis was done to better understand the travel patterns of current users of I-205 near the Abernethy Bridge. We will use this information to inform the development and analysis of options for the I-205 Toll Project. 

3 in 4 trips are made locally.

While trips using the I-205 Abernethy Bridge come from throughout the Portland metropolitan region and beyond, three in four users access I-205 locally —meaning that they enter or exit I-205 at one of the five interchanges in this seven mile segment of the highway.  Users come from nearby areas such as West Linn, Oregon City, Gladstone, and Clackamas. Fewer travelers come from areas farther away, including 3% from Clark County, Washington.

Congestion is creating diversion today. 

Our analysis of travel patterns shows drivers exit or avoid I-205 during higher demand periods when traffic congestion is present. For example, in the afternoon rush, 20% to 30% more travelers heading north on I-205 to the Oregon City Arch Bridge exit to use Borland Road or Willamette Falls Drive compared to midday. With the added lane in both directions from the I-205 Improvements Project and congestion management from tolls, travel on I-205 will improve. The toll project is analyzing if drivers that currently avoid I-205 during peak hours would return to the highway if it was less congested and they knew how long their trip would take.

This analysis used StreetLight Data Inc.'s mobility platform as a primary tool along with the Regional Travel Demand Model (RTDM) and the Oregon Statewide Integrated Model. Read the full I-205 Corridor User Analysis for more in-depth information, maps and other graphics. 

Get involved.

Join our upcoming committee meetings. 

There are two upcoming virtual meetings about the toll project, and you are invited to attend. 

Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee Meeting

The Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee will meet Wednesday, March 31, 2021, 3:30 p.m. – 6 p.m.

At this meeting, the committee will:

• Continue discussing how to measure whether our engagement is successful and inclusive.
• Continue discussing how we can measure whether the toll projects meet equity and mobility goals described in the Equity Framework.
• Review the committee work plan.
  

We would like to hear your comments! Public comment is at the beginning of the meeting around 3:45 p.m.

You can also submit written or verbal comments any time. Please submit comments by email (oregontolling@odot.state.or.us) with “Committee Public Comment" in the subject line, or call 503-837-3536 and state “Committee Public Comment" in your message.  If we receive your comment by 11 a.m. March 29, we will send it to the Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee in advance. All comments we receive before or at the meeting are included in the meeting summary. We will reserve 10 minutes to hear verbal comments at the meeting. If you would like to make a comment, you will have up to two minutes to speak. For more information, please see the committee webpage. 

Region 1 Area Commission on Transportation Meeting

On Monday, April 5, 2021, the Toll Program team will present to the Region 1 Area Commission on Transportation online through Zoom at 5:30 p.m. The commission is an advisory group that brings together different stakeholders to collaborate on transportation issues affecting the Portland metro area. At this meeting, the group will discuss responses to comments received during the I-205 Toll Project comment period, as well as the upcoming project schedule for regional tolling. For more information, please see the commission webpage.

 

We hope you'll join us at either meeting to learn more about the toll program and the important work we are doing.​

February 2021 - Second Edition

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February 2021 - Second Edition

You asked: What will tolls pay for?

Tolls are essential funding for road improvements and multimodal investments.

Tolls in Oregon are vital to generating revenue and managing congestion, which will manage demand on the highway and make travel more reliable. 

Toll funding is needed to complete the construction of the I-205 Improvement Project, which will make the corridor safer and less congested. The project includes critical seismic improvements to the Abernethy Bridge and eight other bridges, and adds a third lane in each direction along I-205 from Stafford Road to OR 213.  

In 2017, the Oregon Legislature passed a bill (HB 2017) that created a fund to collect money raised by tolls. The Oregon Constitution requires that the money from tolls is spent on roadway improvements such as adding car lanes, bicycle and pedestrian facilities, or related transit investments in or along the roadway. Examples of the possible uses of toll revenue include:

• Developing and maintaining the toll system.
• Specific projects, such as completion of the I-205 Improvements Project.
• Roadway improvements such as multiuse pathways, highway widening, or bus-on-shoulder projects to make the transportation system work better.
  

In 2020, the Oregon Transportation Commission (OTC) committed to investing net toll revenues in the corridor where they were collected. For the I-205 Toll Project, this means that net revenue collected from tolls in the I-205 area will be reinvested to fund projects in that corridor.

Projects funded by toll revenue are expected to enhance our safe and efficient transportation system for our community while making our common goals, such as spending less time in traffic, a reality.

Tolls are new for Oregon and we have a lot of work to do to determine how toll revenue will be used. As the I-205 Toll Project moves through the environmental review process, we look forward to engaging with you and the OTC to further define what improvements tolls will pay for. 

Meet our intern: Francisco Ibarra

Francisco Ibarra, a Toll Program planning intern, is currently attending Portland State University for his Master of Urban and Regional Planning degree. Francisco is from East Portland and has lived in Gresham for most of his life.  Francisco knows the importance of collaborative planning with community members.

 

1. Francisco and his family. 

As a research assistant to the Toll Program Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee, Francisco attends meetings, listens to questions, and follows up with researched answers. Recently, he completed research on air quality monitoring related to transportation and health. He is ready to provide help to support the Toll Program and committee in every way he can.

“This project is directly related to my degree in urban and regional planning, especially given the equity focus on this project. Equity has been infused in a lot of the core classes in my degree."

Francisco knows that a tolling program should engage and benefit the community where it is being carried out. He hopes the public will understand tolling is not just about vehicle drivers, and that toll revenue can improve our current transportation system. Because past transportation projects have left out and underserved certain communities, Francisco sees a way to create a tolling program that benefits communities that have carried most of the burden in the past.

Francisco said the internship has connected his academic learning with people who will be affected by tolls.

“It matters how you frame certain things to the community. As planners we can get caught up in our own world in terms of what problems we see and what solutions we see, that we sometimes forget we might have community members who see the same problem but have different solutions." he said, “Reaching out to a small islander community in Rockwood was difficult, until we learned that they primarily use Facebook to connect. That was a community-led solution."

These lessons remind Francisco to be genuine and transparent with community members, communicate what the project is trying to accomplish, and aim to reach equitable benefits. The Toll Program team is honored to have Francisco aboard and look forward to his meaningful contributions to the work.

Results of the February advisory committee meetings

Region 1 Area Commission on Transportation Meeting

On Monday, February 1, 2021, the Toll Program team presented to the Region 1 Area Commission on Transportation. They discussed developing tolling options that work for the region and addressed recent comments and concerns heard during the I-205 Toll Project comment period, including:          

• How and where toll revenue will be spent
• Connection to the I-205 Improvements Project
• Effects to neighborhoods and personal finances
• Need for transportation options, including transit in the I-205 corridor

Responses to public and agency comments will be available in early spring 2021, as will schedules for moving forward with planning for tolling on I-205 and I-5.  

The Commission will meet again April 5, 2021 and will continue their discussions on Oregon Toll Program development. 

Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee Meeting

The Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee met February 3, 2021, to discuss equity performance measures and offer feedback on the Metro Regional Congestion Pricing Study.

Committee members will continue their discussion on equity performance measures at their next meeting on March 31, 2021. Performance measures will help the project team determine if engagement efforts are successful and inclusive and whether the toll projects meet equity and mobility goals described in the Equity Framework.

Watch the meeting recording for the full discussion.​

February 2021 - First Edition

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Advancing Equity in Tolling: New Equity Framework for I-205 and I-5 Toll Projects

Framework to guide process to ensure equitable outcomes

With meaningful discussion over the past six months, the Equity and Mobility Advisory committee centered the voices of historically excluded and underserved communities to develop an equity framework for the Oregon Toll Program. The framework will guide the Oregon Toll Program, which includes the I-205 and I-5 Toll Projects. ODOT is excited for this project to have a focused equity framework while the Office of Social Equity works on socializing equity and developing options around frameworks and the lens that the agency uses more broadly.

Adopted by the committee in December, the toll project's framework will inform the technical analysis, and development and use of public engagement strategies. Using this tool, the toll team is working toward gaining better outcomes for communities who have been historically and are currently excluded or underserved by transportation projects. We strive to be more inclusive when engaging communities. This is the beginning of a new and ongoing approach to making a better and more equitable toll project.

 

“It's very much government alliance for racial equity... And I think it's a big deal to try to put something so specific in the framework on this project. So, I'm excited to be part of it." – John Gardner, EMAC member, July 28, 2020 EMAC Meeting

The equity framework is based on the work of TransForm's Pricing Roads, Advancing Equity 2019 report and toolkit. It focuses on:

• Full participation of impacted communities.
• Transportation affordability.
• Access to opportunity.
• Community health.
  

The framework provides a five-step iterative process to lead to equitable outcomes:

• Step 1 - Identify who could be affected by the toll projects.
• Step 2 - Set goals for equity in the projects.
• Step 3 - Determine if the goals are being met.
• Step 4 - Choose options that advance equitable outcomes.
• Step 5 - Report on how well the goals were met and lessons learned from the process.

 “[It's] an ongoing conversation that's coming up multiple times about historic injustices and digging into why those disparate impacts are occurring to different communities."    – Abe Moland, EMAC member, July 28, 2020 EMAC Meeting

The committee has started using the framework. Members first worked through Step 1 to identify people and communities who might be affected by the I-205 Toll Project. Currently, the group is working on Step 2, developing goals and creating tools to measure if we are meeting these goals. In the coming months, the committee will develop strategies that address affordability, health and neighborhood safety, and access to transit and other mobility strategies to address the concerns we heard from the community in 2020.

Commitment to trust building

The Oregon Department of Transportation convened the committee, composed of individuals with lived or professional experience with equity and mobility, to provide space for equity strategies that inform individual tolling projects and the larger tolling program. ODOT recognizes that past land use and transportation investments in the Portland metro area— including highway investments—have resulted in negative cultural, health, economic, and relational impacts to local communities and populations.

“I'm really excited about it and it's a really thoughtful plan."  – Michael Espinoza, EMAC member, July 28, 2020 EMAC Meeting

Progress Toward Community Priorities

Partners help us better understand how tolling can benefit the community

Through partnerships with the Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee and two technical working groups, we are working to fulfill three community priorities:  

• Access to opportunity: availability of transit and multimodal travel options.   
• Community health: increasing neighborhood benefits and minimizing negative impacts from drivers using local streets to avoid a toll.
• Affordability: Considering impacts to people experiencing a low income.

To date, work with the Regional Modeling Group and Transit Multimodal Working Group has focused on potential neighborhood cut-through routes from the I-205 Toll Project and helped document existing conditions for the transit system in the I-205 corridor. In 2021, the Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee will begin work on strategies to address these three priorities. 

Get Involved!

You are invited to attend an upcoming virtual meeting about the toll project.  

Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee Meeting

The Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee will meet on Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2021, 3:30 p.m. – 6 p.m.

At this meeting, the committee will:

• Discuss how to measure if our engagement is successful and inclusive.
• Discuss how we can measure whether the toll projects meet equity and mobility goals described in the Equity Framework.
• Give feedback to Metro staff on their ongoing Regional Congestion Pricing Study.
  

We would like to hear your comments! Public comment is at the beginning of the meeting around 3:45 p.m.

You can submit written or verbal comments any time. Please submit comments by email (oregontolling@odot.state.or.us) with “Committee Public Comment" in the subject line, or call 503-837-3536 and state “Committee Public Comment" in your message.  All comments we receive before or at the meeting are included in the meeting summary. We will reserve 10 minutes to hear verbal comments at the meeting. If you would like to make a comment, you will have up to two minutes to speak. For more information, please see the committee webpage.

We hope you'll join us at the meeting to learn more about the toll program and the important work we are doing. ​

December 2020

​

We heard you!

Thousands provide comments and questions for I-205 Toll Project

 

Since the I-205 Toll Project comment period closed on October 16, we read through 4,600 questions and comments. The feedback will help inform and direct the next steps in the planning process. We heard there was:

 

• Unclear information and understanding of how modern tolls would work, as well as where tolling money would be spent.   
• Concern about the impact to people's budget, especially with COVID job losses, a growing wealth gap, and systemic racial inequality.  
• Distrust in ODOT and why tolling money is needed to pay for improvements.
  
• Desire for congestion management and improved transit and transportation options along I-205.
  
• Fear of traffic moving to local streets and negative impact to neighborhood safety, climate, and quality of life.
  
• Concern from Clackamas County residents communicated that it was unfair to only toll this area of I-205 in the region.
  

 

“Clearly there is more work to do," said Lucinda Broussard, Oregon Toll Program Director. “The comments we received from the community demonstrate the confusion around this type of tolling, which makes sense considering this has never been done before in Oregon."

Toll projects in other places started with low community support, which is similar to Oregon -- especially with so many unknowns and COVID-19. But with new transportation projects built with money from tolling, the daily commute for people improved. They were happy to get back time in their day, and less stressed by predictable trip travel times.  

To read the full list of comments we received, read the I-205 Toll Project Engagement Summary or visit the project website.

Responses to all of these comments and questions are being generated within the next few months. Be sure to follow along to see how your feedback impacted the Project.

Review shows successes and gaps in outreach

Partners connect with the public during COVID-19.

Using your feedback, the I-205 Toll Project team conducted a self-assessment and found successes and gaps with the public outreach activities that ended in October 2020. We learned:

 

• It's hard to talk with people during a pandemic: We could not meet people in-person, so there were fewer chances for the public to question the Project team. We listened to and read a lot of comments, but missed having conversations with people. Community partners had the most success with talking to people they know. They also used other tools including:
  
• Leaving flyers at specialty grocery store.
• Chats on social media groups.
• Questions posed on social media.
• One-on-one follow up with community members.
  
• Radio interview in Spanish.
  

• People want to know they are heard: Many people had ideas related to how ODOT makes decisions. They said that people would be more likely to provide input if they knew their comments would be listened to and not ignored. Many people said public comments should be available to read. They also said future outreach materials should reflect the public comments. The Project team posted the summary report and all comments online in the I-205 Toll Project section of the  library.

• People need clearer information: Thousands of people viewed information about the I-205 Project through social media, the project website, and email, but when asked about the clarity of information, many were not satisfied. We need to do better. We will improve our project information so it is easier to read and understand.

• We got comments from all parts of the Portland metro area: More than half of the people who gave comments live in Clackamas County. This shows a high level of interest and successful outreach to people who would be closest to the Project. However, we did not reach the number of people who identify as Hispanic or from Latin America, and people with low income that we had planned. At the December 10 Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee meeting we discussed ways to improve. View the recording here. We are excited to put ideas into action!
  
  

Advisors discuss how to measure success

On Dec. 10, the Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee discussed how the next phase of public outreach can better reach currently and historically excluded and underserved communities, and how we could measure it. We learned:

• Be clear why ODOT is doing the project and the benefits.
• Get input from people in all parts of the region.
• Ask if survey takers feel their input will be used.

During the same meeting, the committee adopted the I-205 and I-5 Toll Projects' Equity Framework  as well as the Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee charter as drafted.  Watch the meeting video to listen to the full discussion.​

November 2020

November 2020

Thank you!

Thank you for participating in the I-205 Toll Project early engagement period. We appreciare the input from community members who provided more than 4,000 comment. The public comment period ran from Aug. 3 to Oct. 16. 

What's next for the I-205 Toll Project?

Comment summary to be published December 2020

During the I-205 Toll Project public comment period, we heard from thousands of individuals, organizations and government agencies through our online open house, survey, webinars, community meetings, emails, letters, and voicemails.

By the numbers:

• 4,070: total survey respondents, including:
  • 3,740: English language survey respondents
  • 330: Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese and Russian language survey respondents
    
• 11,600: Online open house views (in both English and Spanish)
• 30: Public presentations and webinars (3) conducted

We are reading all the ideas you shared and considering them in conjunction with our technical analysis to refine the alternatives and better meet the needs of the community.

A summary of all the comments received during the I-205 Toll Project early engagement period (Aug. 3 – Oct. 16, 2020) will be available in December 2020. Join the Dec. 10Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee meeting to hear the results. Our responses to your comments and recommendations will be available in early 2021. 

The environmental review process for the I-205 Toll Project will continue into 2022 and will include ongoing public participation and input.

Evaluation survey complete: I-205 Toll Project public involvement

Your comments help us improve our outreach and engagement efforts for 2021.

During the past several weeks, we asked for your feedback on our outreach and engagement efforts. We appreciate everyone who took time to help us improve. Your comments help us to better connect with the community and meet your needs in the coming months.

We received 233 surveys. This includes:

• 215: English language survey respondents
  
• 18: Spanish language survey respondents 
  
• 127: suggestions for how we could improve our outreach and engagement to hear from a wide audience -- including traditionally historically or currently underserved or underrepresented communities
  

A summary of the evaluation survey will be presented to the Equity and Mobility Advisory Committe on Dec. 10. 

Equity and Mobility Advisory committee update

Engagement workshop on December 10

The committee will participate in a workshop on equitable engagement for the toll projects. They will review the I-205 Toll Project early engaegment and evaluation survey results. Verbal public comment is welcome. More information is available on the project website.

​

October 2020

​October 2020 

Working to ensure your voice is heard

As we move forward with planning for the I-205 and I-5 toll projects, we want your voice to be heard. Your input is crucial. It’s important we provide information about the toll projects in ways that are useful for you. Help us serve you, please take our evaluation survey by Monday, Nov. 2.

    

Thank you for participating in the I-205 Toll Project public comment period

 ODOT hosted three community webinars during the I-205 Toll Project public comment period.

During the I-205 Toll Project public comment period, we heard from more than 4,000 individuals, organizations and government agencies through our online open house, survey, webinars, community meetings, emails, letters, and voicemails.

You told us how you use I-205. How tolls would affect you and your community. What we should consider to address your concerns and ideas for tolls. You shared with us your thoughts on the project’s draft purpose and need statement, draft goals and objectives, and proposed alternatives. We appreciate you getting involved early, learning with us and sharing your thoughts! A summary of all the comments received during the I-205 Toll Project early engagement period (Aug. 3 – Oct. 16, 2020) will be available in December 2020.

• 3,740 - English language survey respondents
  
• 330 - Non-English language survey respondents
  
• 10,600 - Online open house visitors (in both English and Spanish)
  
• 33 - Webinars and public presentations conducted
  

What happens next?

After reviewing public comments, the project team will finalize the purpose and need statement, goals and objectives and the alternatives to study in-depth.

A summary of all the comments received during the I-205 Toll Project early engagement period (Aug. 3 – Oct. 16, 2020) will be available in December 2020. The results will be discussed at the Region 1 Area Commission on Transportation and the Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee. We will read the ideas you shared and consider them with our technical analysis to refine the alternatives and better meet the needs of the community. Our responses to your comments and recommendations will be available in winter 2021.

The environmental review process for the I-205 Toll Project will continue into 2022. This work includes ongoing public participation and input, and analyzing the impacts of the alternatives.

Toll revenue to be invested on I-205 and I-5 corridors

This fall, the Oregon Transportation Commission unanimously approved a policy decision that new net* toll revenue collected on the I-205 and I-5 corridors will be invested on the corridors where it is collected. This decision answers a question that many community members, organizations and government agencies posed before and during the I-205 Toll Project public comment period.

Moving forward, we will work with the community and partners to determine how to define the corridors.

For more information,email us at oregontolling@odot.state.or.us. 

Net* toll revenue is the revenue that remains after paying for toll operations.

Advisory committee update

The Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee met on Oct. 14, 2020.

Tolling is a new concept to most Oregonians. To address the needs of the public, regional partners and elected officials, we are committed to gathering input from community members in the Portland metro area, including Southwest Washington. We’ve continued ongoing coordination with the Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee and Region 1 Area Commission on Transportation.   

During its Oct. 5 meeting, the Region 1 Area Commission on Transportation heard an update on the I-205 and I-5 Toll Projects. The project team shared information on the I-205 Toll Project public comment period -- including the more than 26 community briefings and equitable engagement strategies. At its December meeting, the group will discuss a summary of the public comments that the project team received during the I-205 Toll Project public comment period. The next Region 1 Area Commission on Transportation meeting is Dec. 7. More information is available on the project website.

During its Oct. 14 meeting, the Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee discussed the draft equity framework that will guide I-205 and I-5 toll project development from early planning through toll operations. Learn more about the equity framework next month.  The committee also heard an introduction to performance measures. You can watch a video of the meeting online.

The next Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee meeting will be virtual and is planned for Thursday, Dec. 10. The committee will discuss equitable engagement planning for the toll projects. More information is available on the project website.

September 2020

​September 2020 

Stay informed and stay safe about wildfires  

Visit the Oregon wildfire information page for the latest news. Visit TripCheck.com for 24/7 road information.

I-205 Public comment period EXTENDED

Your voice is needed. Visit our online open house to learn more and share your feedback.  

Update: The I-205 Toll Project public comment period end date has been extended from Sept. 16 to Sept. 23, and may be extended further as Oregon state health and safety officials respond to ongoing wildfires. 

So far, we've heard from thousands of people across the greater Portland area including southwest Washington. Community members are participating in the comment period by visiting our online open house in Spanish and English. Watch a recording of our webinars on Aug. 12, Aug. 18, and Aug. 20 to hear what others are asking about the toll project.

We want to hear from you, please share your thoughts by visiting our online open house, taking our survey, emailing the project team, or leaving a voicemail.

Participants respond to real-time poll questions during the Aug. 12 webinar.  

The I-205 Toll Project would toll all lanes of I-205 at—or near—the Abernethy Bridge. Tolls could help pay for improvements along I-205 and the seismic work needed on the Abernethy Bridge. With a toll, some people may choose to drive at times when the toll is lower; or, they may choose to carpool, take transit, or use other options instead. The result? More reliable travel. Even a small shift in the number of drivers on the road can reduce travel times.

Community feedback includes questions and comments about tolls, concerns about effects to non-tolled roads, the need for more transportation options, the cost of the toll, and how we plan to use revenue generated by tolls.

Have you shared your thoughts yet? Join us online to share your feedback!

• Visit ODOT's online engagement site during the comment period:
  English site and Spanish site.
• Complete the online survey, which is also available in Spanish, Russian, Vietnamese, Traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese.
  
  

A decision on which alternative to implement will be made in 2022 based on the analysis conducted, existing policy and guidance, and community and stakeholder engagement.

Please share this message with your family, friends, and community groups!   

Would your organization like a virtual briefing? Email us at oregontolling@odot.state.or.us. 

What happens to my comments during the comment period?

Submit your comments today.

Recording community members' feedback at a Value Pricing Feasibility Analysis open house in 2018. 

You may be saying to yourself, “ODOT is looking for me to share my feedback, but what actually happens to it? Does anyone read it?”

The answer is yes! Absolutely. The ODOT toll team includes a group of people with dedicated time to read, review and analyze each comment submitted during the comment period. We look at comments in the online survey, emails in the project inbox, and voicemails in our project hotline. 

After the comment period closes, the toll team will write a comprehensive summary of all input shared by community members, agencies, and jurisdictions and organizations. We'll complete an in-depth report showing how many comments the community submitted, what the community said, and how that input will be used in the next phase of the project.

Your feedback, along with technical analysis, will help ODOT determine which toll alternatives to study during the I-205 Toll Project environmental review process and how to make the system work for Oregonians. 

We want to hear from you! Tell us how tolls would work best for you. Share your thoughts on the project purpose, goals and objectives, and where tolls could start and stop. Visit our online open house in Spanish or English to learn more and share your feedback!

Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee
Aug. 26 meeting update.

The Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee met on Aug. 26, 2020. 

To address the needs of the public, regional partners and elected officials, we've continued ongoing coordination with the Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee.

During the Aug. 26 meeting, committee members learned how toll revenue could be used for transportation benefits, the history of constructing I-205, and the areas that could be impacted by drivers avoiding a toll. 

The committee asked questions about who is using the I-205 corridor today and what those trips are like. The Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee dug into the data asking where trips start and end, and the race, ethnicity and income of those users. The committee asked about available transit service. 

Finally, the committee advanced the committee charter and discussed the importance of including perspectives from people experiencing disabilities. You can watch a video of the meeting online.

The next Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee meeting will be virtual and is planned for Tuesday, Sept. 29. More information about the committee and how to provide public comment are available on the project website.

What does preliminary analysis of possible tolling concepts show? 

An early look at diversion.

  

Community member participating in a Value Pricing Feasibility Analysis open house in 2018.

In July 2020, we published a draft Comparison of Screening Alternatives document, which is a preliminary, high-level review of five tolling concepts we're considering for the alternatives analysis. Based on input taken during the public comment period, a final group of alternatives may or may not include these five that were screened. You can review the Executive Summary of the document and the full analysis online.

One of the screening comparison measures for each of the alternatives was “diversion effects," which was measured as changes in travel volume on various regional and community roadways near the I-205 alternatives.

Across alternatives, we found that:

• We would see fewer single occupant vehicle trips on I-205 than today and more high occupancy vehicle trips.
• Around the region, the data showed a small increase of transit trips and more trips made walking or by bicycle.
  
• We also found that traffic volume on some roads would increase due to people avoiding a toll on I-205. This happened more during off-peak hours.
  

We have been – and will continue – collaborating with technical staff from around the region through the project's Regional Modeling Group to better understand diversion. Effects of diversion to a different route or travel mode are one of several measures we will consider when evaluating alternatives to study in greater detail during the environmental review.​

August 2020

August 2020 

(Events in this article have already occurred. Videos of the webinars mentioned below can be found here.)

Have your say: We need your input on toll options to improve I-205 travel!

Join a webinar on Aug. 12, Aug. 18 and Aug. 20.

The I-205 Toll Project would toll all lanes of I-205 at—or near—the Abernethy Bridge. Tolls could help pay for improvements along I-205 and the seismic work needed on the Abernethy Bridge. With a toll, some people may choose to drive at times when the toll is lower; or, they may choose to carpool, take transit, or use other options instead. The result? More reliable travel. Even a small shift in the number of drivers on the road can reduce travel times.

Our I-205 Toll Project public comment period runs 45 days, from Aug. 3 through Sept. 16, 2020. We will host online activities where you can ask questions, offer feedback, and learn about the project. Your feedback, along with the technical analysis, will help us determine which toll alternatives to study during the I-205 Toll Project environmental review process. Learn more about where tolls could start and stop and how the different options could pay for roadway improvements along the corridor and manage congestion.

An online engagement website featurers videos, links to technical documents and a survey to invite your comments.  

You're invited to participate in any of the following ways:

• Visit our online engagement site and complete a survey during the comment period: English site and Spanish site.
• Complete the online survey in Russian, Vietnamese, Traditional Chinese or Simplified Chinese.
  
• Join a webinar:
  

• Wednesday, August 12, Noon - 1:00 p.m.
  (join via Zoom or YouTube Live)

• Tuesday, August 18, 4:00 - 5:00 p.m. 
  (join via Zoom or YouTube Live)

• Thursday, August 20, 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. 
  (join via Zoom or YouTube Live)
• Send the project an email: oregontolling@odot.state.or.us
• Leave a voicemail: 503-837-3536
  

What do we mean by alternatives? Alternatives are different toll options that vary by geography or type of toll — or both. We are evaluating five "alternatives" — or options along I‑205 where tolls could start and stop — how they could manage congestion and pay for roadway improvements along the corridor. Studying alternatives is an important part of the environmental review process. We'll examine different toll options, as well as consider what would happen if we don't toll and don't construct the I‑205 Improvements Stafford Road to OR 213 Project. At the end of the process, we'll identify the option that best meets the purpose and need and goals of this project. But first we need to narrow down which ones are worth looking at in more detail.

In 2022, the Federal Highway Administration, in cooperation with ODOT, will decide which alternative to implement based on the analysis conducted, existing policy and guidance, and community and stakeholder engagement.

Please share this message with your family, friends, and community groups!   

Would your organization like a virtual briefing? Send us an email at oregontolling@odot.state.or.us. 

 

Modern tolling: No toll booths

Modern toll systems require no stopping and no toll booths. Learn more by clicking on the image above. Video also available in Spanish.

What "environmental review" means for the I-205 Toll Project

National Environmental Policy Act guides the process

 The I-205 Toll Project environmental review process begins this summer.

We take the first step in a two-year process to study potential environmental impacts of the I-205 Toll Project this summer. The environmental review process will also help us identify ways to meet the project’s purpose and goals and objectives.

The National Environmental Policy Act requires that government agencies consider the impacts of a project to the natural, community, economic and cultural environment before final decisions are made. Public engagement is a critical part of the review process.

The act was signed into law in 1970 and guides federaly funded projects throughout the United States. There are three types of analyses:

1. Determination of “categorical exclusion," which means there are likely no significant negative effects from a project.
2. Environmental assessment, which reviews whether a project will have significant negative impacts.
3. Environmental impact statement, which is conducted when a project is expected to have significant negative impacts
   

The Federal Highway Administration requires an environmental assessment when the significance of potential environmental impacts is uncertain, or a categorical exclusion is inappropriate. Based on this guidance, we are preparing an environmental assessment for the I-205 Toll Project. 

The I-205 Toll Project environmental assessment process has several steps:

1. ​Host a public comment period. This is your opportunity to provide feedback on the project's purpose and need, goals and objectives, issues and alternatives.
2. Prepare the environmental assessment. We will complete technical studies of toll alternatives that detail the potential impacts of tolling.
3. Select the preferred alternative based on our analysis and public input. We will select the option for tolls on I-205 that best meets the project's purpose, and goals and objectives. The preferred alternative will also be selected for minimizing impacts to the natural and community environment.
4. Publish the environmental assessment and invite public comment. This will be your opportunity to review the results of our technical analysis and share your feedback on the project and the preferred alternative.
5. Refine the preferred alternative. Based on your feedback and additional technical analysis, we will consider adjustments the preferred alternative. We will determine what measures are needed to reduce or eliminate negative effects of the project.
6. Publish a final document. The Federal Highway Administration will publish a final environmental decision document after reviewing community feedback and technical analysis. This document explains the future project, which will include strategies to address any significant negative impacts identified.

We expect to wrap up the environmental review process at the end of 2022.

You can learn more about the National Environmental Policy Act via the Federal Highway Administration.

Equity and transportation committee updates

Committees continue to advise I-205 and I-5 toll projects

Pictured above: the Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee met July 28 to continue to advise the I-205 and I-5 Toll Projects.

Tolling is a new concept to most Oregonians. To address the needs of the public, regional partners and elected officials, we are committed to gathering feedback. Two advisory bodies are helping the project team consider public needs—the Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee and Region 1 Area Commission on Transportation.

The Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee held its second meeting Tuesday, July 28, where members reviewed the committee charter and a draft of the toll projects' equity framework. We'll be sharing more information about the equity framework in coming weeks. You can watch a video of the meeting online. The next Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee meeting will be virtual and is planned for Wednesday, Aug. 26. More information about the committee and how to comment is available on the project website.

The Region 1 Area Commission on Transportation met Monday, August 3, to review recommended alternatives for the I-205 Toll Project environmental review process. The next Region 1 Area Commission on Transportation meeting will be virtual and is planned for Oct. 5, 2020. More information about the commission and how to comment is available on the advisory body's website.

What we've been hearing

How will toll revenue be used?

During the 2017-18 Value Pricing Feasibility Analysis and continuing until today, the toll team heard many times that people who experience congestion or pay tolls also should experience the benefits of a more reliable trip.

To address this recommendation, the toll team is requesting the Oregon Transportation Commission make a policy decision on Aug. 13, 2020. ODOT Toll Program Director Lucinda Broussard will ask that toll revenues collected in a corridor be used in that same corridor to provide transportation benefits to the surrounding community and traveling public.

July 2020

​July 2020

Agencies receive travel data to compare I-205 toll options

Partner agencies get in the know on toll options

 Congestion on I-205 in Clackamas County.

Collaborating with regional partners and members of the public is important to us. Our team is trying something new to support our commitment to meaningful partnerships.

 Over the past several months, we’ve worked with Metro’s modeling team to develop and update a regional “travel demand” model to better understand the potential effects of tolls on I-205 congestion. The travel demand model generates traffic scenarios and compares the traffic levels between them. It also identifies how much people are likely to use alternatives, such as riding transit, carpooling, or riding bicycles, rather than drive alone.

Informed by the model's results, we analyzed five potential toll alternatives and shared the effects with our partner agencies. This analysis will be used to identify which alternatives we can advance for more detailed study.

ODOT and Metro led a workshop July 2 with the Regional Modeling Group to review initial results of the screening analysis and respond to their questions. (The group is composed of technical staff members from cities, counties, public transportation service providers and other public agencies across the region and Southwest Washington.) Transportation agencies usually share raw travel demand model data after a draft environmental document is published. However, to show our commitment to building partnerships and to encourage early feedback on the I-205 Toll Project, we are sharing the summary report as well as supporting model data with our partners at local agencies now. Since our partners are focused on understanding the effects of tolls to local streets in their communities, this early data-sharing helps them evaluate the potential effects of initial alternatives. 

Sharing modeling data is the first step in a more extensive traffic review. We’ll continue working with our partners to improve our modeling tools by incorporating data from communities that can improve our location-specific analysis. As the project moves forward, we will publish more detailed traffic analysis in our environmental documents.

In the end, our goal is to provide the information you need to fully understand the work we’re doing, with opportunity to provide feedback that guides our work. We believe working closely with our agency partners and providing this data is a good start to ongoing collaboration to create a toll system that works. 

Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee holds listening session

Committee focused on recent protests and connections to historic transportation planning

The I-205 and I-5 Toll Projects' Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee held a virtual listening session Monday, June 29. Committee members came together to share their thoughts and experiences about racism and systemic connections to historic, current and future transportation planning and funding.

At the conclusion ODOT’s Toll Program Director Lucinda Broussard reflected on what she heard, including a key theme that the intent and impacts of tolls must be centered in human outcomes. She told the committee to hold ODOT accountable.

“Tolling is not about cars. It’s about people,” Broussard said.

Throughout the meeting, facilitator Christine Moses posed reflection and discussion questions that included:

• Given where we are in the world, at this moment, how do anti-racism and Black Lives Matter demonstrations relate to the work of this committee?
• What are the historic injustices that ODOT has committed against communities of color?
• How does current transportation policy contribute to inequitable outcomes?
• Can tolls be equitable; or, what would equitable tolls look like?
  

 Committee members participate in a virtual listening session on June 29 to share their thoughts and experiences about racism and systemic connections to historic, current and future transportation planning and funding.

Many members said the protests spotlighted how Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) communities have long been affected by systemic racism, including in the transportation sector. Addressing those systemic barriers to an equitable transportation system requires open and honest discussion of how the system has failed BIPOC communities, paired with a commitment to create real, lasting change.

Committee members shared examples of how ODOT committed injustices against communities of color. Historically, transportation agencies across the country built new highways directly through communities of color in major cities, and Portland was no different.

Members shared that hundreds of homes mostly owned by African American families in the historic Albina neighborhood were destroyed for construction of Memorial Coliseum and I-5 in Northeast Portland. This highway construction and displacement excluded and harmed people of color in the planning process, and committee members said ODOT has never explicitly acknowledged these injustices. People who live near highways experience worse health outcomes, a burden that is often borne by low-income communities and communities of color.

We heard several ideas from committee members on how to form an equitable transportation system:

• Focus more on the entire transportation system and affordable travel options rather than just roads and cars.
• Work directly with communities most affected by the outcomes of transportation planning early on to help design the project.
• Be more transparent in sharing how community input has affected and influenced project plans and designs, and work to broaden the scope of who should participate, including residents of Southwest Washington.
• Be intentional and reflective in considering how adding tolls without improved transit options or payment mitigation may devastate low-income families.
• Demonstrate a commitment to a healthy environment by pairing tolls with improved transit options to reduce vehicle miles traveled and greenhouse gas emissions.

The next Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee meeting on July 28 will also be virtual. During that session, the committee plans to discuss a charter and a workplan that will guide their work in the coming months.

More information about the Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee is available on theproject website.  

 

Advisory committee hears about options for I-205 tolling

June Region 1 ACT meeting update

Last month, the Region 1 Area Commission on Transportation learned the next steps in the environmental processes for the I-205 Toll Project, and the five options currently under review. 

Lucinda Broussard, ODOT Toll Program Director, and Brendan Finn, ODOT Director of the Office of Urban Mobility led the presentation. They highlighted the launch of the Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee. Lucinda stressed the importance of collaborating with historically and currently underserved and underrepresented communities and how ODOT plans to pursue equitable outreach and project outcomes.

During the discussion period, the project team and commission members looked deeper into the I-205 Toll Project environmental review process. They considered how future I-205 construction projects could be funded depending on when tolls are implemented. 

The Region 1 Area Commission on Transportation was established as an advisory body to the Oregon Transportation Commission. Stakeholders collaborate on transportation issues, including 31 voting members who represent Clackamas County, Hood River County, Multnomah County, Washington County, the City of Portland, the Port of Portland, Metro, and TriMet. 

The commission will regularly discuss the I-205 and I-5 toll projects and take public comment to advise the Oregon Transportation Commission. View more details about the Region 1 Area Commission on Transportation on their website, including meeting materials from the June 1 meeting and information about their Aug. 3 meeting. 

Mark your calendars - comment period launches August 3rd

Have your say on I-205 Toll Project's purpose, goals and alternatives

 

The I-205 Toll Project is preparing to launch a 45-day public comment period that begins Aug. 3 and continues through Sept. 16, 2020.

Throughout the public comment period, we will host activities where you can ask questions, offer feedback, and learn about the project. Your feedback will help determine which toll alternatives are selected to study in the next steps of the I-205 Toll Project environmental review process.

Stay tuned for more information and an invitation to share in the discussion starting Aug. 3.

We look forward to the time when we can gather again in person. Until then, we’ll see you online!  ODOT follows Governor Kate Brown’s executive order on public gatherings to ensure the safety of everyone who participates. Would your organization like a virtual briefing? Send us an email at oregontolling@odot.state.or.us.

Watch for announcements for how ODOT’s commitment to slowing the spread of COVID-19 will affect summer engagement.​

June 2020

​Meet your Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee members​
ODOT’s Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee works to prioritize equity and mobility in designing the state’s regional toll program.

Committee members participate in a reception on May 27 to build relationships.

The Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee has 15 members — some appointed by ODOT’s director and others selected through an open application process — who bring a spectrum of equity and mobility experiences and perspectives.

We selected members using 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 City 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. Our 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; we named three of them to serve at-large.

Name	O​rganization
Abe Moland	Clackamas County Health and Transportation
Amanda Garcia-Snell	Washington County Community Engagement
Bill Baumann	Human Services Council
Diana Avelos Leos	League of United Latin American Citizen Latino Youth Conference
Dr. Philip Wu	Oregon Environmental Council
Dwight Brashear	SMART
Eduardo Ramos	At-large member City of Tigard
Fabian Hidalgo Guerrero	Causa
Germaine Flentory	Beyond Black/Play, Grow, Learn
Ismael Armenta	At-large member Oregon Walks
James Paulson	WorkSystems Inc Board
John Gardner	TriMet
Kari Schlosshauer	At-large member Safe Routes Partnership
Michael Espinoza	Portland Bureau of Transportation
Park Woodworth	Ride Connection

Alando Simpson, Oregon Transportation Commission Vice Chair, serves as the EMAC liaison.  

Phil Ditzler, Federal Highway Administration, serves as an ex-officio member.

The committee will advise the Oregon Transportation Commission and ODOT on strategies for toll projects planned on I-5 and I-205, during the NEPA process. In that capacity, members will offer guidance in solving problems with the regional transportation network and work to benefit historically and currently underserved and underrepresented communities.

 Christine Moses, facilitator/change-manager and Chief Executive Officer for Buffalo Cloud Consulting, LLC, facilitates the Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee.

Christine Moses, Chief Executive Officer for Buffalo Cloud Consulting, LLC, facilitates committee meetings. She describes herself as a community builder, change manager, and facilitator who believes everyone should win. 

As a facilitator/change-manager, Christine helps people understand each other so they can find solutions to their social justice, equity, inclusion, communications, and strategic planning issues. Her expertise in bringing people together will be critical to support the committee as they address complex issues for the I-205 and I-5 toll projects. 

"I firmly believe that when we address our equity issues and create inclusive education systems and workplaces, everything else falls into place," said Christine. 

Committee members participated in an online reception May 27 to meet and build relationships with one another. The first committee meeting is scheduled for June 29. Due to recent events in our local community and nationally surrounding systemic racism, we are dedicating the space to a Listening Session. This listening session will be held from 5:30-8:00pm. All meetings are open to the public.​

Visit our Advisory Committee page for more information.

Community leaders work with communities of color, immigrants and refugees to advise ODOT

Community leaders will advise ODOT on the barriers and impacts of tolling.

ODOT collaborates with the Community Engagement Liaisons Program to hire community liaisons. The liaisons recruit community members to boost culturally-specific and authentic public participation in our work. Liaisons work all over Oregon and Washington, but the majority reside in Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas counties.

Led by small business owner Ping Khaw, program liaisons think about ways to overcome barriers while exploring opportunities to form deeper connections with communities. As liaisons help us bridge cultural gaps, the collaboration enriches the public participation experience and provides communities with information.

Liaisons from underserved communities such as African, Latinx, Asian, Arabic and Slavic help identify specific ethno-cultural and language communities within the project area for the I-205 and I-5 toll projects team. These partnerships support and stimulate meaningful dialogue about the project while advancing these communities’ interests.

In community... from a distance

I-205 and I-5 toll projects team adapts to community involvement in the age of COVID-19.
Toll project team members met with scouts from West Linn May 1.

​The next generation of travelers will shape traffic patterns through the greater Portland area for decades to come. So on May 1, the I-205 and I-5 toll projects team conducted a virtual meeting with the West Linn Scouts to give them an overview of tolling.

We used Zoom to reach out to the 12- to 17-year olds, who asked lots of great questions, including how tolling might affect their families, wh​at it might mean for driving to school in the future, and how future traffic might affect their ability to ride a bike to school.

Also in May, we hosted a webinar for regional partner agency staff representing local governments throughout the region. Then, we kicked off June with a webinar for the ODOT Region 1 Area Commission on Transportation.

While COVID-19 makes community outreach more challenging, we are grateful to have technology solutions that allow us to continue providing virtual briefings to local governments and communities.

To see a list of recent and future toll briefings, visit our calendar. To request a webinar, email the project team at oregontolling@odot.state.or.us.

We look forward to the time when we can gather again in person. Until then, we’ll see you online! ODOT follows Governor Kate Brown’s executive order on public gatherings to ensure the safety of everyone who participates. Would your organization like a virtual briefing? Send us an email at oregontolling@odot.state.or.us.

Watch for announcements for how ODOT’s commitment to slowing the spread of COVID-19 will affect summer engagement.

May 2020

Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee Update

New committee will develop equitable mobility strategies

Rush hour congestion along I-5 in Portland.

Last month, we began forming an Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee​. The committee will advise ODOT on how tolling on the I-205 and I-5 freeways, in combination with other strategies, can benefit populations that have historically been underserved and underrepresented by transportation projects.

EMAC members will represent a variety of equity and mobility interests and perspectives in the Portland metro area and Southwest Washington including:

• Transportation options and access.
• Transportation affordability.
• Environmental justice for historically underrepresented and underserved communities.
  

EMAC members will work together through 2022 to consider needs and opportunities for achieving community equity and mobility outcomes associated with the I-205 and I-5 Toll Projects National Environmental Policy Act processes. The committee will provide input to the Oregon Transportation Commission and ODOT as they decide how to implement tolls on I-205 and I-5.

The committee’s first meeting will be held in June.

We look forward to when we can see you in person, until then, we look forward to seeing you online. We are following Governor Kate Brown’s executive order on public gatherings and working to ensure sure our engagement opportunities are safe. Watch for announcements for how ODOT’s commitment to slowing the spread of COVID-19 will affect summer engagement.

I-205 Public Engagement: Coming this Summer

Learn and share feedback about the environmental review process

Community member participating in an Open House for the Value Pricing Feasibility Study in 2018

This summer, we will launch a public comment period for the I-205 Toll Project. This 45-day public comment period is an important part of the federally-required National Environmental Policy Act environmental review process that will examine different alternatives of where tolls would start and end on I-205 and how well they would achieve the project objectives to raise revenue and manage congestion. We want to hear from you at the start of the environmental review about the project's purpose and what we should consider as the project moves forward.

Throughout the public comment period, we will host activities to share information and hear your ideas. These activities will include events and online venues where you can ask questions, offer feedback, and learn about:

• Current plans and next steps.
• How modern tolling systems work.
• The program's approach to equity.

Your feedback will help us determine which toll alternatives to study in the next steps of the I-205 Toll Project environmental review process.

Community Briefings

Learn more and share feedback on toll projects

Throughout winter 2019 and spring 2020, the project team met with elected officials and policy committees to share information, hear feedback, and answer questions about the I-205 and I-5 Toll Projects. Digital tools allow us to continue these presentations until the risks associated with COVID-19 have subsided. Visit the calendar to see our schedule.

Would your organization, committee or council like to receive a project briefing too? Let us know by sending an email to the project team.

 Transportation experts participate digitally in a workshop in April 2020. They will inform the I-205 and I-5 Toll Projects.

Regional Agencies Share Expertise through Working Groups

Transit and traffic modeling experts inform toll projects

Transportation experts meet at a kick-off workshop in February 2020. They will inform the I-205 and I-5 Toll Projects. 

To shape the I-5 and I-205 Toll Projects, we are joined by transportation experts from across the region who serve on two technical groups: the Transit Multimodal Working Group and the Regional Modeling Group. Members of these two groups come from cities, counties, public transportation service providers and other public agencies across the region, giving us insights on how tolls could affect specific jurisdictions and the people who live or work there. They are sharing their expertise to broaden our understanding of opportunities, benefits and risks as we move forward.

The Transit Multimodal Working Group shares expertise and detailed information on current, planned and potential future transit service and active transportation networks. The group also provides input on how to best measure the potential effects of tolling on these travel modes as well as what elements can be incorporated into the Toll Projects to support multi-modal travel options. The Regional Modeling Group provides technical input on the approach to modeling for the Toll Projects, especially on the different modeling tools available to evaluate and compare Toll Project options.

These technical working groups inform our approach to the federally-required NEPA environmental review process. The NEPA process will evaluate different scenarios (referred to as alternatives) to consider where tolls will start and end on I-205 and how well they will achieve the project objectives to raise revenue and manage congestion.

The groups met for the first time, jointly, in February, and the Regional Modeling Group met on its own last month through a digital platform. Workshops continue over the next 18 to 24 months to address performance measures, project strategies and agencies concerns. Participants serve as a two-way link between their agency and ODOT, giving us local information on existing conditions and planned projects, voicing ideas and questions, as well as serving as a conduit of information about the Toll Projects back to their home agencies.

Stay tuned as the groups continue to take shape in the months ahead. 

April 2020

Apply to serve on Equity and Mobili​​ty Advisory Committee:
Application period extended to May 1

Apply for at-large positions to develop equitable mobility strategies

 

We are forming an Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee (EMAC) to advise on how tolling on I-5 and I-205 freeways, in combination with other strategies, can include benefits for populations that have historically been underserved and underrepresented by transportation projects.

Advice will be provided to the Oregon Transportation Commission and Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT). In providing input to the OTC, the Committee shall consider needs and opportunties for achieving community mobility and equity priorities as part of the NEPA process for tolling implementation.

The EMAC will be composed of about 15 members who represent a variety of mobility and equity interests and perspectives in the Portland metro area and Southwest Washington. Three to five of these members will be at-large positions filled through an application process. Other committee members will be appointed. Funding for time and travel may be available by request. The committee will meet between 15 to 20 times through 2022. Accessibility resources, including interpretation, will be provided as requested.

At-large members will be selected to represent a community of interest. These members will be asked to share information between the EMAC and the community they represent. In addition to seeking diversity on the EMAC respective to geography, demographics, and current interests, the committee will strive for representation from those with knowledge of historically underserved and underrepresented communities.

Interested in representing your community? Apply online. All applications must be received by May 1. The first EMAC meeting is expected to occur in May or June 2020. 

ODOT is committed to slowing the spread of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). Meetings of the newly formed EMAC will follow guidance of Governor Kate Brown and public health officials. ODOT encourages all public meeting participants to follow proper safety precautions and social distancing recommendations. Options for alternative meeting schedules and formats will be considered if needed.

 

Education and engagement activities

Learn more and share feedback on tolling projects

Throughout the year, we've been meeting with elected officials and policy committees to share information, hear feedback and answer questions about the I-5 and I-205 Tolling Projects. Digital tools will allow us to continue these presentations until the risks associated with COVID-19 have subsided. Visit the calendar to see our schedule. Would your organization, committee or council like to receive a project briefing too? Let us know by sending an email to the project team. 

Later this year, we will host events and launch interactive digital platforms to allow visitors to learn more about the I-5 and I-205 Tolling Projects and provide input. These events and online platforms will present information and provide opportunities for community members to ask questions and offer feedback. Through these platforms, you can learn more about:

• Current plans and next steps

• How modern tolling systems work

• The program's approach to equity

Watch for announcements!

ODOT is committed to slowing the spread of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). Public events and meetings will follow guidance of Governor Kate Brown and public health officials. ODOT encourages all public meeting participants to follow proper safety precautions and social distancing recommendations. Options for alternative meeting schedules and formats will be considered.

ODOT to pause I-205 travel preference survey until fall

Provide input through April 24

In early March, the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) launched an online survey to learn about when, why and how often drivers use I-205 near the Abernethy Bridge and to evaluate drivers’ willingness to pay a toll to save travel time.

Since then, social distancing guidelines implemented as a result of Governor Kate Brown’s Executive Order 20-12 have affected travel patterns on I-205 and throughout the region. ODOT will pause the “I-205 Travel Preference Survey” and resume it later in 2020. If the survey were to be conducted as planned, recent changes in travel patterns could affect the data that is collected, making it less robust for planning and financial analyses.

The survey will remain available until April 24. This will allow interested individuals to complete the survey and give ODOT information about travel patterns during the COVID-19 emergency. Before this pause, ODOT had planned to mail postcards to a sample of residents in Oregon and Southwest Washington to notify them of the survey and encourage them to respond. ODOT will delay sending these postcards until fall 2020 (target date).

This survey delay will not negatively impact the study of tolling on I-205. The survey results are intended primarily to inform decision-making for toll rates. The results are also used to help determine alternatives for the design of the tolling system and the locations where the toll will be collected. ODOT will conduct initial analyses of these alternatives using results from previous surveys and will refine these analyses once the travel preference survey is restarted and completed.

By delaying the collection of additional data, ODOT will have survey responses from before, during and after travel conditions were impacted by social distancing. This will help the agency better understand travel patterns and how they relate to tolling.

March 2020

ODOT to form new Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee

Apply now for at-large positions to develop mobility strategies that benefit historically underserved communities

 

The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) is forming an Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee (EMAC) to advise on how tolling Oregon’s freeway system, in combination with other transportation strategies, can include benefits for populations that have historically been underserved by transportation projects.

The EMAC will also support the development of an equity framework to be used for the I-5 and I-205 Tolling Projects and for other state tolling locations that may be evaluated in the future. Advice will be provided to the Oregon Transportation Commission and Oregon Department of Transportation.

The EMAC will be composed of about 15 members who represent a variety of mobility and equity interests and perspectives in Oregon and Southwest Washington. Three to five of these members will be at-large positions filled through an application process. Other committee members will be appointed. Funding for time and travel may be available by request. The committee will meet about eight to ten times and will conclude in early 2021. Accessibility resources, including interpretation, will be provided as requested.

At-large members will be selected to represent a community of interest. These members will be asked to share information between the EMAC and the community they represent. In addition to seeking diversity on the EMAC respective to geography, demographics, and current interests, the committee will strive for representation from those with knowledge of historically underserved communities.

Interested in representing your community? Apply online or call (503) 837-3536 to request a paper application. All applications must be received by April 17.

ODOT is committed to slowing the spread of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). Meetings of the newly formed EMAC will follow guidance of Governor Kate Brown and public health officials. ODOT encourages all public meeting participants to follow proper safety precautions and social distancing recommendations. Options for alternative meeting schedules and formats will be considered if needed.

 

We Need Your Help to Improve Travel on I-205

Postcards mailed to residents with online survey link

 

As part of a comprehensive approach to manage traffic congestion and raise revenue for bottleneck relief projects, we need current data on how drivers use I-205.

ODOT is conducting an online “Travel Preference Survey”, a research instrument that asks users when, why and how often they use I-205 near the Abernethy Bridge and evaluates users’ willingness to pay a toll to save travel time. Results will be used to study the potential effects of tolling on I-205.

For the results of this survey to be representative of I-205 drivers, we need your help!

Your opinion is important. The more people who respond to the survey, the more precise the results will be. Participants who complete the survey can enter for a chance to win a $100 cash gift card.

We sent postcards with a link to complete the survey online to a random sample of residents in Oregon and Southwest Washington. If you have received one of these postcards, please take the survey following the instructions provided.

If you did not receive a postcard, you can still take the survey and share your thoughts by clicking the button below.

We will conduct another survey in the future to gather this information about I-5.

 

Learn and give input online about the I-5 and I-205 Tolling Projects this spring

 

This spring, ODOT will host a virtual educational event and launch an educational website about the Tolling Program. The online platforms will present information about the I-5 and I-205 Tolling Projects and will provide opportunities for community members to ask questions and offer feedback. Specifically, these engagement opportunities will go into more detail in the following topic areas:

• Current plans and next steps
• How modern tolling systems work
• The program's approach to equity

ODOT has decided to rely on digital tools to engage the community on the Tolling Program until the risks associated with COVID-19 are reduced.

Stay tuned for more information in the coming weeks.

February 2020

​I-5 and I-205 tolling projects move forward with equity and community mobility as essential elements

Extensive opportunities to provide public input

Beginning this spring, ODOT will conduct an environmental review of tolling options for Interstate 205 and conduct additional planning work to define the start and end points of tolling on Interstate 5. You will have opportunities to provide input during this work.​

With the help of stakeholders and partner agencies, we have identified three equity and mobility priorities for tolling projects:

• Improved public transit and other travel options
• Options for people with low incomes and historically disadvantaged people who depend on the freeways
  
• Strategies to support neighborhood safety and mobility
  

These priorities were recommended by a policy advisory committee, endorsed by the Oregon Transportation Commission and included in an application to the Federal Highway Administration to study tolling on I-5 and I-205. 

Extensive opportunities to provide input will be available as both projects progress. As project alternatives are developed and evaluated for I-5 and I-205, We will work with regional partners, neighborhoods, and community-based organizations to develop community mobility and equity priorities and strategies that will help advance the projects. The results of this work will be shared with stakeholders through public events and online surveys as the projects are being developed.  

Region 1 Area Commission on Transportation discusses decision process and public engagement for tolling 

This February, members of the Region 1 Area Commission on Transportation (ACT) emphasized the importance of regional collaboration and broad public engagement as the I-5 and I-205 tolling projects proceed.  

The Region 1 ACT will advise the Oregon Transportation Commission (OTC) and ODOT staff on tolling projects.  

At the February Region 1 ACT meeting, OTC chair Bob Van Brocklin said the OTC is proceeding with tolling projects knowing there is much to learn from the technical analysis, agency partners and the public.  

“We can’t predict tonight what the package will look like. We are committed to becoming educated before we decide what to do,” said Van Brocklin. 

The Region 1 ACT discussed several topics related to tolling, including:  

• The importance of coordination with other regional projects 
• Fairness to low-income drivers 
• Timing for when tolling will begin 
• Current diversion and potential travel pattern changes  
• The role the Region 1 ACT will serve to help community conversations 
• The need for broad public engagement  
• The need for improved public transit and other transportation options   

The next meeting occurs April 6 in Cascade Locks and is open to the public. 

We need your help to improve travel on I-205  

Postcards will be mailed to residents with online survey link  

As part of a comprehensive approach to reduce traffic congestion and raise revenue for bottleneck relief projects, we need current data on how drivers use I-205.  

This winter ODOT will conduct an online “Travel Preference Survey” that asks drivers why and when they travel on I-205. Results will be used to study the effects of tolling the freeway.  

For the results of this survey to be representative of I-205 drivers, we will need your help!  

Your opinion is important. The more people who respond to the survey, the more precise the results will be. We will send postcards to residents in the seven-county region with information to complete the survey online. If you receive one of these postcards, please take the survey following the instructions provided.  

If you do not receive a postcard, you will be able to take the survey and share your thoughts by accessing the project website in the coming weeks.

We will conduct another survey in the future to gather this information about travel on I-5.  

Why is Oregon tolling? 

 

In 2017, the Oregon Legislature approved House Bill 2017 which committed hundreds of millions of dollars in projects to address congestion and improve the transportation system in the region and statewide. HB 2017 funded bottleneck relief highway projects, freight rail, improvements to transit and bicycle and pedestrian facilities. The bill also directed the Oregon Transportation Commission to pursue and implement congestion pricing, also known as variable rate tolls, on I-5 and I-205 in the Portland Metro region to provide additional traffic management tools to further manage congestion.

During the 2018 Feasibility Analysis, regional stakeholders, agency partners, and the public explored multiple options for variable rate tolling. This resulted in the identification by the Oregon Transportation Commission of two projects for further evaluation:

• I-5 along a seven-mile stretch through central Portland approximately between N Going/Alberta Street to SW Multnomah Boulevard, the exact end points still to be determined. 
• I-205 between Stafford Road and OR 213, on or near the Abernethy Bridge, the exact location still to be determined. 
  

January 2019

ODOT submitted an application in December 2018 to toll these two routes to raise money for transportation improvements and reduce congestion, as required by HB 2017. In early 2019, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) responded to the Oregon Transportation Commission’s application to toll I-5 between Going Street and Multnomah Boulevard and I-205 at or near the Abernethy Bridge.

FHWA’s letter provides a basis for ODOT to move into the next phase of work. It lays out responses to key questions and describes what ODOT will need to do in order to secure federal approval for tolling these two sections of the Interstate. ODOT will continue working closely with FHWA to move tolling forward.

The locations for tolling that were advanced by the OTC reflect the recommendation of a 24-member Policy Advisory Committee which met to evaluate the technical analysis and public input from a Value Pricing Feasibility Analysis from November 2017 to June 2018. 

The OTC accepted the PAC recommendation in August 2018. It served as the basis for a draft application for OTC approval in December 2018. At this meeting, the five-member commission voted unanimously to accept the draft and submit a final application to the Federal Highway Administration by the end of 2018, as mandated by HB2017.

The next phase of work will include in-depth planning, traffic and revenue analysis, environmental review, and extensive public engagement. This analysis will focus on concerns raised frequently during the feasibility analysis phase of the project, including understanding impacts to low income and historically marginalized communities, needed improvements to mass transit services and other travel options and minimizing negative diversion impacts to neighborhood streets. ODOT will be launching this work in the near future. This phase is expected to take several years due to the rigor of the analysis and the extensive public engagement required.

Application to FHWA

Response from FHWA

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Background

​In 2017, the Oregon Legislature passed House Bill 2017, known as “Keep Oregon Moving.” This bill committed billions of dollars in projects that will address our congestion problem and improve the transportation system in the region and statewide. HB 2017 funded bottleneck relief highway projects, freight rail, and transportation options, including improvements to transit, biking and walking facilities and service. The Legislature also directed the Oregon Transportation Commission (OTC) to pursue and implement tolling on I-5 and I-205 in the Portland Metro region to help manage traffic congestion. A 2018 feasibility analysis, which included both technical analysis and public input, determined that tolling could help manage congestion and raise revenue on I-5 and I-205.​

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Related Links

Other projects in the I-205 area