Oregon’s transportation system is due for an overhaul next year. Here’s what you need to know
Oregon’s transportation system is due for an overhaul next year. Here’s what you need to know
Finding a solution to the state's road funding problems is one of the highest-profile — and politically tricky — problems lawmakers will consider next year.
Potentially big changes are coming to ODOT's funding model in the next few years. There are holes that the state can't patch.
Seems like VMT is the only sensible approach here. Gotta avoid Big Brother, though.
Tolls would also work
The problem with tolls on specific highway sections, like the proposed one on 205 that got axed, is that they are both A. a regressive tax against the poor, precluding them from using that road for anything, and B. Likely to induce a lot of knock-on effects on traffic flow because people are generally cheap and will try to use surface streets to avoid tolls. Especially in an area that hasn't previously used tolling at all, so there isn't user precedent for accepting tolls.
Yeah, it probably will be. Which, I think is a decent compromise- I've done it for commercial trucks and it's fine. However commercial vehicles file a quarterly odometer mileage report and pay per mile based on their vehicle weight and axle count. Then trucks paying by WMT get to buy PUC diesel at truck stops that has most of the road tax taken off.
This is in contrast to the consumer pilot program where drivers plug a computer into their car that tracks the ecu mileage. That tracking is something that is an absolute nonstarter for me- and also not even possible because I don't even drive cars with an OBDII port they could use lol.
Bury the Max lines, make it a subway
While that would be great, what's the point? They need to make the lines go places people work. Forget the wheel and spike design, let downtown be served by one line and divert the rest to the areas where people live and work.
....why would they do that when they already dont have any money?