Oregon’s Road User Fee Task Force (RUFTF) has recommended implementing
road usage charging for all new vehicles rated at 20 miles per gallon or better
beginning in 2025. RUFTF’s recommendation was informed by ODOT’s
projection that, by 2020, fuels tax revenue will begin to decline due to
increased vehicle fuel efficiency, and fuels tax will continue that decline
into the future.
One of the policy concerns about road usage charging is the
perception that it could increase costs for rural households, because rural
drivers presumably drive more. However, research on the driving habits of
Oregonians by Oregon State University shows that rural drivers wouldn’t be
negatively impacted by a road usage charge.
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With a year’s experience, ODOT has demonstrated that
charging per mile instead of per gallon is feasible. In its first year, over
1000 vehicles drove 5 million miles, providing enough participation to
adequately test and have confidence in OReGO systems and processes.
A federal grant will allow ODOT will test new road charging
technologies and interoperability with other states.
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