First Value Pricing Advisory Committee meeting set for Monday Nov. 20

Nov. 14, 2017

Contacts

Don Hamilton, 503-704-7452

Kimberly Dinwiddie, 503-539-8454

 

Value Pricing Committee meets Nov. 20 to help develop a plan to ease area congestion

 

The Portland Area Value Pricing Advisory Committee holds its first meeting Monday Nov. 20 at ODOT’s Portland headquarters as it starts the process of developing new ways of reducing metro area congestion.

The committee will guide ODOT's development of a value pricing proposal on Interstate 5 and Interstate 205, from the state line to where the highways meet south of Tualatin. ODOT’s proposal will be submitted for approval to the federal government by the end of 2018.

HB 2017, approved this year by the Oregon Legislature, directed the Oregon Transportation Commission, ODOT’s governing body, to create the advisory committee. The panel will evaluate options, consider public input and inform the Commission (OTC) on the impact of each option on road users, the transportation system, and the community, economy and environment

The meeting is scheduled for 8:30 to 11 a.m., Monday, Nov. 20, at the Oregon Department of Transportation, 123 N.W. Flanders St. in Portland. Committee meetings are open to the public, with opportunities for public comment available during the meeting.

Value pricing, also known as congestion pricing, is a broad term covering an array of tolling options in which a higher price is set for driving on a road when demand is greater, usually in the morning and evening rush hours.

No decisions have been made about what type of value pricing practices will be recommended for the I-5/I-205 corridor.

Value pricing can include:

• Converting a carpool lane (also known as a high occupancy vehicle or HOV lane) to a high occupancy toll lane so non-carpoolers can choose to pay to use a faster lane
• Setting a variable toll on a new or converted highway lane
• Tolling lanes on an existing freeway

The goal of value pricing is to reduce congestion by encouraging some people to travel at less congested times or use alternate modes, and to provide users with a more reliable trip.

The 25-member committee includes representatives of the business community, equity and environmental justice interests, public transportation and environmental advocates and local governments in Oregon and Washington.

The committee will consider numerous factors in developing their recommendation to the OTC, including revenue and cost, traffic operations, diversion, transit service, economic and equity impacts, environmental impacts and consistency with federal and state laws.

Accommodations will be provided at the meeting to people with disabilities to participate. To request an accommodation, please call Mandy Putney at 503-731-8356 or call statewide relay at 7-1-1 at least 48 hours prior to the meeting. Accessible parking is available on the west side of the building (Northwest 2^nd Avenue).

The second meeting is set for Thursday Dec. 7, also at the ODOT Portland offices. Further meetings are planned but have not yet been scheduled.

Agendas, a list of committee members and other materials can be found at the committee website at http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/Get-Involved/Pages/Value-Pricing-Committee.aspx . The website can also be used to sign up for email updates.