UPDATE: 5th congestion pricing open house added

April 13, 2018

Contacts:

Don Hamilton, 503-704-7452

Kimberly Dinwiddie, 503-539-8454

UPDATE: ODOT plans 5th open house in new congestion pricing public conversations

The Oregon Department of Transportation has added a fifth public open house to the latest series of public meetings to discuss the use of congestion pricing to help improve travel times and reliability on Interstate 5 and Interstate 205 in the Portland-Vancouver metro area.

The fifth meeting will be Monday April 30 in Vancouver.

In addition, an online open house is now available through April 30 at http://openhouse.oregondot.org/congestion.  The online open house is another way for people to share their thoughts on five tolling concepts that are now being considered.

Here is the schedule for the remaining public meetings (the first was held April 12 in Oregon City):

• Saturday, April 14, 10 a.m. to noon, Ron Russell Middle School, 3955 S.E. 112^th, Portland.
• Wednesday April 18, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Tigard Public Works Auditorium, 8777 S.W. Burnham St., Tigard.
• Saturday April 21, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Embassy Suites Airport, Pine Room, 7900 N.E. 82^nd, Portland.
• Monday April 30, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Marshall Community Center/ Leupke Center, 1009 E. McLoughlin Blvd., Vancouver

More than 260 people attended three open houses in January.

Congestion pricing, also known as value pricing, refers to tolling options that are specifically designed to improve traffic flow. Congestion pricing systems charge higher prices for driving on a road when demand is greater, in the morning and evening rush hours, for example.

Some drivers choose to travel on other routes, at different times of the day or on other modes of transportation. Communities across the US have found these tools effective in improving traffic conditions and enhancing travel time reliability.

The open houses will be informal, drop-in events with ODOT project team members stationed throughout the room to provide materials, discuss the options and answer questions.

During the open houses, the public will get a chance to:

• Learn about congestion pricing
• Share experiences with traffic congestion and express their views on congestion pricing concepts now under discussion
• Provide input on strategies or policies that should be considered to make congestion pricing work in the Portland-Vancouver metro area

These community conversations will help inform the Policy Advisory Committee in its work to prepare a recommendation to forward this summer to the Oregon Transportation Commission.

Background

The Oregon Legislature last year approved HB 2017, Keep Oregon Moving, which committed $5.3 billion to a wide range of transportation investments. The bill directed the Oregon Transportation Commission (OTC) to pursue federal approval for congestion pricing on all or parts of Interstate 5 and Interstate 205 from the Columbia River in the north to where the two roads meet south of Tualatin.

The OTC established the Policy Advisory Committee to help inform their feasibility study of congestion pricing. The Committee includes representatives of local governments in Oregon and Washington, the business community, highway users, equity and environmental justice interests, and public transportation and environmental advocates.

It is scheduled to deliver a recommendation to the OTC this summer and by Dec. 31, 2018, the OTC will submit its congestion pricing proposal to the Federal Highway Administration.

Meeting Accommodations

Accommodations will be provided at the meetings to allow people with disabilities to participate. To request a meeting accommodation, please call April DeLeon-Galloway at 503-731-3117 or call statewide relay at 7-1-1 at least 48 hours prior to each meeting.

Find out more and sign up for email updates by visiting the website: ODOTvaluepricing.org.