I don’t like the idea of tolling I-5 and I-205 but traffic on the Oregon side of the river seems to be worse than in Seattle. The fix is way overdue. Why has this taken so long? Money. Road construction is expensive.
I’ve worked in Oregon for decades and I’ve seen the traffic get worse every year. It takes an hour to drive to Portland from Vancouver almost any time of day. If Oregon residents would be subjected to the same tolling when using the interstates, I’m fine with it.
Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler is trying to stop the tolling. She also supported not building a new I-5 bridge. What do we have? Nothing but horrible gridlock. If we’re to turn that tide we must step up along with Oregon residents and pay some taxes to get it done. People who don’t go to Portland won’t pay tolls because this is a user fee.
Herrera Beutler wants to make points with voters but is displaying no vision to a serious problem. Too many people want fixes for free. It won’t happen. If you love daily gridlock, support Herrera Beutler’s effort. She needs to come up with federal funds to pay for an interstate project.
