Much has been publicized regarding Oregon’s proposal to institute “value pricing” tolls on Interstate 5 and Interstate 205 near the Washington/Oregon state line. Omitted from plans are other major thoroughfares of Portland, namely, Interstate 84, U.S. Route 26, and Oregon Highway 217. Three of five major routes solely within Oregon will inexplicably not participate. Southwest Washington commuters who work in Portland have only two viable routes to their worksites in Portland: I-5 and I-205, both proposed for tolls.
Therefore, Southwest Washington commuters will bear an inordinate portion of the burden. We can debate various means to “right-size” Southwest Washington drivers’ Oregon tax. Should no proposed method of equalizing the load upon Southwest Washington drivers find acceptance, then perhaps allocating collected tolls equally between the respective Departments of Transportation of Washington and Oregon should be accomplished. This strategy would at least alleviate the disagreeableness of paying a tax on the interstates which is sent only one way to Oregon.
Notable also is that the I-5 and I-205 complex of Vancouver/Portland serves the entire metropolitan area and may be thought of as a unitary whole, further necessitating equal distribution of collected funds to the two concerned states of Washington and Oregon.
