Slight of Hand Gestures Will Hurt The Masses
Tolling plans are growing in Portland while 3rd party providers are making some serious coin...
This week has been filled with the “Dis’s”… Disingenuous, Discouragement and Disheartening… but you decide.
ODOT is found to have big plans for the Westside, toll funds are being collected at an ever increasing rate and more mouths need to be fed at the growing amount of programs. It is full of “Dis’s.”
Senator Mark Meek sits down with us, in our podcast, to share his thoughts and perspective on the Tolling issues facing our State. His sincerity is felt and heard as he stands up for the people of Clackamas County.
Our articles will inform you but please do not let them give you despair. Their is much happening behind the scenes that will be known soon.
In Short
Article 1 - The Westside Multimodal Improvements Study has been around since May of 2022. Though the Study has been on ODOT’s desk for much longer… we only stumbled upon it just last week. Only one of a handful of people we asked about the study knew it even existed.
This, in simplicity, is the next toll program focused on Hwy 26 and Hwy 217. No diversion study has been done, though ODOT stated, earlier this year, that Hwy 217 was not considered for tolling because diversion would be too much of an issue. We assume ODOT forgot that…
Article 2 - In this Yahoo Finance article, tolling is said to grow worldwide from $5.54 billion in 2022 and is poised to reach $14.36 billion by 2030. Cited from another article, US tolling dollars are expected to rise from $1.9 Billion (2022) to $5.4 Billion (2030). That is a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of over 13.5%.
Many have asked what the administrative fees might be, as we can cite Texas. There, with over $1 Billion collected the first 6 months of 2023, Texans paid almost $450 million to Conduent, the offshore 3rd party provider that runs their toll collection software. FYI, Conduent is a partner of ODOT’s.
Article 3 - We wonder if the “Every Mile Counts Funding Handbook for Local Governments” is merely another way to pay for Operations and Management. On the surface, these programs marginally address climate change. And with more programs comes the need for more money.
Because we care, we want to give the government one free program… If your license plates 1st number is even, or it is a personal plate, then you can only drive on even numbered days. If it is odd, then only on odd numbered days. Any month with 31 days… well everyone can drive on that day. Excepts, sure… simplicity and no cost… priceless.
People will figure it out, combine their errands, try mass transit, if it is safe and available, while reducing traffic by at least 40% each day and eliminating traffic congestion.
ODOT, you’re welcome…
Weekly Articles
Westside Multimodal Improvements Study
Tolling, world wide is on it's way to a $14 Billion market in the world by 2030
Darn right!
Phenominal research! THANK YOU!
ODOT has INTENTIONALLY hidden the westside tolling and transportation planning/study. It SHOULD have been part of the Interstate Bridge Replacement (IBR) discussion and study of "alternatives". I have NO DOUBLT that Greg Johnson and his team were aware of this, and failed to mention it to citizens or legislators.
That's because both ODOT and WSDOT have sold their souls to the special interest politicians and political action groups that do NOT want to actually FIX the traffic congestion problem. They do want an expansion of light rail into Clark County, so that TriMet doesn't go bankrupt. They do NOT want any discussion of a 3rd bridge or "bypass" that could further relieve traffic congestion on I-5.
Thank you OTU for the research and reporting!