Approximately $91.3 million has been added to the 2021-2024 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) for Oregon Toll Program back-office systems, roadside technology design and development. Programmed, unallocated toll funds of $6 million will be added as part of the action. The money will come from the House Bill 2017 program for urban mobility projects.

The Oregon Transportation Commission on Thursday approved the STIP tolling amendment, which adds $10 million for the I-205: OR 213 – Stafford Road variable-rate tolling project for gantries, sign structures, power services and tree removal. Travis Brouwer, Oregon Department of Transportation assistant director of revenue, finance and compliance, stated during the meeting that in order to meet the timeline for going live with Interstate 205 tolling next year, the order needs to be placed to obtain the gantries and set them up.

The Statewide Toll Development Implementation Project supports creation of a statewide tolling back-office system that processes toll information gathered on Oregon Department of Transportation’s tolled highways so customers can be billed through their toll accounts. The project will also develop a customer service interface that will allow toll users to establish accounts, pay bills and monitor their tolled highway usage.

The Statewide Toll Development Implementation Project will provide the back office, customer service and roadside technology backbone for future toll implementations in Oregon, a staff report states. This work is necessary to begin ODOT’s first three toll projects: the I-205: OR 213 – Stafford Road variable-rate tolling project, the I-5 and I-205: Regional Mobility Pricing project (RMPP), and the I-5: Columbia River (Interstate) Bridge.

The I-205 Toll Project will toll users of the I-205 Abernethy Bridge over the Willamette River and Tualatin River bridges to raise funding for the I-205: I-5 to OR 213 Phase 2 project and help manage congestion. The RMPP will implement congestion pricing on all lanes of I-5 and I-205 in the metro area. Tolls will be charged for use of the replacement I-5 bridge over the Columbia River to pay for the project and manage traffic.

ODOT plans to pay for implementation of tolling via toll revenue, pending completion of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) processes under way for each project. In the meantime, ODOT will use the money set aside in HB 2017 and HB 3055 for the Urban Mobility Strategy to pay for $95.3 million of these costs until toll revenue becomes available.

“There will be additional funding that is needed for some of the RMPP system activities and for construction of both I-205 and RMPP,” Brouwer said.

ODOT will later bring additional funding requests to the commission.

The gantries will be like informational signs, although they will be custom designed for tolling. They will have specialty hardware, including cameras and transponder readers, Brouwer added. Some areas will need to be expanded for fiber connection, as the gantries will need some broadband connection.

The Legislature made the decision in 2017 to toll in Oregon. HB 2017 states there will be tolling in the metro area, Oregon Transportation Commissioner Lee Beyer stated during the meeting. The amendment will help secure the system and equipment needed for tolling.

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