The latest news about plans for tolls on Interstate 5 and Interstate 205 in the Portland area is disappointing — but far from surprising.
In that regard, we probably should thank the Portland City Council for putting an end to a disingenuous dance around the inevitable conclusion to any tolling plan. In pushing for tolls along the bulk of the region’s major interstates, Portland’s council has removed any doubt that the issue is a slap at Washington residents. Oregon officials are prepared to reach into the pockets of Clark County residents while making no promises about benefits to those residents.
Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Battle Ground, long has been an outspoken critic of the plan. With Oregon officials now revealing the true scope of the issue, we encourage Gov. Jay Inslee and Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell to get involved. Oregon’s plan is a most unneighborly targeting of Clark County residents — who make up 20 percent of the metro area’s population — and would negatively impact the local economy. About 70,000 Clark County residents work in Oregon, and countless more enjoy access to the amenities of a major city.
Last year, the Oregon Legislature called for a committee to examine what it euphemistically deems congestion pricing in the Portland area, seeking ways to reduce the region’s stifling traffic. Good idea. But if mitigating traffic truly is the goal, Oregon officials also would consider tolls along Interstate 84 through Portland’s east side and along U.S. Route 26 and Highway 217 on the west side of the city.
Instead, the sole focus has been on I-5 and I-205, which provide the only connections between Clark County and Oregon and which, therefore, have a disproportionate percentage of drivers from Washington. The committee has recommended an initial plan for tolls toward the south end of Interstate 205 and on a portion of I-5 through the heart of the city. Any tolls on an interstate freeway would have to be approved by the federal government.
Now, in a letter to the Oregon Transportation Commission, Portland City Council members have pushed for tolls throughout the I-5 and I-205 system and have argued for “more detailed consideration of starting and ending points.” They urge widespread implementation now rather than a phase-in period. The city council has no power regarding the issue other than as an advocacy group, but its stance confirms suspicions about the eventual expanse of tolls.
“I’m saddened to see this, but it’s just frustrating watching, because we just don’t have a very loud, effective voice,” said Eileen Quiring, a Clark County councilor who was a member of the tolling committee. That points out the need for involvement from Inslee and Washington’s senators. As Herrera Beutler said, “This is a money grab, plain and simple.”
For Clark County residents, the reaction should not be reflexive opposition to tolls; user fees are an equitable and necessary method for funding large public projects. Instead, it should be opposition to tolls that might not benefit those who pay them. Until Oregon identifies specific projects and until we are convinced those projects will improve roads where tolls are collected, we must stand in united opposition.
If tolls along Interstate 5 and Interstate 205 are approved by federal authorities, it is inevitable that they eventually will extend to the state line. Washington representatives would be wise to voice their opposition now rather than wait in hope that Oregon officials will act in a neighborly fashion.
