OReGO

Dublin, California Freeway

Innovative Road Funding Pilot Program Advances in California

State Sen. Scott Wiener authored legislation dubbed the Gas Tax Alternative Pilot to extend the California Road Charge Program that completed its pilot in 2017. The program takes on more significance with the 2035 sales ban of gas-powered vehicles.

June 14, 2021 - Office of California State Senator Scott Wiener

Highway 520

Washington State to Decide on Transition From Gas Tax to Road Usage Charge

Having completed a pilot program last year, the Washington State Transportation Commission will hear a report in October and vote in December on phasing out its 49.4 cents per gallon gas tax, fourth highest in the nation but not indexed to inflation.

August 15, 2019 - Tacoma News Tribune

Low Gas Prices

Seven State DOTs Awarded $10 Million to Study Gas Tax Alternatives

When transportation spending was last reauthorized, rather than hike the gas tax to maintain current spending, Congress diverted general fund revenue. A program to study alternative revenue options was created so states could launch pilot projects.

February 25, 2019 - Transport Topics

Mt. Hood and Traffic

The Slow Transition from Gas Taxes to Mileage Fees

Oregon was the first to conduct a pilot program in 2006, followed by California and Colorado last year. With financial backing from the U.S. DOT, at least four more states are exploring charging by the mile driven rather than the fuel burned.

January 17, 2018 - Governing

Mount Hood Clackamas

Oregon's $3 Billion Transportation Funding Legislation Has a Tax for Almost Everyone

The package, which doesn't tax walking and running shoes, went to the legislature on June 30. It includes a ten cents per gallon gas tax, a 0.10 percent payroll tax, a $15 tax on new bikes costing at least $200, and a potential toll on I–205.

July 7, 2017 - KGW

Over $14 Million Awarded to Eight Projects to Find Alternatives to Gas Taxes

The U.S. Department of Transportation is funding ways to transition from the gas tax to other user-based revenue mechanisms to fund transportation infrastructure. The federal gas tax hasn't keep pace with transportation expenditures since 2008.

September 6, 2016 - U.S. D.O.T. Press Release

Toll Road Truck

Is Privacy Overrated as a Concern for Mileage Fees?

'Big Brother' has long been voiced as a criticism of charging motorists by the mile driven, but in the ongoing Oregon road usage charge program, more than 75 percent of volunteer enrollees opted for a recording technology with GPS.

August 19, 2016 - Planetizen

Los Angeles

Will California's Road Charge Fix California's Transportation Funding Shortfall?

California began the Road Charge Pilot Program on July 1 to see how participants would respond to being charged by the mile driven rather than by gallons of fuel consumed. Participants may now have received their first 'mock' invoices.

August 9, 2016 - KPCC

Connecticut Among States Competing for Federal Grants to Study Mileage Fees

Connecticut state legislators may not like vehicle-miles-traveled (VMT) fees, but that hasn't stopped the state Department of Transportation from joining other states in applying for $2.1 million from the U.S. DOT to study the road user fee.

July 3, 2016 - The Hartford Courant

Rep. Earl Blumanauer

U.S. Representative Earl Blumenauer Writes in Favor of Self-Driving Cars

Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.), a famous advocate for alternative transportation, has thrown his support behind the epoch-changing potential of self-driving cars.

May 31, 2016 - Wired

EmX Bus

Oregon Governor Kicks Off State Gas Tax Campaign in Eugene's Bus Rapid Transit

A transportation funding proposal including a gas tax will be prepared for the 2017 legislative session. The media event in the EmX bus highlighted the need to have continuous, dedicated lanes for the Eugene-Springfield bus rapid transit system.

April 27, 2016 - The Register-Guard

Chicago Toll Road

Illinois Considering a Vehicle Miles Traveled Tax

Illinois State Senate President John Cullerton released a infrastructure funding plan earlier this month that includes a proposal for a vehicle miles traveled tax.

April 19, 2016 - Daily Herald

Technology Companies Selected for California Road Charge Pilot

California's Road Charge Pilot Program is set to start this July. Applications for the 5,000 volunteers are being collected. Three companies hope to entice participants to select their programs by offering them 'high-tech perks.'

March 20, 2016 - FutureStructure

House Transportation Committee to Explore Sustainable Funding Options

Federal transportation leaders recognize that sustainable transportation funding options are needed to meet America's infrastructure needs. At AASHTO's Annual Washington Briefing, different funding strategies were proposed by key Congress members.

March 1, 2016 - AASHTO Journal

California's Road Usage Charge Pilot Program to Begin on July 1

The California Road Charge Pilot will be the nation's second road usage charge program. Unlike OReGO, which launched last July, it is a pilot program that will last nine months, but like the Oregon program, it is restricted to 5,000 volunteers.

January 30, 2016 - Streetsblog California

Oregonians Slow to Adopt the New OReGO Road Usage Charge

All eyes are on Oregon as it rolls out its road usage charge program, known as OReGO. So far Oregonians have been slow on the uptake.

August 11, 2015 - Better Roads

Need Convincing that Vehicle-Miles-Traveled Fees Make Sense?

Eric Jaffe's July 1 article in CityLab has 18 reasons, and not one in opposition. The date is significant as it marks the official kickoff of the Oregon Road Usage Charge program.

July 6, 2015 - CityLab

Inflation, not Fuel Efficiency, Is Main Flaw of Gas Tax

Yes, vehicles have become more fuel efficient, but a just-released report by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy shows that inflation is 3.5 times more responsible for the decline in the purchasing power of the gas tax.

June 25, 2015 - Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy

Hummer and Prius

How Much More Damage to Roads is Caused by a Hummer Than a Prius?

A Hummer weighs 2.6 times more than a Prius C, so it must contribute that much more to road wear, right? Actually, that's wrong, not even close. To understand the main cause of road wear, one must look at heavy, not light trucks.

June 5, 2015 - OReGO Communications

Op-Ed: Charge Drivers by the Gallon, Not by the Mile

Ben Adler of Grist makes a convincing case of why we should stick with gas taxes and not switch to a road usage charge, as Oregon will do July 1 in a limited program. Tax what you burn, not by how much you drive, he argues, to get the best results.

May 18, 2015 - Grist

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