OR: Lawmakers Could Look at Pay-by-the-Mile Transportation Tax in 2017

A new tax based on how much people drive could be among the transportation funding ideas lawmakers consider in 2017, according to a member of the task force exploring the idea.

The Oregon Department of Transportation launched a pilot project last July to test the pay-by-the-mile tax. Vicki Berger, a former Republican representative from Salem and member of the task force, said the state needs new revenue to supplement or replace the gas tax because drivers are paying less as cars become more fuel-efficient.

"Everybody who's ever looked at this comes to, 'Well why not pay per mile instead of on the fuel?'" Berger said, before noting the rise of cars that run solely on electricity. "The famous Tesla pays no taxes to drive on your roads, and that's not going to be viable."

Berger said the task force plans to release recommendations in September for legislation to charge the mileage tax on certain vehicles -- perhaps only on specific types of vehicles or all new cars sold after a future date.

Oregon was the first state to test the concept, and California and Washington are now preparing to launch their own pilot programs. Yet the pilot program designed to test the program has fallen short of its enrollment goal, despite the transportation department spending at least $6.4 million on the project according to a state application for federal funds.

As the one-year anniversary approaches, the state has enrolled only 891 drivers, a fraction of the 5,000 volunteers state officials hoped to sign up for the program. Michelle Godfrey, an education and outreach coordinator for the Oregon Department of Transportation, said she did not know how many participants the state needed to properly vet the system.

The number of vehicles in the pilot is slightly higher, at 1,018, but that number got a boost when the transportation department signed up the fleets of four of its contractors. They account for 50 vehicles in the program, and all four contractors were signed up after solicitations from transportation department staff, Godfrey wrote in an email. The contractors do work including paving and highway construction.

Transportation staff promoted the program at events attended by contractors, after a public relations firm hired by the state failed to sign up any independent vehicle fleets, Shelley Snow, a department spokeswoman, wrote in an email.

The state has spent $514,735 since April 2014 for the public relations firm PRR to promote the pilot project and sign up volunteers. The state's contract with the firm allows it to spend up to $650,000.

The four contractors who signed up are Knife River, K&E Excavating, Lakeside Industries and Bayview Transit Mix. Knife River had $13 million in active contracts with the transportation department in fiscal year 2015, and K&E Excavating had $39.1 million, according to a state contracting database. It was unclear when Lakeside Industries and Bayview Transit Mix might have had state transportation contracts.

Asked about his company's participation, Brian Gray, president of Knife River's northwest region, said there were "absolutely no incentives" to join the program.

"There's no benefit of being part of that," Gray said, "other than participating in an alternative long-term funding mechanism for transportation."

Travis Brouwer, assistant director of the Oregon Department of Transportation, said department staff mentioned the mileage tax pilot project at a regular meeting between the department and industry leaders.

Brower said he did not know why the only vehicle fleets enrolled were transportation department contractors, but said "transportation stakeholders have a stake in having a long-term, sustainable funding source."

Knife River's Gray said the company has an interest in Oregon, other states and the federal government finding more money for transportation.

"Knife River is heavily dependent on transportation funding, and we also realize that the current system is not adequate, ... that people are driving fewer miles, that cars are getting better gas mileage and with the hybrids and electrical cars there's got to be a better system in the future," he said. "The more data we get and work out the bugs, the better."

-- Hillary Borrud

503-294-4034; @hborrud

Copyright 2016 - The Oregonian, Portland, Ore.

Views: 102

Comment

You need to be a member of 12160 Social Network to add comments!

Join 12160 Social Network

"Destroying the New World Order"

TOP CONTENT THIS WEEK

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE SITE!

mobile page

12160.info/m

12160 Administrators

 

Latest Activity

Doc Vega posted blog posts
yesterday
Doc Vega commented on Doc Vega's blog post Plausible Explanation Behind Recent Cryptid Sightings in the Wild!
"cheeki kea I was wrong Emperor Penguins are big and powerful but still alive but this,  A size…"
yesterday
Doc Vega commented on Doc Vega's blog post Plausible Explanation Behind Recent Cryptid Sightings in the Wild!
"Cheeki kea here's another that they say there have been modern sightings of!  The name of…"
yesterday
Doc Vega commented on Doc Vega's blog post Plausible Explanation Behind Recent Cryptid Sightings in the Wild!
"cheeki kea, did you ever hear of the giant Imperial Penguins? They were about 6 feet tall and could…"
yesterday
Doc Vega commented on Doc Vega's blog post Plausible Explanation Behind Recent Cryptid Sightings in the Wild!
"cheeki kea I do not think these giant two legged birds would need to have a bad attitude as long as…"
yesterday
Olivia Brooks updated their profile
yesterday
John Miller was featured
yesterday
tjdavis's 2 blog posts were featured
yesterday
Zfort Group's blog post was featured
yesterday
Doc Vega's 6 blog posts were featured
yesterday
Burbia commented on tjdavis's video
Thumbnail

“What’s His Motive?” - Inside The Mind of George Soros

"Trump calls for George Soros and son to face federal…"
yesterday
Burbia commented on tjdavis's photo
yesterday
Profile IconSeeta Sathe and Olivia Brooks joined 12160 Social Network
yesterday
tjdavis posted a video

Mossad, Terrifying CIA Technology, Blackwater & The Most Secret CIA Unit | John Kiriakou

John Kiriakou served 15 years in the CIA as a Case Officer (Spy) and as CIA's Head of Counterterrorism Operations in Pakistan where he lead the raid that cap...
Monday
tjdavis posted a photo
Monday
tjdavis posted a video

A Critique of the Tavistock Institute - The Mother Of All Conspiracy Theories

An examination of the Tavistock Institute, a theory which seeks to explain how Western societies have been brainwashed by a cabal of social scientists and th...
Sunday
tjdavis posted a video

“What’s His Motive?” - Inside The Mind of George Soros

In this short clip, Patrick Bet-David, Sebastian Gorka Adam Sosnick, and Tom Ellsworth George Soros and what motivates him to do the things he does. FaceTime...
Aug 27
Doc Vega posted blog posts
Aug 27
cheeki kea favorited Bob of the Family Renner's photo
Aug 26
cheeki kea commented on Doc Vega's blog post Plausible Explanation Behind Recent Cryptid Sightings in the Wild!
"If you're ever out there Doc V and notice giant two legged birds roaming the wilderness be…"
Aug 26

© 2025   Created by truth.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service

content and site copyright 12160.info 2007-2019 - all rights reserved. unless otherwise noted