Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-Camas) is voicing her concern about a new tolling plan from the State of Oregon that she says could unfairly target Washington drivers.
On Thursday, Herrera Beutler sent a letter to Oregon Governor Kate Brown and Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) Director Matthew Garrett outlining her opposition to any proposal that puts tolls on I-5 and I-205 at the Oregon/Washington state line.
Here’s what she wrote:
“It is my understanding that the State of Oregon is developing a plan that may include the imposition of tolls on Interstate Highways 5 and 205. In the interest of avoiding any future conflict, I write to make my position clear.
I do not oppose the concept of a fee paid by the users of a resource and allocated toward the construction, maintenance or upkeep of that resource. However, any attempt to levy tolls on I-5 or I-205 at the Washington State line, the lion’s share of which would be paid by Washington commuters, in order to pay for infrastructure improvements south of Portland that would rarely be used by the vast majority of those paying the tolls, would be unfair in the extreme. Oregon has no right to make Southwest Washington an unwilling piggy bank for Oregon’s infrastructure projects.
Since both I-5 and I-205 are Interstate Highways, there is a federal interest. As a Member of Congress, I will defend Southwest Washington residents from any unfair tolling plan using every appropriate means at my disposal.”
The Oregon tolling plan is part of a $5.3 billion transportation package approved by the lawmakers in early July.
Under the new law, ODOT has started planning for tolls between the Washington border and Wilsonville, but details including the precise location of tolling stations as well as tolling rates have not been determined.
Oregon will seek federal permission to install tolls by the end of 2018.
