Chavez-DeRemer urges Secretary Buttigieg to review ‘serious flaws’ in ODOT’s process to implement tolling

WASHINGTON (KTVZ) – Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (OR-05) is urging U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to review several key problems she sees with the Oregon Department of Transportation’s process for implementing tolling.

Outlining several areas of concern shared by local officials and residents, Chavez-DeRemer’s new letter shines a light on Oregonians’ specific concerns with tolling – concerns that have united both Democrats and Republicans in opposition. Buttigieg told Chavez-DeRemer in a recent hearing that failing to meet federal regulatory requirements could lead to a state’s tolling project being blocked. 

“At the hearing, you emphasized and reiterated the importance of a tolling applicant adhering to the NEPA process. You indicated that failure to follow the process could result in the denial of tolling at the federal level. I respectfully bring to your attention how ODOT’s rollout for tolling has been deeply flawed and mismanaged,” Chavez-DeRemer wrote.

Chavez-DeRemer outlines four specific areas of concern, including:

• Flawed Environmental Assessment
  • Multiple cities and Clackamas County have submitted public comments expressing concerns with the Environmental Assessment, which failed to recognize that tolling would divert congestion to nearby communities.
• Ambiguity Over Multiple Tolling Proposals
  • Tolling plans, including the Regional Mobility Pricing Project (RMPP), have changed numerous times – leaving Oregonians in the dark and confused as to what the project would actually look like.
• Failed ODOT Public Outreach
  • ODOT has admitted that it “missed the mark” on public outreach for the project, and the surveys the department has conducted contain leading questions to create the perception of public support for tolling.
• Dozens of Infrastructure Projects Would Be Adversely Impacted by Tolling
  • Communities in Clackamas County have compiled a list of over 150 projects that would be adversely impacted by the implementation of tolling, from new intersections and roundabouts to changes to signs and traffic lights.

“It is my position that tolling on I-205 and I-5 should be denied on policy and process grounds. To the extent granted under federal laws and regulations, please bring this avoidable disaster to a halt. At a minimum, I ask you to please bring greater oversight and accountability from DOT to this broken process. By so doing, I believe tolling can ultimately be set aside, and we can move forward with real transportation solutions for Oregonians,” Chavez-DeRemer concluded.

Full text of the letter is available HERE.