Herrera Beutler slams impact of Oregon tolling program on her constituents

An Oregon tolling plan and congestion pricing scheme could disproportionately harm southwest Washington commuters, says U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA). 

She reiterated growing concerns — vocalized during an Aug. 9 Vancouver City Council meeting by elected officials — that implementation of a tolling program and congestion pricing on I-5 and I-205 would unfairly punish her constituents in Washington State, according to an Aug. 25 letter that the congresswoman sent to Oregon Department of Transportation Director Kris Strickler.

“I find it particularly troubling that the tolling proposals presented to the council seem to expressly target southwest Washington residents while providing them with few, if any, benefits,” Rep. Herrera Beutler wrote. “The worst off will be those hard-working residents who don’t have the luxury of choosing to telecommute.”

The lawmaker also noted she is “deeply concerned that such an unfair system” could “jeopardize cooperation between our two states on important future transportation priorities.”

Additionally, congestion pricing could cause difficulties especially for low-income workers, most of whom cannot be flexible when they commute, according to the letter. 

“I have long contended that congestion pricing will amount to a deeply regressive tax, with the poor subsidizing the wealthy who are far more often able to adjust their commute times to lower-cost, lower-traffic periods,” wrote Rep. Herrera Beutler.

The tolling program is neither an acceptable nor fair solution to the Portland region’s myriad of transportation needs, the congresswoman added. 

“Given that Portland has the eighth-worst traffic congestion in the nation, have ODOT officials stated how much their tolling efforts will actually reduce the time spent in traffic for Southwest Washington commuters?” she wrote. “I would appreciate your response to all of these concerns.”