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Bills limiting toll roads fail in capital |
By David Sale,
Newberg Graphic reporter
E-mail David at dsale@eaglenewspapers.com
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Two bills sponsored by state
Sen. Larry George (R-Sherwood) and state Rep. Kim Thatcher (R-Keizer)
that would have restricted highway tolling failed to make it out of
committee.
The bills, HB 2518 and SB 469, were prompted by a study by
Macquarie Infrastructure Group, the Australia-based company
partnering with the Oregon Department of Transportation to build the
Newberg-Dundee bypass. The study said traffic might need to be
tolled on Highway 99W as well.
While state officials presently await the results of an independent
audit by Bear Sterns of the funding proposal, George said his bill,
which would have prohibited tolling of any existing roads, proved
unnecessary.
“(Macquarie’s) assignment was to find a funding plan using tolling
only, regardless of politics,” George said. “Naturally, there was a
firestorm when word got out.”
As a member of the state senate’s transportation committee, George
said he could have brought his bill to a vote but allowed it to
drop.
“I sat down with ODOT officials and had their assurance that the
proposal of tolling on existing infrastructure was just part of
their consideration of all alternatives,” he said. “With the
Newberg-Dundee bypass, they knew that would be politically unpopular
— and with their commitment that it wasn’t an option going forward,
we didn’t need to enact a statewide policy.”
Instead of tolling Highway 99W, George said he is committed to
finding state funds to make up the difference.
“Ten percent of the transportation (funding) package now going
through will be set aside for property acquisition on this and other
projects of statewide significance,” he said. “Immediately after
this session ends, our committee will be reviewing funding options
and we hope to introduce a package in the 2009 session.”
George added that his bill would also have interfered with a
proposal by the city of Portland to toll traffic on the aging
Sellwood Bridge, to fund its repair or replacement.
“That would be enacted by local option — I don’t have a beef with
that,” he said.
Another bill, requiring approval by the Legislature to enact tolls
on state highway projects, also failed to make it to the floor of
the legislature.
At present, tolling on state highways requires approval by the
Oregon Transportation Commission. While the law would not have
applied to the Newberg-Dundee bypass it would have covered future
tolling proposals on state roads.
“It made perfect sense to me,” Thatcher said. “If they can make the
case to the legislature to allow it, then go ahead. I think it
deserves to be looked at again next session, especially if local
option tolling becomes a problem. I want to be sure the OTC isn’t
just rubber-stamping these proposals.” |
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From June 20, 2007,
Newberg Graphic
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