7 www.ortrucking.org Issue 3 | 2024 ADVOCATING, EDUCATING, AND PROMOTING THE TRUCKING INDUSTRY EVENTS UPCOMING EVENTS for use on some lanes to allow payers to move through the system faster or was it to be implemented on all lanes in a defined corridor? Did the cost vary by time of day or day of week? What did we mean by tolling? ODOT carefully convened a workgroup to discuss what tolling should look like in Oregon, but the parameters were already defined in what we discussed. As it moved forward, congestion pricing was designed for two goals: 1. To manage congestion by applying varying rates by time of day; and 2. To create a revenue source to pay for the project. Since ODOT had redirected the Rose Quarter funds to the Abernethy Bridge, that meant that tolling would first be applied on the I-205 section of freeway running from Oregon City to Tualatin. Residents in that region reacted strongly by objecting to that strategy and the governor responded by pulling tolling off the table for the foreseeable future. So, once again, ODOT has a large budget hole. On top of ODOT’s budgetary woes was the realization that the rates applied to the heavy vehicle sector were grossly out of balance and that trucking was overpaying their fair share. Additionally, cars were underpaying, and the most recent Highway Cost Allocation Study indicates that the overpayment is in the range of 32% while the underpayment is close to 8%. This imbalance has been growing over the last three biennium, but the Legislature has felt constrained by ODOT’s budget woes and has chosen to wait for the next transportation package to fix this. It can only be fixed legislatively—so OTA made the decision earlier this year to file a lawsuit against the state to encourage them to expedite a solution. That lawsuit has been filed and is currently in process. Much of ODOT’s concerns around funding are based on an ever-increasing rate of electric vehicle adoption. While HB 2017 increased the registration fees for EV’s and Hybrids, the rate is insufficient to account for their impact on Oregon’s roads. The rate of EV adoption has slowed considerably, while at the same time Oregon DEQ has adopted the California Air Resources Board (CARB) rules around mandating zero-emission trucks in the medium and heavy-duty vehicle categories. Starting January 2025, truck dealerships will be severely constrained in their ability to sell you a new Clean Diesel Truck if they haven’t sold an appropriate percentage of battery electric trucks—in all class sizes! The dealer community is stating that they will be unable to sell trucks in Oregon starting next year. How that accomplishes Oregon’s goals of transitioning to cleaner emissions is the question. And even if you are able to purchase a Clean Diesel truck—you will be limited in what engine configuration you can purchase because DEQ also adopted California’s Omnibus NOx rules which limits what engines can be sold. It’s going to be a bumpy road ahead for the trucking industry. We are working consistently to help policymakers understand what their agencies have enacted. These policies did not come out of legislative proposals but are based on older clean air regulations from years past. We have also been working consistently to help you understand what lies ahead. There has never been a better time for you to get involved with your trucking association and help us find more workable solutions to your ability to buy and use your trucks efficiently. Become a Key Contact to your legislator on our behalf. Write a TruckPAC check to help us get business friendly legislators elected. Financially support our Legal Fund by donating funds. Get involved in our committee structure to provide us your perspective. Support our training opportunities and attend our meetings. There are any number of things you can do to help. We are in this together.
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