The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) is utilizing federal grant funding to test new ways to fund city and county transportation projects using the state’s pay-per-mile system.
Portland-area drivers are being recruited now through early February to participate in OReGO’s Local Road Usage Charge Pilot. Motorists would collect data for three potential funding models: area-boundary pricing, layer-area pricing sub-pilot, and corridor pricing sub-pilot.
Participants can earn up to $450 if they plug a device into their vehicle, drive that vehicle around the Portland Metro area and answer questions about their experience.
A survey will determine participants’ eligibility for the study through February 2021, all participant data is protected and confidential, and the pilot will continue through late summer. ODOT is slated to report the data and feedback collected through the pilot to the Oregon legislature and the Federal Highway Administration.
Under current law, Oregon’s Road Usage Charge Program offers drivers choices for the technologies they use to report miles driven, in addition to how they manage and pay road usage charges. Drivers also can obtain services through private sector account managers with market-driven options that are efficient and cost-effective.
To learn more about OReGO or enroll as a volunteer driver, motorists can access MyOReGO.org.