U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA) recently sent a letter to Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, urging him to block Oregon’s scheme to toll Southwest Washington commuters for crossing the existing I-5 and I-205 bridges into Oregon.
Oregon considers the toll “congestion pricing” that would generate revenue by charging commuters for using existing infrastructure.
Many Southwest Washington officials have voiced opposition to the plan, including Vancouver City Councilmember Ty Stober, who said the tolls “punish the members of the metro community that live in Clark County.”
“But local opposition will not be enough to stop these tolls, so I’m asking for your help in standing up to Oregon to stop the implementation of this discriminatory proposal,” Beutler said.
On July 31, 2018, Inslee said the tolling plan would not happen. Beutler asked the governor if he is willing to follow through and defend Washingtonians.
Beutler gave an example of a similar tolling scheme, stating it shows a governor fighting for the interests of his constituents and not allowing them to be taken advantage of by another state. For example, New York’s congestion pricing plan would tax New Jersey commuters. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy has said he intends to block New York’s plans.
This is not a partisan dispute, Beutler said.