Help Us Permanently Stop Tolling
in Clackamas County, Oregon
No Tolling

Tolling, also referred to as Congestion Pricing, has been promoted as a funding source especially focused toll requirements for commuters on I-205 which runs through the heart of Clackamas County, Oregon. With all the unsupported talk about how tolling will improve travel times and highway infrastructure, Clackamas County deserves to know how tolling will impact them and what it will really cost them.


Why we don't like tolling Clackamas County
1
Tolling is a Regressive Tax on the Poor

Tolling literally taxes the poor to pay for the rich. The proposed plans force low-income commuters to pay to get to and from work while giving a 'FREE PASS' to those that can afford expensive electric vehicles.

2
They aren't being honest about how much it will cost. 

While estimates range greatly (which is a concern of its own), the Oregon Department of Transportation (which has every incentive to lower the estimates) claims it will cost the average driver will pay at least $240/month. There are some credible estimates that are nearly 4x this. We do know from most other cities that when tolling is implemented, it doesn't go away and the cost always goes up and up and up. 

3
Tolling will force families to make tough decisions.

The real choice for hard-working Oregonians will be whether to pay the toll fees or buying enough food to feed their families.

4
These Roads Are Already Paid For 

Instituting tolls would be akin to paying for the same thing TWICE! Oregon's State Highway Fund currently collects funds from taxes on motor fuels, taxes on heavy trucks, and driver and vehicle fees to pay for roads. Oregonians should not have to pay an additional fee to drive on roads they have already paid for.

5
Violation of Privacy Rights 

While an all-electronic toll collection system may appear convenient, it costs you your privacy. Tolling gives state authorities access to your travel date, time, and location. It is a tracker of where and when you drive. And even if you don’t get a toll tag, a camera will take a picture of your license plate and bill you as the car owner. Do you want to live in a world where you are tracked and monitored?

6
Increased Congestion on Residential Roads

In its plan to put tolls on I-5 and I-205, ODOT failed to mention the increased congestion on residential roads. People will inevitably reroute to residential roads to bypass tolls, and local communities lack the capacity or infrastructure to handle that increased traffic. This real issue will impact local communities, drivers, and families. ODOT failed to provide an antidote to combat it, leaving local communities to fend for themselves on this issue.

7
Currently, Voters Do Not Have a Say on Tolls 

Oregon voters do not get to decide if a toll is implemented, but they should! Tolls will impact Oregonians' everyday lives, and they deserve to have their voices heard.

The Fight Against Tolling
Local push-back resulted in 'Pausing' tolling for 2 years:

Tolling was set to start in Clackamas County in January, 2024. It was a done deal.

The Clackamas County Commissioners worked with the Clackamas County Department of Transportation and Development to draft a letter outlining the deficiencies with the I-205 Toll Project Environmental Assessment. The letter highlighted the negative impacts tolling would have on low-income households and ODOT’s lack of mitigation factors for residential roads that will be overrun with drivers trying to bypass tolls. This letter, along with extensive local community demands, got the attention of Governor Kotek and was instrumental in her decision to pause tolling until 2026.

What We Can Do Now to Stop Tolls Permanently
1
Sign Up for Alerts

Contact us and we will keep you updated on developments and actions you can do to make sure we stop tolling permanently.
*We will update you by email or text. 

2
Sign  IP-31  'Vote Before Tolls'

IP-31 is a constitutional amendment which would require a regional vote before any new tolls are put into place. Voters in each county with a border within a 15-mile radius of any proposed tolls will get the chance to vote on it.  IP-31 is retroactive, meaning the proposed tolling of I-205 and I-5 would require a regional vote.

It takes a bit of effort, but it's critical to making certain we stop tolling.
Please: Print, Sign & Mail both pages.

3
Support All Efforts to Legally Stop Tolling 

In addition to signing IP-31, you can increase public awareness and pressure to stop tolling by:

  • Send the IP-31 petition to people you know

  • Volunteer to collect signatures for IP-31

  • Reach out to Public Officials to Stop Tolling

  • Support Organizations that are Fighting to Stop Tolling


Contact us for additional details.

4.7
8 testimonials
Share your experience
Dean Suhr Hapigood Testimonial
01.07.2024

ODOT's numbers say: 84% tolling collection overhead - it's just insanity! Read more IP-4, the Vote Before Tolls initiative is the ONLY WAY to force...

ODOT’s numbers say: 84% tolling collection overhead – it’s just insanity!

Read more

IP-4, the Vote Before Tolls initiative is the ONLY WAY to force accountability on ODOT and our State Legislators.

ODOT won’t fix this – we need a seat at the table so we can do better together!

We need your signature to get IP-4 on the ballot. It’s not too late, IP-4 covers all of the current tolling proposals, and the only thing keeping IP-4 from the ballot is enough signatures – they can’t stop us!

Connie Hapigood Testimonial
01.06.2024

Bad bad idea. Very disruptive to affected neighborhoods and too costly to maintain. It will discourage foot traffic to businesses along those routes and even...

Bad bad idea. Very disruptive to affected neighborhoods and too costly to maintain. It will discourage foot traffic to businesses along those routes and even non-locals wanting to visit those businesses. People will just avoid those routes. It’s very unpopular and I’m already at my tolerance limit with the direction this state is headed. A big decline since my years growing up here. NO TOLLS.

Representative Lori Chavez-DeRemer Published in Oregon Capital Chronicle
10.17.2023

“It is my position that tolling on I-205 and I-5 should be denied on policy and process grounds... To the extent granted under federal laws...

“It is my position that tolling on I-205 and I-5 should be denied on policy and process grounds… To the extent granted under federal laws and regulations, please bring this avoidable disaster to a halt.”

Read the full article here
Bill Dahl Published in KATU 2 News
10.12.2023

"It’s just not right. There are other means within the state to collect money. We’re not opposed to paying for improvements. They’re expensive, we waited...

“It’s just not right. There are other means within the state to collect money. We’re not opposed to paying for improvements. They’re expensive, we waited too long to do the infrastructure, but it’s just the wrong way to do it,”

Read the full article here
Teresa Bertrand Published in KATU 2 News
10.12.2023

"The streets around the high school are mad crowded and Highway 43 gets pretty backed up sometimes, so I think if the tolls are put...

“The streets around the high school are mad crowded and Highway 43 gets pretty backed up sometimes, so I think if the tolls are put in place then those streets are just going to get more crowded because people aren’t going to want to spend whatever it’s going to be,”

Read the full article here
Clackamas County Chair Tootie Smith Published in KATU 2 News
10.12.2023

"The legislature and ODOT are not listening to people, they need to fix it. So, maybe if citizens are going to vote on it they’ll...

“The legislature and ODOT are not listening to people, they need to fix it. So, maybe if citizens are going to vote on it they’ll get busy and start fixing the problem and look for alternate ways to fund our roads,”

Read the full article here