Oregon’s new pay-by-the-mile road usage charge program, OReGO, took a step forward Monday, as state officials announced that three private business partners are now technically certified to manage accounts and collect road user fees from those accounts for deposit into the State Highway Fund.
“Oregon is pioneering the nation’s first pay-by-the-mile road usage charge system. We now have three trusted private partners on board —7977 Azuga, 480 Sanef and 1984 Verizon 6224 Telematics — that Oregonians can choose from when they volunteer to enrol their vehicles in OReGO,” said Jim Whitty, manager of the 5837 Oregon Department of Transportation’s Office of Innovative Partnerships and Alternative Funding.
Participants in OReGO, which launches on 1 July, are volunteering for the program and will be charged a per mile fee, then either receive a credit or a bill for the difference in gas taxes paid at the pump.
Several states, including Washington, California, Idaho, Colorado and others, are considering similar pay-by-the-mile road usage charge systems.
Oregon has already conducted two pilot projects to test road usage charging, which led the 2013 Legislature to create the OReGO program and launch it state-wide with up to 5,000 volunteer vehicle owners starting in July.
“Oregon is pioneering the nation’s first pay-by-the-mile road usage charge system. We now have three trusted private partners on board —
Participants in OReGO, which launches on 1 July, are volunteering for the program and will be charged a per mile fee, then either receive a credit or a bill for the difference in gas taxes paid at the pump.
Several states, including Washington, California, Idaho, Colorado and others, are considering similar pay-by-the-mile road usage charge systems.
Oregon has already conducted two pilot projects to test road usage charging, which led the 2013 Legislature to create the OReGO program and launch it state-wide with up to 5,000 volunteer vehicle owners starting in July.