Oregon
State News
Report Finds Portland, Ore. Needs $2 Billion to Fix Roads
A new report released by the City Club of Portland Sept. 9 has found that the Oregon city requires $205 million per year for at least the next ten years in order to catch up on its transportation infrastructure maintenance backlog. The report, compiled by a volunteer...
read moreOregon Transportation Funding Plan Breaks Down
A measure to increase transportation funding in Oregon fell apart last week when support from the bill’s two major supporters—Governor Kate Brown (D) and Senate President Peter Courtney (D-Salem)—was withdrawn. The proposal called for a 4 cents-per-gallon state gas...
read moreOregon Again Taking Lead on Innovative Funding Mechanisms
Oregon has been at the forefront of developing funding mechanisms for highway and bridge construction and maintenance since 1919, when it became the first state to introduce a dedicated state tax based on gasoline consumption. In 1933, it became the first state to...
read more22 States Represented at State & Local Advocacy Workshop
Building broad coalitions, developing strong partnerships with the governor, state legislators and public agency officials, and creating an integrated communications plan that delivers consistent messages to the public about the value and benefits of the resulting...
read moreOregon DOT Report Highlights VMT Program Implementation
The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) July 2 released a report that describes how the state implemented pilot programs that led to legislation enacting a voluntary vehicle-miles-traveled (VMT) program. After testing a per-mile charging system in two...
read moreUpdated: Twenty Six States Express Federal Funding Concerns
With people traveling in record numbers across our nation’s roads this 4th of July weekend, the need to repair our nation’s infrastructure is even clearer. However, many states may halt or delay needed transportation projects due to uncertainty surrounding the future...
read moreTwenty Three States Express Federal Funding Concerns
By Lital Shair, Market Research Associate with ARTBA Uncertainty surrounding the future of the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) continues to have ripple effects on state transportation planning. The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) on June 26 became the 23rd state...
read moreState-Sponsored Audit Raises Concerns over Oregon’s Transportation Funding, Long-term Planning
An audit released June 17 by the Oregon Secretary of State’s office found that due to declining revenue from the state and federal gas taxes, the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) has been increasingly reliant on short-term bond funding for transportation...
read moreMichigan Report Recommends VMT Tax
A report, prepared for the Michigan Environmental Council by the Sustainable Mobility & Accessibility Research & Transformation (SMART) at the University of Michigan, states that fuel efficient vehicles are leading to a decline in funding available for road...
read moreCalifornia Senator Introduces Bill to Test VMT Tax
The California Legislature is considering a voluntary program that would assess a possible vehicle miles traveled (VMT) tax in the state. Senator Mark DeSaulnier (D-Concord) introduced the bill in response to a decline in revenues from the current gas tax. The...
read moreOregon Ballot Measure Results
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Alternative
Fuel Taxes
Vehicle Miles Traveled Pilot Program (VMT):
- Pilot program, started July 1, 2015, permits volunteers to abstain from the state’s motor fuel excise tax and be charged 1.5 cents-per vehicle miles traveled for a trial period (end date will be determined by the Oregon legislature).
- Electric vehicles, most diesel vehicles manufactured before 2006, vehicles manufactured before 1996, and vehicles weighing over 10,000 pounds are not eligible to participate in the program.
Excise tax:
- Compressed natural gas (CNG): 30 cents-per-120 cubic feet (measured at 14.73 pounds per square inch of pressure at 60 degrees Farenheit)
- Propane (LPG): 30 cents-per 1.3 gallons
- Liquid fuels taxed at state motor fuel tax rate of 30 cents-per-gallon.
Fees: Optional Annual fee:
- In lieu of the state fuel excise tax, operators of motor vehicles using natural gas or propane may elect to pay an annual fee based off of combined vehicle weight.
- Vehicle owners that elect to pay the annual fee instead of excise tax must renew their vehicle registration annually, versus biennially.
- Vehicle registration fees are increased based on weight.
*Federal funding percentages are from an ARTBA analysis of FHWA Highway Statistics data, total ten year average 2004-2013 from tables SF-1 and SF-2. The percent is the ratio of federal aid reimbursements to the state and total state capital outlays and is indicative of the importance of the federal aid program to state capital spending for highways and bridges. Does not include local capital spending. Federal highway reimbursements are primarily used for capital outlays, including construction, right of way and engineering, but are also used for debt service for GARVEE bonds.
