By STEVE SWITZER

No one seriously believes that the efforts of the Oregon Department of Transportation to toll I-5 between the Boone Bridge and

SWITZER the Columbia River , as well as I-205 between I-5 and the Columbia River , is only about raising revenue for repairs on the Abernathy Bridge and the Boone Bridge . Although that may have been the original intent of the legislature , and it may have been the reason why funding for the project ’ s initial plan was approved , it is not where we are now .

The facts presented by ODOT speak for themselves . The attempt is to remove traffic jams by charging people to drive on the freeway , with higher amounts during “ peak ” times . How you work around getting to your destination is your problem and the problem of local governments as they deal with major increases in traffic on local roads . But ODOT simply says .... Well , they don ’ t say anything . They simply move forward .

Now , to be clear , the Charbonneau Country Club Board of Directors has taken no position on tolling in general

. Our concern has been access to our own city of Wilsonville without having to pay a toll every time we cross the Boone Bridge . We will continue to press ODOT , as well as the legislature , to provide waivers for Charbonneau residents on trips that require us to cross the bridge and terminate within the city limits .

However , my job is to provide information so you can make your own decisions about the efforts of our state government . If some of my own perspectives creep in , my apologies and they don ’ t necessarily represent the position of the CCC Board .

ODOT is a group of unelected bureaucrats who , with little or no realworld experience , think that the best way to utilize our interstate system is to stay off the road . They believe that we can adjust our lives to fit their utopian idea of uncongested freeways . So , if you have a business that opens at 8 a . m . and your employees need to be there at 7:30 p . m ., simply open at 10 a . m .. And , while you are at it , close at 2 p . m . so customers and employees can go home before the toll increases during “ rush hour .” And , if you have to absolutely use the freeway at 8 a . m ., you can pay the state up to $ 5 ( each way ). But wait , there is more . The state will then pay the administrators of the program up to $ 3.50 ( each way ). So , the freeways will be left to the very rich and the very poor ( who won ’ t have to pay anything but will be subsidized by all of us ). ODOT will say , “ Hey , look at us , we eliminated traffic jams .” The legislature will wash its hands and say it is not its fault .

Read the documents and determine

for yourself what the real goal is here . The recent “ webinar ” put on by the Regional Mobility and Pricing Project ( RMPP ) clearly spells out the need for additional revenue to replace the fuel tax shortage caused by less driving and more fuel-efficient vehicles . However , there was nothing in the presentation that even remotely addressed how tolling was going to replace those revenues . In fact , in other documents , ODOT explains that tolling will reduce fuel tax revenue even more . And we have yet to see one public study examining the true administrative costs , as well as initial start-up costs , for this plan .

Of course , we were told when billions of dollars were put into the WES train from Wilsonville to Beaverton that our investment would pay off in reduced traffic , convenient connections to the MAX light rail , and commuters will flood the program enough for it to pay for itself . The projected ridership numbers were highly inflated at 3,000-to-4,000 passengers a day . Recent tallies find ridership at about 420 per day and significantly lower during the height of the pandemic .

The RMPP presentation also did not address any of the local government ’ s concerns about how the tolling project would impact local roads or businesses . Our own golf course would take a major hit if players had to pay just to get across the bridge when other alternative courses were available . Our service providers ( contractors , landscapers , etc .) as well as employees at the local businesses and SpringRidge would be affected even if residents had a waiver .

If you oppose tolling I-5 and I-205 , the only recourse is to put pressure on our elected officials . State Rep . Courtney Neron and Sen . Aaron Woods , both Wilsonville residents , stated during the campaign that they oppose tolling . It seems that this will be the only way to stop this effort .

Other items

Next month I will address in greater detail two other topics of great interest to Charbonneau residents ; an update on the proposed expansion of Aurora Airport and the recent efforts by some in Clackamas County to remove the Rural Reserve designation from the 800 acres to our south .

On the first front , the Airport Master Plan process continues to move forward . Now the ODAV has asked the Land Conservation and Development Commission ( LCDC ) to rewrite the land use regulation ( OAR 660 ) to accommodate Aurora ’ s expansion . In other words , they lost the legal battle at the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court so we now need to change the rules . Specifically , the courts ruled OAR 660 prohibits rural airports from avoiding certain land use laws if the expansion would allow a “ larger class of airplanes ” to use the airport . ODAV says that the LCDC needs to “ clarify this policy .”

On the Rural Reserve issue , the city of Wilsonville has taken a very clear position in opposition to this effort and has let the county know in no uncertain terms of its opposition . In January , the CCC Board will vote on a resolution in support of the city .