Skip to main content

Oregon per-mile charging system launched

The first US pay-per-mile road charging program went into operation in Oregon last week. OReGO is currently limited to 5,000 vehicles statewide; participants will pay 1.5 cents per mile while driving in Oregon and receive a credit on their bill for state gas tax paid at the pump. ODOT is asking participants for feedback and suggestions for improving OReGO along the way. "The doors are now open for Oregonians to enrol their vehicles and test-drive OReGO statewide," said Vicki Berger, chair of Oregon's
July 6, 2015 Read time: 2 mins
The first US pay-per-mile road charging program went into operation in Oregon last week.

OReGO is currently limited to 5,000 vehicles statewide; participants will pay 1.5 cents per mile while driving in Oregon and receive a credit on their bill for state gas tax paid at the pump. ODOT is asking participants for feedback and suggestions for improving OReGO along the way.

"The doors are now open for Oregonians to enrol their vehicles and test-drive OReGO statewide," said Vicki Berger, chair of Oregon's Road User Fee Task Force, and a former member of the Oregon House of Representatives who helped pass legislation creating Oregon's new road usage charge program in 2013.

"Enrolling to test-drive OReGO is simple," said Tom Fuller, 5837 Oregon Department of Transportation communications manager.

Drivers can enrol online at myOReGO.org to choose their provider from a choice of three secure mileage reporting options offered by OReGO's trusted private-sector partners, 7977 Azuga, 480 Sanef/IMS and 1984 Verizon Telematics. Once approved, the driver is sent a small reporting device which is plugged into their car.

Drivers can opt for a non-GPS option offered by Sanef/IMS, which includes a basic mileage reporting device that only reports miles driven and fuel consumption, while Azuga and Verizon Telematics also offer GPS-enabled features that can help drivers save time and money.

"Oregon is leading the nation to develop a fairer, more sustainable way to fund road maintenance and improvements," said ODOT director Matthew Garrett.

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 statewide with up to 5,000 volunteer vehicles starting on 1 July.

"Oregon and other states know that the gas tax drivers pay at the pump isn't cutting it anymore," said Garrett. "As newer cars squeeze more miles out of each gallon of gas, and more hybrid and all-electric vehicles are sold, paying for road use by the mile instead of by the gallon ensures that everyone pays their fair share - no more, no less," he said.

Related Content

  • November 1, 2023
    The challenging European road to carbon neutrality and the need for distance-based charging
    Fuel taxes are falling and EVs have the potential to create social equity issues. The answer may lie in expanding the use of technology which has successfully been used for two decades with trucks
  • September 8, 2023
    A more equitable approach to road charging: is the technology there yet?
    Thinking around road user charging, distance-based payments, and even mileage rationing is ever-widening with new concepts and suggestions being aired and brought forward every other week. Yet, as Jorgen Petersen of Systra explains, there are already many solutions in place throughout the world which promote modal shift, reduce traffic and improve air quality…
  • February 1, 2012
    Infrastructure funding and road user charging – debate continues
    Jack Opiola provides an overview of the ongoing debate over US infrastructure funding and the progress – or lack of it – towards vehicles miles travelled road user charging. The future funding of transportation and mobility infrastructure is attracting increased attention. There has been sharp debate in the US, where landmark reports from the National Surface Transportation Infrastructure Financing Commission and the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission both stated that the cu
  • August 24, 2012
    Largest solar highway project in the US opens to rest stop visitors
    One year after breaking ground, the largest solar highway project in the US — a partnership between Portland General Electric and the Oregon Department of Transportation — is now open to visitors stopping to take a break from their travels along Interstate 5 in Oregon. Growing clean, renewable energy amongst farm fields of corn and cabbage, the Baldock Solar Station is a 1.75-megawatt solar array boasting nearly 7,000 solar panels across seven acres of the Baldock Safety Rest Area, located on Interstate 5 n