EDITORIAL: Tolls for new I-5 Bridge fair; how much is the key
May 27-As planning for a replacement Interstate 5 Bridge inches forward, tolls on the bridge are once again in the spotlight. And while the issue is a contentious aspect of the proposal, we are reminded that user fees are an important and equitable part of the plan.
Reports last week revealed that toll collection on the current I-5 Bridge has been pushed back. Tolls were expected to be implemented this summer on the current bridge - even before plans for a new structure are finalized - but now are scheduled to begin July 1, 2028.
Delaying the collection is sensible. Tolls will be controversial in the best of times; imposing them before motorists can see the fruits of their payments would be a public relations disaster for a project that is on shaky ground.
The delay addresses one of the major issues surrounding tolling for the Interstate Bridge Replacement Project - the timing. The other significant public concern involves the level of tolls.
A bistate subcommittee in 2024 approved four possible scenarios, with initial rates ranging from $1.55 to $4.70 per crossing. Price increases would be codified in the plan, typically at 2.5 percent annually. At the high end of the proposal, a driver who lives in Clark County and works in Portland initially would pay more than $2,000 a year for crossing the bridge.
Current funding proposals call for approximately $1.5 billion to come from tolls over the course of decades. And in figuring out the math, organizers must focus on two factors.
One is transparency. Earlier this year, planners revealed that the expected cost of the project is significantly higher than the number they had been reciting. While this came as no surprise to cynics, the revelation threatens the entire endeavor. Subterfuge surrounding tolls would further erode public trust and make future infrastructure projects even more difficult.
Not that it would be unusual; throughout the country, there are numerous examples of tolls unexpectedly burdening the public. The Pennsylvania Turnpike, for example, has seen toll hikes each of the past 18 years; this year's increase of 4 percent is the lowest since 2014. Local officials must be open and honest about future costs for the I-5 project.
Meanwhile, they also must be realistic about how tolls will reroute traffic from Interstate 5 to I-205. Tolls that are too high will lead to unmanageable congestion on I-205, fail to raise adequate revenue for I-5 and somewhat defeat the purpose of the project; tolls that are too low also will fall short of revenue and generate unexpected problems.
While striking the proper balance is difficult, tolls must be a significant portion of the project. It is fiscally responsible for those who use a new bridge to pay more for it.
As The Columbian has written editorially: "Yes, a new bridge will benefit all of us and, therefore, require some sacrifice from each resident. But some will reap the benefits more frequently than others and should pay for those benefits. ... Critics say that tolls require drivers to pay for use of a bridge after they already have paid for it and can claim ownership. This is grossly inaccurate; tolls will be required precisely because the bridge has not been paid for."
User fees are an equitable and responsible method of paying for public projects. Just as those who purchase gas pay more for road maintenance through gas taxes, residents who use the bridge should pay a little more for its construction. How much more, however, remains one of the questions hovering over the Interstate 5 Bridge project.
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