Insider’s update on OReGO
June 19, 2015 | Tom Fuller
What’s the scoop on OReGO? As a member of the project’s leadership team I’ve been following our progress closely. As July 1st looms, you might be thinking: will this thing actually happen and when can I sign up? The good news is all systems are “go” for launch.
We at ODOT have been conducting an operational trial. Basically, 10 ODOT staff members have each “signed up” with one of our three account managers: Azuga, Sanef, and Verizon Telematics. We’ve installed the device in our cars, and driven around the state (and into Washington state as well), then we’ve checked our mileage to make sure it was accounted for accurately and also checked our invoices.
The good thing about an operational trial is that it helps us iron out last minute bugs. The list of issues has grown steadily smaller and thus on July 1st our operational team is confident we’ll be able to start accepting OReGO pioneers into the program.
We’re calling it a test drive. Why? This is a brand new concept; no one has done it before so we had to create a billing platform and form partnerships with private account managers. We need your help in perfecting this new system. So sign up and tell us how we’re doing and what we can do better.
We also want to know what you think about this idea of paying by the mile instead of by the gallon. Over the past decade or so, a task force considered 24 different options to help replenish road maintenance funds that keep our transportation system safe and efficient. Some of the ideas included: a battery tax, an emissions fee, registration fees, a tire tax, and even a vehicle ownership tax. In the end, the task force agreed that the pay-per-mile model is the best way to ensure all of us are putting in our fair share. But what do you think? We’ll be collecting lots of opinions as the program goes on.
We also want you to share your OReGO story with others on social media and through our Facebook (www.Facebook.com/oregondot) and Twitter feeds (https://twitter.com/myOReGO).
So get ready to enroll – on July 1 the links to our account managers will go “live” from www.myOReGO.org.
Oh, and check out our latest video animation about OReGO: https://youtu.be/yeINSddK3YY
9 thoughts on “Insider’s update on OReGO”
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Don C Roessler says:
If we start paying by the mile does that mean that the State Gas Tax will go away?
Tom Fuller says:
Hi Don,
Great question – we don’t really know at this point about the future of the gas tax paid at the pump. With OReGO you don’t pay both at the pump and per mile. It’ll be up to the Oregon Legislature to decide what classes of vehicles will pay by the mile and if the gas tax at the pump remains.
We are using OReGO as a big test-drive to see how Oregonians feel about the system and help inform that legislative discussion, probably in 2017!
Gladys Labsch says:
I do like the idea of paying by the mile rather than by the gallon. With more & more cars getting better mileage there will be less & less money for roads. I drive a Prius, but I want good roads.
I am very pleased about the idea of being part of a major change that will, I believe, be very good for Oregon.
Patty Christopher says:
I’m a little bit concerned that as the taxpayers agree to this, someone will decide that Paying by the Mile is a good SUPPLEMENT to the current gas tax model. How can we be sure this won’t happen?
Charles Bonville says:
Actually, I hope that does happen eventually because we need to encourage people to use electricity instead of petroleum for transportation fuel. You could think of the gas tax as a carbon tax in that scenario.
crotchety1 says:
Charles Bonville:
Yes, your point is eminently sensible.
Sadly, it will go down in flames once the anti-taxers and other er. . low information types, AGW deniers etc. start howling and raging about it.
Too bad.
Ron Bline says:
I drive a Ford Fusion ENERGI Plug in hybrid. With a level 2 charger at home I use very little gas on my local driving. I still use the roads and want them maintained. I should pay for the miles I drive.
IROC-Z says:
These devices can be accurate to the nearest 100th of a mile. Why has OReGO decided to over-charge everyone by rounding up to the nearest mile?
tomfuller says:
The legislation (Senate Bill 810) had the requirement that the device be able to measure to the 100th but at the time of billing it’s rounded to the nearest 10th of a mile.