Oregon has started the first statewide pay-per-mile road charging programme in the United States. The voluntary scheme, known as OReGO, began accepting participants on 1 July and is limited initially to 5,000 vehicles statewide. Participants will be billed 1.5 cents per mile for miles driven inside Oregon and will receive a credit on their OReGO statement for any state gas tax paid at the pump.
How OReGO works and who it affects
Drivers who want to take part enrol online at myOReGO.org and choose one of three approved private-sector mileage reporting providers. Once enrolment is approved, the provider sends a small reporting device to be plugged into the vehicle. OReGO currently offers three reporting options through private partners. Two providers, Azuga and Verizon Telematics, supply devices with GPS-enabled features that can offer route and time-saving services in addition to mileage reporting. The third option, offered by Sanef/IMS, is a non-GPS device that reports only miles driven and fuel consumption for participants seeking a privacy-focused option.
The Oregon Department of Transportation is asking volunteers to use the system and provide feedback, with the intention of improving OReGO as it operates. In a public statement, Vicki Berger, chair of Oregon's Road User Fee Task Force, said, "The doors are now open for Oregonians to enrol their vehicles and test-drive OReGO statewide." Tom Fuller, communications manager at the Oregon Department of Transportation, said that "Enrolling to test-drive OReGO is simple." ODOT director Matthew Garrett added, "Oregon is leading the nation to develop a fairer, more sustainable way to fund road maintenance and improvements." He also noted that as vehicles become more fuel-efficient and sales of hybrid and electric vehicles rise, per-mile charging ensures that all road users contribute appropriately.
The pilot follows earlier test projects in Oregon and a 2013 law that authorised the OReGO programme and set the framework for a statewide volunteer test. Several other states, including Washington, California, Idaho and Colorado, are watching Oregon closely and considering their own pay-by-the-mile trials. For New Zealand drivers and fleet operators, Oregon's rollout provides a practical example of how per-kilometre or per-mile charging programmes can be structured, the technology options available, and the kinds of privacy and billing choices regulators may need to offer when designing similar systems.
