Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee Update

New committee will develop equitable mobility strategies



Rush hour congestion along I-5 in Portland.

Last month, we began forming an Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee​. The committee will advise ODOT on how tolling on the I-205 and I-5 freeways, in combination with other strategies, can benefit populations that have historically been underserved and underrepresented by transportation projects.



EMAC members will represent a variety of equity and mobility interests and perspectives in the Portland metro area and Southwest Washington including:

Transportation options and access.

Transportation affordability.

Environmental justice for historically underrepresented and underserved communities.



EMAC members will work together through 2022 to consider needs and opportunities for achieving community equity and mobility outcomes associated with the I-205 and I-5 Toll Projects National Environmental Policy Act processes. The committee will provide input to the Oregon Transportation Commission and ODOT as they decide how to implement tolls on I-205 and I-5.

The committee’s first meeting will be held in June.

We look forward to when we can see you in person, until then, we look forward to seeing you online. We are following Governor Kate Brown’s executive order on public gatherings and working to ensure sure our engagement opportunities are safe. Watch for announcements for how ODOT’s commitment to slowing the spread of COVID-19 will affect summer engagement.

I-205 Public Engagement: Coming this Summer



Learn and share feedback about the environmental review process



Community member participating in an Open House for the Value Pricing Feasibility Study in 2018



This summer, we will launch a public comment period for the I-205 Toll Project. This 45-day public comment period is an important part of the federally-required National Environmental Policy Act environmental review process that will examine different alternatives of where tolls would start and end on I-205 and how well they would achieve the project objectives to raise revenue and manage congestion. We want to hear from you at the start of the environmental review about the project's purpose and what we should consider as the project moves forward.

Throughout the public comment period, we will host activities to share information and hear your ideas. These activities will include events and online venues where you can ask questions, offer feedback, and learn about:



Current plans and next steps.

How modern tolling systems work.

The program's approach to equity.

Your feedback will help us determine which toll alternatives to study in the next steps of the I-205 Toll Project environmental review process.



Community Briefings

Learn more and share feedback on toll projects

Throughout winter 2019 and spring 2020, the project team met with elected officials and policy committees to share information, hear feedback, and answer questions about the I-205 and I-5 Toll Projects. Digital tools allow us to continue these presentations until the risks associated with COVID-19 have subsided. Visit the calendar to see our schedule.



Would your organization, committee or council like to receive a project briefing too? Let us know by sending an email to the project team.



Transportation experts participate digitally in a workshop in April 2020. They will inform the I-205 and I-5 Toll Projects.

Regional Agencies Share Expertise through Working Groups



Transit and traffic modeling experts inform toll projects

Transportation experts meet at a kick-off workshop in February 2020. They will inform the I-205 and I-5 Toll Projects.



To shape the I-5 and I-205 Toll Projects, we are joined by transportation experts from across the region who serve on two technical groups: the Transit Multimodal Working Group and the Regional Modeling Group. Members of these two groups come from cities, counties, public transportation service providers and other public agencies across the region, giving us insights on how tolls could affect specific jurisdictions and the people who live or work there. They are sharing their expertise to broaden our understanding of opportunities, benefits and risks as we move forward.

The Transit Multimodal Working Group shares expertise and detailed information on current, planned and potential future transit service and active transportation networks. The group also provides input on how to best measure the potential effects of tolling on these travel modes as well as what elements can be incorporated into the Toll Projects to support multi-modal travel options. The Regional Modeling Group provides technical input on the approach to modeling for the Toll Projects, especially on the different modeling tools available to evaluate and compare Toll Project options.



These technical working groups inform our approach to the federally-required NEPA environmental review process. The NEPA process will evaluate different scenarios (referred to as alternatives) to consider where tolls will start and end on I-205 and how well they will achieve the project objectives to raise revenue and manage congestion.

The groups met for the first time, jointly, in February, and the Regional Modeling Group met on its own last month through a digital platform. Workshops continue over the next 18 to 24 months to address performance measures, project strategies and agencies concerns. Participants serve as a two-way link between their agency and ODOT, giving us local information on existing conditions and planned projects, voicing ideas and questions, as well as serving as a conduit of information about the Toll Projects back to their home agencies.

Stay tuned as the groups continue to take shape in the months ahead.

