Oregon Department of Transportation commissioned a pilot study to illustrate how the economic impacts of toll proposals can be evaluated. The project examined how tolling would affect OR 217 and Cornelius Pass Road in Portland, Oregon.
- Quantify the economic effects of tolling scenarios on OR 217 and Cornelius Pass Road.
- Analyze the societal economic costs of tolling and identify the benefit levels that would be needed from toll-financed programs to achieve economic break-even.
- Assess key economic externalities and other factors relevant to a tolling program for OR 217 and Cornelius Pass Road.
The study applied the Portland Metro Travel Demand Model to estimate travel pattern changes associated with tolling, with traffic and revenue estimates provided by DKS Associates. Both benefit-cost analysis (BCA) and economic impact analysis (EIA) were carried out using TREDIS. This methodology applies different time and per-mile vehicle operation costs based on variation in industry incidence and valuation of changes in congestion and reliability, and their impacts on various industries and commodities subject to freight delay. Overall impacts on long term regional economic growth were then calculated using TREDIS to demonstrate the various spatial and industry sector distributions of toll costs and benefits.
