Yesterday we turned in the signatures we collected for IP-31, the Vote Before Tolls initiative. While we did not collect enough signatures to qualify the measure for the 2026 ballot, we did not fail.
The IP-31 campaign helped change the conversation. Under sustained public pressure, Governor Kotek deferred tolling, the Legislature removed the mandatory tolling requirement, and ODOT stepped back from its immediate tolling plans. Those were meaningful victories. But they were not the final chapter. Last Wednesday, the IBR program again identified billions of dollars in toll revenue as a key part of its funding plan, underscoring that tolling, transportation funding, and congestion policy remain far from resolved.
From the beginning, we made a commitment to every volunteer and every Oregonian who signed that we would see this effort through. On Thursday, we honored that commitment.
I’m especially grateful to every volunteer who stood outside grocery stores, attended community events, knocked on doors, or simply asked friends and family to sign. You invested your time and your trust in this effort, and that deserves my sincere thanks.
Although IP-31 will not appear on the ballot, the principle behind it has not changed. Oregonians deserve an open, transparent conversation about how we fund major transportation projects and a meaningful voice in decisions that affect their daily lives. Those conversations are far from over.
Thank you for standing with us. I’m proud of what we accomplished together, and I’m grateful for every person who was part of this journey.
Enjoy the holiday weekend with your family and friends. Early next week, I’ll share some thoughts on where we might go from here.
Vote before tolls is grassroots driven.
No special interests or paid petitioners.
Please continue to make your “free” 2026 $100 contributions to the Vote Before Tolls effort to assure accountability before any tolling starts.
Married couples can contribute $100 and get a 100% dollar-for-dollar Oregon income tax credit on your 2026 taxes! ($50 max tax credit for individual filers).
ODOT’s budget is up 100% since 2015. Potholes are growing like weeds and our bridges and highways are crumbling due to lack of proactive maintenance
CPI up 35% – ODOT’s spending increase is nearly 3x that rate!
Steel is up 73%
Concrete is up 65%
Asphalt up is 25%
Again, hard expenses are “only” up 25-73%, yet ODOT’s spending is up nearly 100%, the system is crumbling, and staff is apparently being cut – the math doesn’t work for me. HB 2025 rewards this math by sending over a billion dollars in new taxes to ODOT.
And beyond the annual budget, where did the unexpected $3.7B of 2021’s post-COVID Build Back Better federal infrastructure funds go? Roads are worse and infrastructure is crumbling due to lack of maintenance since 2015.
References:
CPI: https://www.usinflationcalculator.com/inflation/consumer-price-index-and-annual-percent-changes-from-1913-to-2008/ Bureau of Labor
Steel: https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/PCU33123312 Federal Reserve Bank
Concrete: https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/PCU32733273 Federal Reserve Bank
Asphalt: https://ycharts.com/indicators/us_producer_price_index_asphalt_paving_mixture_and_block_manufacturing_mixtures_blocks_yearly producer price index (12/31-12/24)
© 2026, Vote Before Tolls
PO Box 218, West Linn, OR, 97068-0218, USA