Governor Kulongoski wants us to pay more for driving less. That seems to be the message in his legislative agenda on transportation.

The governor’s office has filed a bill, HB 2120, for the legislative session that starts Jan. 12, 2009.

“This bill,” the office says, “raises more than $1 billion per biennium to modernize Oregon’s transportation system through a 2-cent increase in the gas tax and an increase in registration and title fees.”

The office explains that the bill includes policies to reduce miles driven in urban areas. It also calls for a dedicated fund for non-highway transportation investments. (The later might require a change in the constitution, which limits spending of the gas tax to highway projects.)

While he proposes to increase the gas tax, the bill “also recommends a path to transition away from the gas tax as the central funding source of transportation,” his office says in the statement.

No details are given, and one wonders whether the governor would like to move forward with the idea of billing motorists by miles driven on state roads as measured by satellite technology. A field test sponsored by ODOT showed this was feasible, though lots of technical changes would have to be made first.

Kulongoski says the investment of the added money will “create and maintain 6,700 jobs per year.” If the numbers are right, it will cost Oregon motorists nearly $150,000 per job per biennium. If jobs are the main goal, then there might be a less expensive way to encourage employment to grow.

For the most part, Oregon state highways are in pretty good shape, most motorists will agree. What they lack in certain spots is enough capacity to carry the traffic, resulting in congestion and occasional delays.

Interstate 5 in the mid-valley is one such bottleneck. During busy periods, traffic moves bumper to bumper. Getting the freeway widened sooner rather than later ought to be one priority in the governor’s plan, but it does not look as though it is. Maybe he figures it won’t be necessary if his plan makes people drive less. (hh)