Oregon
truckers are among those affected by a $2.5 billion transportation-funding
plan signed into law this summer by Gov. Ted Kulongoski and which
goes into effect the first of the year.
Most
of the revenue HB2041 is expected to raise over 10 years comes
from bonds repaid from higher vehicle registration and title fees,
higher permit and license fees on motorists and higher weight-mile
taxes on truckers.
About
$1.6 billion is scheduled to go toward repairing or replacing
480 bridges on the state’s major highways. The rest of the money
is earmarked for cities, counties and the state for road projects.
Under
the new law, commercial truck registration fees will increase
about 53 percent starting Jan. 1. The new fees, for example, on
an 80,000-pound rig will jump from $320 per year to $490. Title
fees will nearly double from $30 to $55. Weight-mile taxes will
climb about 10 percent putting the tax rate at 13.16 cents per
mile.
HB2041
also allows truckers to claim a tax credit in 2005 for buying
cleaner engines. Truckers would be reimbursed from $400 to $925
for each engine bought during calendar years 2004 through 2007.
