This lecture took place on 23 March 2022. 

The next era of transportation technology is quickly approaching as connected, autonomous, and electric vehicles become more common. These innovative technologies require public agencies to respond with new policies and approaches. As the first state to launch an operational road usage charge program, Oregon remains a trailblazer in raising revenue for its transportation system. Please join Maureen Bock, Oregon DOT’s Chief Innovation Officer, and Scott Boardman, Innovative Programs Policy Advisor, for a discussion on Oregon’s road usage charge program, OReGO, and how blockchain technology could be used to improve operations. Watch the lecture to learn more about:

  • Oregon’s history of innovation – including being the first state in the US to implement a gas tax in 1919

  • OReGO, the first fully functional RUC program in the country

  • Why the gas tax is no longer a sustainable funding model

  • How RUC  can provide a more equitable way of funding infrastructure needs

  • The expansion of RUC across the U.S.

  • How a mobility marketplace would enable users to pay for mobility applications using a single digital wallet

  • What Oregon is doing to explore blockchain and DLT-based mobility applications, including exploring MOBI’s standards and use cases such as MOBI Trusted Trip, MOBI Vehicle Identity (VID), and Connected Mobility Data Marketplace (CMDM)

About the Speakers

Maureen Bock is ODOT’s Chief Innovation Officer, where she oversees Oregon’s Road Usage Charge Program (OReGO). Maureen has an undergraduate degree in accounting from California State University-Fullerton and her juris doctor from the University of Arkansas. Maureen’s passion is developing new programs based on innovative policies and her background in operations.

Scott Boardman is the Innovative Programs Policy Advisor within ODOT’s Office of Innovative Funding. In this role, he serves as the agency’s primary subject matter expert on road usage charging (RUC) policy. Scott is responsible for managing and coordinating projects and initiatives to further develop Oregon’s road usage charge program, OReGO. As RUC policy continues to take shape, Scott also explores the impact of other emerging technologies on the program, such as electric vehicles, autonomous vehicles, and connected vehicle ecosystems.