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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 27, 2016)
January 2016 ODOT Winter Road Guide Hells Canyon Scenic Byway welcomes you in winter While best known as one of the nation’s top scenic byways during spring, summer and fall, the Hells Canyon Scenic Byway in the northeast corner of Oregon has much to offer in *winter months, as well. Travelers can enjoy amazing scenery, friendly rural towns and a wide range of winter recreation along and adjacent to the byway year- round. Downhill and cross- country skiing, boarding, and snowshoeing can be accessed at Ferguson Ridge Ski Area and nearby Anthony Lakes and Spout Springs Ski Areas when snow conditions allow. A segment of the byway known as the FS 39 Road or Wallowa Mountain Loop Road, which connects Joseph, Enterprise and Wallowa Lake to the north end of the byway with Baker City, Halfway and the Snake River to the south end, closes when the snow stacks up and becomes a popular snowmobile route over the Wallowa Mountains. Anchoring this section at the north end, the Salt Creek Summit SnoPark provides access to groomed trails and back country winter recreation. Scenic Halfway is the jump-off town at the south end. Communities dotting the byway are open for business all year, providing the full range of visitor services (lodging, restaurants, retail stores and attractions) to winter as well as warm month byway travelers. Go to www. hellscanyonbyway.com for information about road conditions, byway recreation and attractions and links to a full array of visitor information and service providers. Get a visual taste of the Hells Canyon Scenic Byway by viewing the short YouTube video at this site: http://tinyurl.com/ hellscanyon-video Locate a rideshare partner Northeast Oregon can be a challenging place in the winter. Snow, ice, fog and closed mountain passes can and do occur in our region. One way to reduce some of the stress related to driving during wintertime and throughout the year is by locating a rideshare partner. Drive Less Connect is a free service that can help you connect with people going the same direction to school, work or play. “Drive Less Connect gives you full control of your ride-matching options,” said Drive Less Connect contact 0DU\-R&DUSHQWHU³2QFH\RX¿QGDSRWHQWLDOULGHPDWFK you can negotiate with your partner your schedules, fuel costs and winter safety issues.” For more information on how to register with the program, visit www.drivelessconnect.com. Local support can also be found at: dlc@ccno.org, or by calling 541-963- 2877 ext. 4. In addition to Drive Less Connect, don’t forget to utilize your local transit programs. Check out the transit services throughout Baker, Union and Umatilla County, plus destinations beyond. <RX¶OO¿QGWRQVRILQIRUPDWLRQ about bus, trolley, dial-a-ride and other transit options in your area by visiting www. neotransit.org, or www. TripCheck.com and clicking on the Transit and More tab at the top of the page. DMV online services Don’t stand in line, go online ! Conduct your DMV business online. All customers can change their address and report the sale of a vehicle using DMV’s online services, and most customers (if stated on the renewal notice) can renew their vehicle registrations online. Save yourself a trip and go online instead! On the Web go to https://www.oregondmv. com/online/index.htm . Page 9 Get to know OReGO Freedom. Adventure. Responsibility. Oregonians expressed these values most often when asked to describe what Oregon’s Road Usage Charge Program represents. Because roads matter — for safe travel with our families, for emergency services, for our economy, for our quality of life. The road usage charge — or paying by the mile — is a fair way to ensure our roads stay safe and reliable well into the future. 2UHJRQLV¿UVWLQWKHQDWLRQWRFUHDWHD per-mile charging program that will help ¿OOWKHZLGHQLQJJDSLQWUDQVSRUWDWLRQ funding as vehicles use less gas and construction costs rise. The Oregon Department of Transportation launched the program (named “OReGO”) on July 1 and is enrolling participants to test drive the system. How does it work? With OReGO, volunteer participants pay a per mile fee and receive a credit for gas tax paid at the pump. So you pay either the per-mile fee or the gas tax, but not both. The system charges participants for the number of miles driven in Oregon and automatically applies the fuel tax credit. Be assured — personal information is secure and private. Why OReGO? “This program is about fairness, and Oregon is on the cutting edge of this conversation,” said Tammy Denee, a 2013 road usage charge pilot program participant. “Many of the western states are following our lead to develop mileage-based options, too. As new forms of transportation become more common, like all-electric cars, we must make sure Oregon’s funding system is equitable and everyone is paying their fair share to maintain, preserve and improve our state’s roads and bridges,” she said. Read Tammy’s story at myOReGO.org. Join the OReGO pio- neers ODOT has more than 900 Oregonians signed up but more participants would help put the system through a full test. People are sharing all kinds of reasons for joining OReGO. They’ve heard how high PSJYHKLFOHGULYHUVEHQH¿W in the program. They’ve read about driver services provided by account managers (such as these offered by Azuga) that can help drivers understand driving habits and even save time and money. Very soon, more services and apps will be offered FREE to OReGO participants. Check it out before you volunteer Potential participants can see for themselves what they would experience ¿QDQFLDOO\XVLQJWKH25H*2RQOLQH calculator: www.myorego.org/about/ calculator/. Enter estimated monthly mileage and the mpg rating of your vehicle to compare your road usage charge payment with what you’re currently paying in state gas tax. Ready to participate? It’s easy to join and there’s no commitment — try it for a month, three months or longer. At MyOReGO.org, you can review each account manager’s RIIHULQJVDQGVHOHFWWKHRQHWKDW¿WV\RX best. Click “Sign Me Up” to get started. The account manager will mail you a device; just plug it in, drive, and then watch your account online. Have questions? Visit MyOReGO.org or email the OReGO team at MyOReGO@odot.state. or.us. Contact us today to get your FREE estimate! 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