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!
GAINES
auto body & glass
Over 30 Years Experience
541-276-0823
•
•
•
•
Collision Repair
Auto Glass
Frame Repair
Refinishing
322 SE 6th Street, Pendleton, OR 97801