Concerns about privacy, rural drivers and trucks are tackled in new report by The Eastern Transportation Coalition (TETC) on the feasibility of a mileage-based user fee (MBUF) approach as a viable, scalable model for funding the USA’s highway infrastructure.
The report, which provides insight into the outcome of TETC’s latest MBUF pilot programme, comes as US states debate about how to fund transportation in the future.
Dr Patricia Hendren, executive director of TETC, said: “This pilot programme advances the feasibility of an MBUF programme as a viable, scalable model for funding our nation’s highway infrastructure by addressing concerns around privacy and impact on all users, from rural to urban settings, and cars and trucks.
“TETC will continue working with our partners in the US DOTs to communicate with the public about the advantages of replacing the conventional fuel tax model with mileage-based user fees.”
TETC’s 2020-2021 MBUF study included a combination of demonstration pilots and analyses:
- First-ever national truck pilot including 221 vehicles traveling 11 million miles across 48 US states and Washington DC;
- Passenger vehicle pilot with nearly 400 participants conducted in partnership with Delaware, New Jersey, North Carolina and Pennsylvania;
- Geographic equity analysis exploring impacts of MBUF on different households in each partner state;
- Public opinion surveys, pilot participant surveys, focus groups, examination of tolling and congestion mitigation synergies.
According to TETC, privacy concerns can be alleviated through data protection measures and clear communication with users. During the 2020-2021 passenger vehicle pilot, participants ranking privacy as a high concern dropped from 52% to 7%.
The study also demonstrated that rural drivers could benefit from a shift to an MBUF system, refuting a common misconception that the MBUF model would harm rural drivers because they tend to drive more than their urban counterparts. On the contrary, a shift to MBUF is estimated to change household expenses, regardless of geography, by about US$1.50 (£1.12) a month, according to TETC.
The national truck pilot, the USA’s first, builds on TETC’s previous work by exploring how MBUF can account for the complexities of the trucking industry. According to the report, the pilot demonstrated that a tiered rate approach based on a fuel economy doesn’t work as it can result in drastically different charges for vehicles with similar MPGs, is difficult to explain, and creates winners and losers.
What’s more, TETC said the 2020-2021 national truck and passenger vehicle pilots confirmed that MBUF can be a viable alternative to the current fuel tax, not least because the technology needed for MBUF exists and is in use by insurance companies and the trucking industry.
TETC said it will continue working with US state partners to operate pilot programmes that explore the viability of MBUF and answer questions about how such a system could be implemented on a national scale.
“A modern and efficient transportation infrastructure is critical to a strong regional economy,” said Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti, commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Transportation. “The exploration of viable alternatives for funding highway infrastructure will ensure that we can effectively manage the transportation systems of the future.”
You can learn more about the key trends and challenges affecting senior decision-makers who have responsibility for tolling, intelligent transportation systems and road pricing in the USA at the first-ever Road User Charging Conference in Miami, on 13-14 June 2022. Click here for more information.
