A Transportation Research Program for Mitigating and Adapting to Climate Change and Conserving Energy Special Report 299 (2009) / Chapter Skim
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Appendix A Pricing Road Use for Mitigation and Revenue
Appendix A Pricing Road Use for Mitigation and Revenue
Pages 93-110
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The National Surface Transportation Infrastructure Financing Commission (2009, 7) endorsed an aggressive R&D program to test different mileage charging concepts to serve both environmental and revenue goals.
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The long-term viability of fuel taxes as a principal source of funding is threatened by political resistance to raising these taxes periodically to adjust for inflation and increased fuel efficiency of the motor vehicle fleet, which is causing less revenue to be collected per vehicle mile traveled. Inflation alone has eroded the buying power of federal fuel tax revenues by 33 percent since the federal gasoline tax was last increased in 1993 (National Surface Transportation Infrastructure Financing Commission 2009, 2)
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program. (National Surface Transportation Infra structure Financing Commission 2009, 9)
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Research would also be undertaken on how fees should be set and a program administered. Financing Commission The Financing Commission (National Surface Transportation Infrastructure Financing Commission 2009, 218–219)
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Policy and Revenue Study Commission The National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission endorsed the general concept of mileage charging but pointed out some important issues that would need to be studied and resolved. The commission recommended a two-phase effort that would begin with a study to determine technical feasibility and address privacy concerns, potential evasion, and the ability to adjust fees to account for wear and tear on highways caused by different classes of vehicle (National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission 2008, 52)
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(National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission 2008, 53) Whitty and Svadlenak To assist the committee in developing an R&D proposal in this area, the committee commissioned a paper by James Whitty and John Svadlenak of the Oregon Department of Transportation (Whitty and Svadlenak 2009)
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Technology and Subsystems Whitty and Svadlenak urge that system design be driven by policy choices rather than by the features of available technologies, but they recognize that there are many technology options that need to be explored with 1 Whitty and Svadlenak suggest a model whereby an electronic tag embedded in the license plate would be read at the gas pump. The tag would allow a computer at the pump to estimate VMT on the basis of the average fuel economy of that vehicle and fuel purchased; the fuel tax paid could be deducted on the basis of the mileage charge assessed.
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• Whether and how onboard devices for registering distance traveled can be designed to be tamper-proof or at least highly resistant to tamper ing, and whether a retrofit of tamper-resistant technologies could be added to existing vehicles at an affordable cost. (If inexpensive tamper resistant devices could be added to existing vehicles, a mileage charging system could be implemented more readily.)
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The cost of administering Oregon's system is roughly $1 million annually (Whitty and Svadlenak 2009) ; this suggests that the administrative cost nationwide of administering the current fuel tax collection system is in the neighborhood of $50 million to $100 million annually, which is far less than 1 percent of fuel tax revenues.
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Whitty and Svadlenak report that the pilot program tested in Oregon was met with a good deal of media and public misunderstanding and hostility. For any transition of this magnitude to be acceptable, multiple elements would be required: careful system design based on elements the public would accept; a communications strategy to educate and prepare the public for change; and, possibly, a gradual system of introduction to build public understanding and acceptance.
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at various pricing levels to forecast revenue; analyzing and forecasting possible land use impacts of various pricing programs; developing appropriate charges for environmental impacts; and analyzing congestion pricing options, including how additional revenues raised with congestion pricing should be used. R&D DESIGN, COST, AND MANAGEMENT All four of the references relied on above (TRB 2006; National Surface Transportation Infrastructure Financing Commission 2009; National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission 2008; Whitty and Svadlenak 2009)
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The Policy and Revenue Study Commission was also not specific about study design but did have recommendations about organization. Whitty and Svadlenak envisioned an aggressive pace for conducting the research they identify and for conducting a series of large-scale demonstrations.
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Whitty and Svadlenak also envision a series of concurrently conducted large-scale demonstration programs: As part of Phase Three, the policy oversight body should direct several technol ogy tests and pilot programs that prepare the nation for implementation of the preferred mileage-based charging system, and perhaps an interim system as well. Potential pilot programs.
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This study would develop a timeline for commencement of deployment through full implementation and complete capital and operating costs estimates. • Multi-state Contiguous Broad Scale Pilot Program.
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Cost Only Whitty and Svadlenak provided cost estimates for conducting the recommended research. On the basis of Oregon's experience in running
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Joint Program Office for ITS Research. (National Surface Transportation Infrastructure Financing Commission 2009, 218)
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The Financing Commission suggests that it be carried out by USDOT staff, the Revenue and Policy Study Commission recommends that it be carried out by NAS, and Whitty and Svadlenak recommend that it be carried out by an independent commission with high-level oversight from USDOT. CONCLUSIONS Mileage charging is technically feasible, but many design and implementation details need to be worked out.
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National Surface Transportation Infrastructure Financing Commission.
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