An ambitious study to charge motorists by the mile, which hopes to address decreasing gas tax revenue for both states and the federal government, will begin in North Carolina's Research Triangle.
"As part of a $16.5 million nationwide study over the next two years, 450 Research Triangle drivers in NC will help road-test a new way to pay for transportation -- by the mile, not by the gallon."
The University of Iowa Public Policy Center will oversee the Road User Charge Study in North Carolina and five other states.
"The mileage fee idea is fueled by the same forces that are pushing North Carolina into the business of collecting tolls from expressway drivers. North Carolina and 14 other states joined Congress in commissioning the Iowa study to weigh collecting user fees for city streets and rural highways as well."
The study "will experiment with rates that would generate about the same revenue now produced from the gas tax. Congress and state legislatures would decide whether to set fees higher or lower."
"The federal Highway Trust Fund relies mostly on gas-tax money to pay for state road construction. The fund is expected to drop from an $8.1 billion surplus this year to a $1.7 billion deficit by 2009."
"The Iowa researchers will outfit volunteers' cars with computers and satellite gear to record where and how far they drive. It will test the hardware, the billing system and the popular support that would be needed for a shift to mileage fees. The on-board computer will know which state the car is traveling in, and it will calculate the mileage fees payable to each state at the end of the month."
"The study will also test options to vary the fee per mile for different vehicles and different times of day. Some possibilities:
* Higher fees for heavy trucks to reflect their share of pavement wear and tear.
* A rush-hour premium to cover the cost of freeway congestion.
* Lower fees to encourage more alternative-fuel and low-emission cars."
Thanks to pat carstensen
FULL STORY: Drivers might pay road taxes by mile
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
New Park Opens in the Santa Clarita Valley
The City of Santa Clarita just celebrated the grand opening of its 38th park, the 10.5-acre Skyline Ranch Park.
U.S. Supreme Court: California's Impact Fees May Violate Takings Clause
A California property owner took El Dorado County to state court after paying a traffic impact fee he felt was exorbitant. He lost in trial court, appellate court, and the California Supreme Court denied review. Then the U.S. Supreme Court acted.
How Urban Form Impacts Housing Affordability
The way we design cities affects housing costs differently than you might think.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Town of Zionsville
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.