Colorado Mileage-Based User Fee Study

The Transportation Research Board, Government Accountability Office, and Colorado Transportation Finance and Implementation Panel (CTFIP) suggested that Colorado pursue fees based on actual travel as an alternative to the fuel tax. Revenues from mileage-based user fees (MBUF) would not vary based on fleet fuel consumption and would instead return revenue in proportion to use of the roadway network. The 2008 CTFIP recommended specifically that the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) study MBUF in more detail. This research project investigated the application of mileage-based user fees, and more expansively road usage charges, as a possible mechanism to improve funding for transportation. The final report documents: 1) state of the practice in MBUF; 2) stakeholder and public perceptions of MBUF in Colorado; 3) operations guidance; and 4) recommendations for next steps. This yielded the primary conclusion: although a mileage-based user fee system can be created in Colorado so that all Colorado drivers pay their proportional share of roadway system costs, significant issues remain from technical, policy, and public acceptance perspectives. Too many operational and technological questions remain unanswered, and must be tested and evaluated before the state would be ready to commit to a statewide implementation of this strategy. Rather, alternative short-term measures that can accomplish many of the objectives of mileage-based user fees – namely, an increase in revenue and better distribution of payment from alternative fuel and fuel high-efficiency vehicles – should be evaluated and considered.

• Record URL:
  http://www.coloradodot.info/programs/research/pdfs/2013/mbuf.pdf/at_download/file
• 
• Summary URL:
  http://www.coloradodot.info/programs/research/pdfs/2013/mbuf.pdf/view
• Corporate Authors:

  Parsons Brinckerhoff

  555 17th Street, Suite 500
  Denver, CO  United States  80202

  Texas A&M Transportation Institute

  Texas A&M University System
  3135 TAMU
  College Station, TX  United States  77843-3135

  Colorado Department of Transportation

  Research Branch
  Denver, CO  United States  80204

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Ungemah, David H
  • Swenson, Chris R
  • Juriga, Jessica
  • Baker, Richard T
  • Goodin, Virginia
• Publication Date: 2013-12

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Edition: Final Report
• Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 102p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Financing; Highways; Implementation; Mileage-based user fees; Public opinion; Recommendations; State of the practice
• Geographic Terms: Colorado
• Subject Areas: Finance; Highways; I10: Economics and Administration;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01518896
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: CDOT-2013-16
• Contract Numbers: 30.51
• Files: TRIS, ATRI, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Mar 21 2014 11:27AM