Exploring alternative road funding options is a priority for Michigan legislators to make up the state’s road funding gap.
Michigan lawmakers are considering replacing the state’s 27.2 cents-per-mile gas tax with a mileage-based road usage fee, according to an article from Bridge Michigan. Democrats in the State House and Senate have added $5 million to proposed $6.8 billion transportation budget bills for a pilot program, reports Lauren Gibbons.
“Under the Senate proposal, the state would create a 19-member technical advisory committee that would help design a pilot program for the Michigan Department of Transportation to implement by June 2025,” Gibbons writes. The committee would assess the “ease and cost” of recording mileage and collecting taxes.
States like Oregon, Utah, Virginia have implemented similar mileage-based programs that allow motorists to opt in. Likewise, if the final budget includes funding for it, the Michigan program will be completely voluntary. Critics of these types of program object on a privacy basis, as they often use GPS data collection devices, though the proposed pilot would direct the state to connect a minimal amount of personal data.
“MDOT would lead the pilot for one year and report findings to the Legislature by the end of 2026, including cost, privacy issues, data collection technology, feasibility and participant acceptance,” reports Gibbons.
Read the full story: A mileage tax for Michigan motorists? Lawmakers want $5M for pilot program
Can State Lawmakers Make the Case for Road Charges?
More state legislatures are considering fees based on vehicle miles traveled as a replacement for declining gas tax revenues.
California Poised to Lose Up to $4 Billion in Gas Tax Revenue
States must find other ways to fund transportation projects as the transportation sector moves toward decarbonization.
What Will Replace Gas Taxes?
States are developing a variety of mechanisms for replacing dwindling gas tax revenue, which most rely on for the majority of their transportation funding.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Amtrak, CN end decades-long dispute with eight-year agreement
The new operating agreement establishes an updated framework for the companies to work together, including processes to resolve disputes.
Judges permit Denver to divert 77,000 acre feet from the Colorado River for reservoir expansion
Overuse and climate change have caused the Colorado River’s water levels to plummet.
Philadelphia to invest $2 billion into upgrading city airports as PHL places last in customer satisfaction
Modernizations to Philadelphia's airports will include baggage system upgrades and a new automated parking garage guidance system.
The LA housing policies making developers turn away from the city
Despite LA’s housing shortage, developers say the city’s "mansion-tax" and pandemic-era policies make it an unappealing place to build housing.
New density bill would require 7 California cities to establish regional transit hubs
The bill would also require major cities in California to permit high-rise residential buildings.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Wisconsin Rapids
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
KFH Group Inc.
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello