The Eastern Transportation Coalition (the Coalition) is continuing to advance the national conversation on the future of transportation funding through its partnership with DHM Research (DHM). In April of this year, DHM conducted a national survey on behalf of the Coalition to better understand how Americans believe roads are funded and their views on mileage-based user fees (MBUF) as a potential funding alternative.
DHM recently published an article highlighting the survey findings, “What a New DHM National Survey Tells Us About the Road Ahead for Mileage-Based User Fees”. This article highlights both opportunities and challenges for evolving transportation funding strategies.
DHM’s research shows that while 75 percent of Americans know they pay a gas tax, many do not know how much they are paying. Forty-two percent believe transportation funding is increasing, despite transportation revenues being in a decades-long decline. It also finds only 33 percent of Americans are familiar with MBUF as a concept.
On a positive note, DHM found that awareness and acceptance of MBUF is higher in states where people have had direct exposure to pilots or programs. This finding illustrates the importance of the work being done by the Coalition and other states to provide data-driven insights and real-world experience to increase public and stakeholder awareness. Through pilots, research, and public engagement, the Coalition continues to help build public understanding of how MBUF could modernize the way we pay for transportation infrastructure.
