The Infrastructure Show’s latest episode, “Pay-As-You-Go: Mileage-Based Road User Fees,” spotlights a critical shift in transportation funding as fuel tax revenues decline. Host and Northwestern University Emeritus Professor, Joseph Schofer, speaks with Dr. Patricia Hendren, Executive Director of the Eastern Transportation Coalition, about why mileage-based user fees (MBUF) are emerging as a sustainable transportation funding alternative. Hendren explains that as vehicles become more fuel-efficient and electric vehicles (EVs) grow in market share, fuel tax revenues are no longer a reliable funding source. Instead, per-mile charges offer a fairer, user-based approach to funding transportation infrastructure. She noted that, even with a mileage-based fee, EV drivers still benefit from lower fuel costs, and discussed how rural drivers, on average, may pay less under MBUF compared to current fuel tax structures. The discussion underscores the need to explore innovative funding models as Congress prepares to reauthorize surface transportation legislation.
