The Eastern Transportation Coalition (the Coalition) has published a report on its 2023-2025 alternative transportation revenue work exploring real-world implementation of sustainable transportation funding mechanisms such as mileage-based user fees (MBUF) across nine states. Conducted through the Surface Transportation System Funding Alternative (STSFA) grant program to address declining transportation revenues nationally, this work tackled previously identified implementation barriers through real-world exploration and broadening geographic reach.
The report highlights revenue visualization tools and sound bites, educational materials and outreach campaigns, customized pilots, and household impact analyses designed to better understand how to overcome four key MBUF barriers: public understanding, administrative costs, fairness, and privacy concerns. In doing so, the report spotlights these three key findings:
- Funding the future starts with education as affirmed by key stakeholder pilots in Georgia and Maryland which uncovered current views on transportation funding, increased awareness about alternative funding solutions, and provided firsthand experience demonstrating how MBUF could work in each state.
- State policymakers need state-specific data to take action: Contextualized and clearly presented data can help policymakers understand and articulate existing funding challenges and clarify areas of confusion as evidenced by the Maine revenue sound bite.
- Partnerships strengthen progress: MBUF barriers can be overcome through collaboration and knowledge sharing which can be seen through collaborations with DMVs, tolling authorities, and business groups.
“Transportation is the backbone of our economy and daily life,” said Dr. Patricia Hendren, Executive Director of The Eastern Transportation Coalition. “We need funding strategies that reflect how people actually use the roads—and that’s exactly what the Coalition is helping states achieve.”
Since 2017, the Coalition has been driving innovation in exploring alternative transportation funding—including MBUF, where drivers pay by the mile, not the gallon. Building on years of work and collaboration, the Coalition continues to expand its partnership with states to break down MBUF implementation barriers and deliver actionable, state-specific solutions for sustainable transportation funding to advance the national conversation.
View the full report: www.tetcoalitionmbuf.org/phase5report
