Congress should accelerate the transition to a road user charge system, in part by charging the Transportation Department with developing technical standards and regulations for the operation of such a system.

To Do: Establish a National Road User Charge System

With the gradual shift from internal combustion to electric vehicles, it is only a matter of time before the nation will have to replace gas taxes with a vehicle miles traveled system to pay for road maintenance. The most sensible way to start would be with heavy trucks.

Why Congress Should Enact a Mileage-Based User Fee for Heavy Trucking

Rob Atkinson particpated in a an expert Q&A panel on VMT fee transition and implementation hosted by the Bipartisan Policy Center.

Expert Q&A: VMT Fee Transition and Implementation

With the gradual shift from internal combustion to electric vehicles, it is only a matter of time before lawmakers will have to replace gas taxes with a system of mileage-based user fees to pay for road maintenance—and the most sensible way to start would be with heavy trucks.

Congress Should Mandate Mileage-Based User Fees for Heavy Trucks, New Report Concludes

Insufficient, inequitable, and poorly incentivized tax structures are leading to counterproductive behaviors in the trucking industry that threaten the sustainability of the U.S. highway network. An axle-adjusted vehicle mileage traveled tax would address many of these inefficiencies and help address the shortfall to ensure the sustainability of the U.S. Interstate network.

A Truck Mileage Traveled Tax to Enhance US Roadway Sustainability

ITIF and the Institute for Policy Integrity hosted a discussion about the report and the path to a road user pricing system.

Addressing the Social Costs of Driving Through a Vehicle Miles Traveled Fee

As Rob Atkinson writes for Morning Consult, the Senate should embrace innovation and charge the Department of Transportation with establishing a national road user charging system.

The Best Way to Fund the U.S. Surface Transportation System

The Trump administration has proposed an infrastructure plan that would help spur necessary investment. But it’s also time to modernize how we pay for infrastructure, says ITIF President Rob Atkinson in an op-ed for Real Clear Policy.

Time to Modernize How We Pay for Infrastructure

ITIF signed a coalition letter, led by the Competitive Enterprise Institute, urging Congress to prioritize restoring the longstanding users-pay/users-benefit principle in the Highway Trust Fund.

To Do: Enact a National Road User-Charge System

Recommendation

Details

Editors’ Recommendations

Letter to House and Senate Transportation Committee Leaders Regarding a Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) Tax

Related

To Do: Establish a National Road User Charge System

Why Congress Should Enact a Mileage-Based User Fee for Heavy Trucking

Expert Q&A: VMT Fee Transition and Implementation