MDOT proposes GPS mileage tracker to fund the damn roads
May 16, 2024 PLYMOUTH VOICE.
Plymouth Michigan News
The state plans to spend $5 million on a survey about a new road usage charge system. That includes asking if people would be willing to install a GPS mileage tracker in their vehicles. Similar systems are already in place in Utah and Oregon. Utah charges drivers 1 cent per mile, while Oregon charges drivers 1.9 cents per mile.
Money for the pilot would come from the state general fund under pending $6.8 billion transportation budget bills.
According to a recent report by Bridge Michigan, the Michigan Department of Transportation 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… “Critics argue road funding alternatives shouldn’t come at the expense of individual rights.”
Accordingly, with 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.
Michigan’s roads and bridges are deteriorating faster than agencies can repair them, experts say, and the problem is expected to compound over time without significant new investments.
The report states, a 2023 study by the Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association explored other potential ways make up the funding gap, including:
- Raising the gas tax by 39 cents per gallon to 74 cents per gallon
- Increasing the sales tax by 2 percent to 3 percent to fix roads, which would require a constitutional amendment
- Implementing a tax of 3 cents to 5 cents per mile for every mile traveled
READ MORE
A mileage tax for Michigan motorists
State spending up-but not for roads
PLYMOUTH VOICE.
