Getting Mileage Fees Right: What Does the U.S. Public Think?

Abstract

The United States faces a critical policy dilemma with respect to transportation funding: how to fund roads, highways, and public transportation into the future given the dwindling productivity of fuel taxes. This paper explores survey data that shed light on public opinion about one promising replacement for fuel taxes, so-called “mileage fees.” We analyzed 14 years of national survey data from U.S. adults to provide policymakers and researchers with evidence to answer three questions. First, what percent of Americans support the concept of mileage fees and has that support changed over time? Second, does support for mileage fees vary substantially by personal characteristics such as income or annual mileage driven? And third, are some mileage fee design choices more popular with the public than others?