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Regional transportation board reviews road-usage charge pilot as gas-tax revenues decline
Summary
The Transportation Policy Board discussed a Washington State pilot to study a road-usage charge as a replacement for declining gas-tax revenue; the pilot looked at opt-in annual odometer reporting at tab renewal, a $200 initial credit and average projected costs of about $32 per year for the average driver under some scenarios.
A briefing from the Transportation Policy Board highlighted an ongoing state study and pilot on a potential road-usage charge to supplement or replace shrinking gas-tax revenue as more electric and high‑mileage vehicles join the fleet.
Council members reported that the state launched a pilot with roughly 1,100 volunteer participants to test approaches. The model discussed most by the board would be opt-in and rely on an annual odometer reading at vehicle tab renewal; participants would report mileage and the system would apply a formula that accounts for vehicle fuel efficiency. Staff said the program could include a common initial credit (discussed as $200 in materials presented) and that average annual impacts in some scenarios were about $32 per driver.
Board members raised implementation issues still to be resolved: tracking miles driven outside Washington state, privacy protections, whether an app could limit mileage tracking to in-state miles, and equity concerns for low‑mileage and high‑mileage drivers. The pilot has explored multiple approaches, including odometer reporting and optional app-based mileage verification. The Transportation Policy Board is studying the tradeoffs between fairness, administrative cost and the need to maintain road-maintenance revenue as gas-tax receipts decline.
The council member reporting the board meeting said state statute directed the Transportation Commission to assess road-usage feasibility and that the legislature began that work in 2012; the board is preparing materials for public review and additional discussion.
