News

North Carolina participating in national pilot exploring alternative to the fuel tax

RTA supports the efforts to replace the increasingly inefficient and insufficient NC fuel tax with a more sustainable source of revenue. While RTA continues to advocate for a vehicle registration-based access user fee (e.g., one flat fee on every vehicle) as our primary recommended replacement for the motor fuels tax, we remain open to any method that would be fair, sustainable, and broadly acceptable.

One potential solution that continues to gain interest and interest is a Mileage-Based User Fee (e.g., a fee based on how many miles driven).

The Eastern Transportation Coalition, which is a growing partnership of 17 states and Washington, DC, is seeking to advance a mileage based user fee, also known as a vehicle miles traveled (VMT) fee. The pilot will explore advantages and potential pitfalls of the idea which will help determine if it is a more equitable and effective solution than the current fuel tax framework.

This pilot, which just launched this week on June 6th, will ask participants to plug in a small device into their vehicle, recording total mileage as you drive. Participants will then return the device after a few months. The last day to sign up for the pilot program is July 31 and the pilot concludes October 31.

If you — or a member of your organization — are interested in participating in this nation-wide mileage-based user fee pilot, please email Jacob within the next two weeks to get registered.

Let’s get moving,