DOT helps fund state tests to fuel Highway Trust Fund

The U.S. Transportation Department’s Federal Highway Administration said it will release $14.2 million in grants to a total of seven states through a grant program that was established by the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act.    The U.S. Transportation Department’s Federal Highway Administration (FHA) said it will release $14.2 million in grants to seven states through a new program that’s expected to help find new ways to generate revenue for the Highway Trust Fund.
   The Surface Transportation System Funding Alternatives (STSFA) grant program, which was established by the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, will fund projects to test the design, implementation and acceptance of user-based alternative revenue mechanisms, FHA explained.
   FHA said STSFA will help address the concerns spelled out in the department’s Beyond Traffic report released last year that highlighted the rise in population and increased road traffic. “Gridlock nationwide is expected to increase unless changes are made soon,” the DOT agency said.
   The eight projects will pilot a variety of options to raise highway revenue.
   For example, the Hawaii Department of Transportation will receive about $3.9 million to test a user fee collection based on manual and automated odometer readings at inspection stations.
   The Washington Department of Transportation will receive about $3.8 million to test aspects of interoperable, multi-jurisdictional alternative user-based revenue collection systems.
   Other state transportation departments to receive these funds include California DOT ($750,000), Delaware DOT ($1.49 million), Minnesota DOT ($300,000), Missouri DOT ($250,000), and Oregon DOT ($2.1 million and $1.5 million).
   FHA said these projects will address challenges involved with implementing user-based fees such as public acceptance, privacy protection, equity and geographic diversity. They will also study the reliability and security of the technologies available to implement mileage-based fees.
   “We’re thinking ahead about ways to fund our highway system and be equipped for the nation’s economic future,” said Federal Highway Administrator Gregory Nadeau in a statement. “It’s a system people rely upon for their jobs and essential services, for businesses to serve their customers and for freight shippers to deliver their goods.”