The Michigan Department of Transportation continues floating the idea of a road usage charge to help pay for road repairs in the state.
MDOT has launched an online survey to gauge how people might feel about dropping the gasoline tax in favor of a fee based on miles driven.
Spokesperson Michael Frezell tells us several factors, like more fuel-efficient vehicles, have led to less money being collected for roads.
“Our funding structure has been declining over the years, needs increase while the revenue has been decreasing, even despite increases in road funding back in 2015,” Frezell said. “We still have to maintain our road system. There is still a lot of need out there between the state highways and all our local roads.”
A federal grant is paying for the survey.
The Michigan Legislature has requested that MDOT examine the road usage charge. Additionally, Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s Growing Michigan Together Council recommended lawmakers examine alternative funding sources for Michigan’s transportation infrastructure. However, Frezell notes no policy changes like this are being debated by the Legislature at this time.
You can find the MDOT survey right here.
