ALLOCATION OF HIGHWAY COSTS AND REVENUES. FINAL REPORT

This highway cost and revenue allocation study is the fourth of a recent Kentucky series begun in 1982. Experience gained with each study has resulted in subsequent refinements that have enlarged the data base, enhanced the accuracy, and simplified the study process. One of the long-term aims is to develop an easy-to-use process for continuously monitoring effects of changes in traffic patterns, in finance and tax policy, and in highway expenditures. The primary objective of the current study was to determine the 1989 levels of revenue contribution and cost responsibility for each of several classes of Kentucky highway users. As was the case in the two most recent prior studies, incremental cost assignment has been replaced with various highway use measures including vehicle-miles of travel, axle-miles, passenger-car-equivalent-miles, and equivalent-single-axle-load-miles. The analysis indicates that cost responsibility is borne most heavily by passenger cars and motorcycles (45.7%). Heavy trucks, those with gross weights of 60,000 pounds or more, were responsible for 23.2% of the cost. Pickups and other vehicles registered in the 6,000-pound category were responsible for 20.2% of the cost. Cost responsibility of all other user groups totaled 10.9%. Revenue collected from passenger cars and motorcycles fell approximately 2% short of their cost responsibility; heavy trucks contributed approximately 12% more than their responsibility. Without a temporary surcharge of 1.15 cents per mile on heavy truck operations, the revenue and cost responsibility would have been very nearly balanced for cars and light trucks, pickups and heavy trucks would have contributed slightly more revenue that their cost responsibilities, and medium trucks would have failed to meet their responsibility.