Public Acceptability of Vehicle Mileage Fees: Texas-Based Focus Group Results

Vehicle mileage fees are among the leading candidates for replacing the fuel tax as the primary means of funding infrastructure development at the state and federal level. While there are numerous ongoing state-based evaluations and one national evaluation of the technologies used in supporting the concept, there remains a substantial public acceptance hurdle to overcome. This report highlights a research effort by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to assess general public perceptions of transportation funding and financing and vehicle mileage fees specifically. To accomplish this, five focus groups were arranged throughout the state of Texas. Participants were recruited from the general public and were asked to discuss their knowledge of transportation funding and financing, i.e., the fuel tax, trends in vehicular fuel efficiency, and the subject of vehicle mileage fees. Participants were provided with three potential system configurations for the deployment of a vehicle mileage fee system. They were then asked for input on their preferred model. These sessions revealed public concerns that center on privacy, enforcement and administration related issues. The results showed that simple, low tech configurations and vehicle mileage fees implemented on a voluntary basis will garner the most public support.