Surface Transportation System Funding Alternatives Phase I Evaluation: Pre-Deployment Activities for a User-Based Fee Demonstration by the Minnesota Department of Transportation

1. Report No.

2. Government Accession No.

3. Recipient's Catalog No.

4. Title and Subtitle

Surface Transportation System Funding Alternatives Phase I Evaluation

Pre-Deployment Activities for a User-Based Fee Demonstration by the Minnesota Department of Transportation

5. Report Date

December 2020

6. Performing Organization Code

7. Author(s)

Sonika Sethi (Leidos), Ben Pierce, Justin Robbins (HDR), Drew Van Duren (OnBoard Security), Asha Weinstein Agrawal (San Jose State University)

8. Performing Organization Report No.

9. Performing Organization Name and Address

Leidos
11251 Roger Bacon Dr.
Reston, VA 20190

HDR Inc.
OnBoard Security
San Jose State University

10. Work Unit No. (TRAIS)

11. Contract or Grant No.

DTFH61-16-D-00053, T-0015

12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address

U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20590

13. Type of Report and Period Covered

Evaluation Report
September 29, 2017–July 28, 2019

14. Sponsoring Agency Code

HOTM

15. Supplementary Notes

The Government’s Task Manager for this effort was Angela Fogle.

16. Abstract

This report presents the independent evaluation results of pre-deployment activities for a user-based fee demonstration by the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT), which received fiscal year 2016 funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Surface Transportation System Funding Alternatives (STSFA) Program. MnDOT is one of eight entities to engage in pilots or pre-pilot planning and development activities to explore a variety of options to demonstrate user-based alternative revenue mechanisms.

The U.S. Congress and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) seek to understand whether user-based alternative revenue mechanisms that utilize a user fee structure can help maintain the long-term solvency of the Highway Trust Fund and can be implemented nationally at some time in the future. As part of this endeavor, FHWA is conducting evaluations of the eight grantee sites that received funding in Federal fiscal year 2016. The evaluation reports resulting from this process will make the Secretary of Transportation and U.S. Congress aware of the progress that has been made, lessons learned from initial pilot and planning efforts, the role of education and outreach, the potential for any negative impacts on constituents, and initial findings on administrative fees, among other issues.

17. Key Words

road usage charge, mileage-based user fee, vehicle miles tax, Surface Transportation System Funding Alternative, STSFA

18. Distribution Statement

No restrictions.

19. Security Classification (of this report)

Unclassified

20. Security Classification (of this page)

Unclassified

21. No of Pages

58

22. Price

N/A