Mileage-Based User Fees - Defining a Path toward Implementation: Phase 2: An Assessment of Technology Issues (UTCM 09-39-07)

This report reviews technology options for a mileage-based user fee system in the state of Texas. The report was compiled based on input from a diverse range of sources, including a literature review of existing mileage-based user fee technical write-ups, discussion of an internal technology assessment team at the Texas Transportation Institute, interviews with individuals representing key technology stakeholders, and findings from the first annual symposium on mileage-based user fees. The main focus of this report is to assess the range of possible mileage-based user fee system architectures. These architectures are considered at the logical level (i.e., the flow and transformation of information from raw data describing roadway use to an end bill) with the goal of demonstrating how the process flow of each architecture affects its ability to meet key policy objectives. The report also explores issues related to payment, enforcement, the deployment of on-board units in vehicles, and the potential for technology enabling a mileage-based user fee to be a platform for other value-added services. Finally, the report concludes by identifying key policy questions for Texas that must be addressed before pilot programs can be developed.