Effective Communications Strategies for a Road Usage Charge Funding Solution

Due to inflation and improved fuel economy, the purchasing power of the Highway Trust Fund has been stagnant or shrinking for several years. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) passed in 2022 calls for the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) to implement a national road usage charge (RUC) pilot, including an education program. The USDOT has awarded grants to California, Colorado, Hawaii, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wyoming, the Eastern Transportation Coalition, and RUC America. A new round of grants will again test the feasibility of a road usage fee and other user-based alternative revenue mechanisms with a focus on education and outreach. However, multiple research studies have confirmed that most members of the public do not know how transportation is funded. The objectives of this research are to evaluate the effectiveness of recent educational and marketing campaigns for road usage charges and develop guidance on best practices for future campaigns.

• Record URL:
  • http://apps.trb.org/cmsfeed/TRBNetProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=5884
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Contract to a Performing Organization has not yet been awarded.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Proposed
• Funding: $450,000.00
• Contract Numbers:

  Project 20-142

• Sponsor Organizations:

  National Cooperative Highway Research Program

  Transportation Research Board
  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001

  American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)

  444 North Capitol Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Project Managers:

  Zelinski, Patrick

• Start Date: 20250526
• Expected Completion Date: 0
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Best practices; Financing; Highways; Outreach; Public information programs; User charges
• Subject Areas: Education and Training; Finance; Highways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01956831
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Transportation Research Board
• Contract Numbers: Project 20-142
• Files: TRB, RIP
• Created Date: May 29 2025 1:01PM