U.S. Survey on Transportation Taxes and Fees - 2022

This research project will design and administer an online national public opinion poll that asks 2,500 US residents their views on various transportation tax and fee options available at the state and federal level. The questionnaire will build off the authors’ 2010 - 2021 trend surveys, using some of the same questions, but modifying others and adding in new questions. The survey will gather information on support levels for a variety of transportation revenue tools, including raising the federal gas tax rate, replacing the gas tax with a mileage fee, and introducing a new "business road user fee" assessed on miles driven by commercial vehicles. Other questions will assess the public's goals for transportation system improvement and spending priorities. Finally, the survey will collect standard socio-demographic data so that the responses can be analyzed by these factors, as well as by region of the country. This project will be of use to transportation professionals, legislators, and members of the public working to identify sustainable sources of transportation revenue. For example, the survey's focus on mileage fees will be of direct relevance to policymakers in the many states that have ongoing mileage fee research and pilot projects. In addition, the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act calls for the federal government to conduct a mileage fee pilot. Surveys such as this one play an important role in helping transportation professionals, legislators, and interested members of the public to understand public opinion. This national survey provides a unique data source because it is longitudinal, showing policymakers how public opinion may be changing over time. No other large-sample-size, national survey about public opinion on transportation funding sources has been conducted repeatedly over time with the same questions.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $42706
• Contract Numbers:

  69A3551747127

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

  University Transportation Centers Program
  Department of Transportation
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Managing Organizations:

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

  University Transportation Centers Program
  Department of Transportation
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Performing Organizations:

  Mineta Consortium for Transportation Mobility

  San Jose State University
  San Jose, CA  United States  95112
• Principal Investigators:

  Agrawal, Asha

• Start Date: 20211201
• Expected Completion Date: 20220630
• Actual Completion Date: 0
• USDOT Program: University Transportation Centers

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Financing; Mileage-based user fees; Public opinion; Surveys; Taxes
• Geographic Terms: United States
• Subject Areas: Economics; Finance; Policy; Transportation (General);

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01833347
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Mineta Consortium for Transportation Mobility
• Contract Numbers: 69A3551747127
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: Jan 22 2022 3:58PM