Related: Commentary: Congress Pulls a FAST One on Highway Funding
Americans Support Mileage-Based Fees to Fund Infrastructure
The majority of Americans would support road-usage fees to help fund transportation costs, according to a recent opinion survey by infrastructure solutions firm HNTB.

The majority of Americans would support road-usage fees to help fund transportation costs, according to a recent opinion survey by infrastructure solutions firm HNTB.
HNTB’s Transportation Mobility 2016 survey found that 65% of Americans support options such as mileage-based fees to fund infrastructure improvements.
And close to 69% of Americans surveyed agreed that priced managed lanes should be considered when making improvements to U.S. highways.
“The growing recognition that new ways are needed to pay the costs of maintaining and building our transportation infrastructure, shows Americans understand the fundamental shifts in funding infrastructure are happening,” said Matthew Click, ACIP, HNTB national director of priced managed lanes and vice president. “More and more people realize that road-usage fees options are needed to fill the gaps resulting from declining ability of federal gas taxes to provide needed funds.”
Respondents' age was also a factor in the shift in how infrastructure should be funded over the next ten years. Millennials preferred increased taxes to user fees instead of fuel taxes while Baby Bboomers were still in favor of fuel taxes. Millennials and Gen-Xers were also shown to be more likely than Baby Boomers and seniors to prefer paying for local infrastructure needs through higher property taxes.
“The use of traditional approaches, such as federal gas taxes, sales and property taxes, continue to be favored by certain segments of the population,” said Click.
Again, younger – ages 18-24 - generations surveyed showed a preference for mileage-based user fees as well at 77% vs. 63% of older Americans. Younger generations also showed that they valued increased public transportation as a way to reduce traffic congestion.
“The differences among younger Americans from their older counterparts in how to fund infrastructure is likely a reflection of their increased reliance on public transit over private automobiles, and a lower rate of home ownership than older Americans,” said Click.
HNTB’s America Thinks Transportation Mobility 2016 survey was conducted among 1,002 nationally representative American adults. The survey was conducted suing an email invitation and online survey.
More Fleet Management

Volvo Trucks Adds Unattended Over-the-Air Software Update Capabilities
The latest evolution of Volvo’s over-the-air update technology allows software updates to run while trucks are parked, helping fleets keep vehicles current without disrupting operations.
Read More →How Waste Connections is Using Data, Telematics, and AI
How do you manage and maintain more than 18,000 connected trucks? Data. Lots of it.
Read More →
Why Fleet Data Matters More Than Ever at Waste Connections [Watch]
Waste Connections' Chuck Palmer explains how telematics, predictive maintenance, safety analytics, and AI help keep vehicles on the road and drivers safe in this episode of HDT Talks Trucking.
Read More →
NMFTA Launches Free, Anonymous Cybersecurity Threat Report Portal
Organizations are encouraged to anonymously report freight fraud, cargo crime, and cyber threats while gaining visibility into incidents reported across the transportation sector.
Read More →
AI Can Optimize a Fleet. Can It Replace Human Judgment?
Fleets fear falling behind if they don’t adopt AI quickly enough. They also fear what happens if the technology makes the wrong decision.
Read More →
Jamie Hagen Gets Real About Running a Small Fleet in an Uncertain Economy
Small fleet owner Jamie Hagen says new legal risks, volatile fuel prices, and a changing freight market are forcing small carriers to rethink how they operate — and what they can afford.
Read More →Jamie Hagen Gets Real About Freight, Fuel Prices, Safety, and Small-Fleet Survival
Running a small trucking fleet right now isn’t easy, especially right now. And Jamie Hagen doesn’t sugarcoat it.
Read More →Jamie Hagen Gets Real About Freight, Fuel Prices, Safety, and Small-Fleet Survival
Running a small trucking fleet right now isn’t easy, especially right now. And Jamie Hagen doesn’t sugarcoat it.
Read More →
Data Lock‑In or Integration Lock‑Out?
Data fragmentation is costing dealerships, OEMs, fleets, and upfitters millions. Here’s why interoperability may be the fix the trucking industry needs.
Read More →What Trucking Fleets and Brokers Need to Know About This Supreme Court Case
In May, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that freight brokers can be held liable for damages if a truck they have contracted with is involved in an accident. Listen as this transportation attorney breaks down the ruling and its implications for the trucking industry.
Read More →
