Vehicle mileage fees or similar user-based road charge could be an effective supplement orreplacement of the current fuel tax on the nation’s highways and bridges. At the same time,properly structured mileage fee systems may help transportation professionals and officials at alllevels address prominent issues such as funding gap, traffic congestion, and emissions. In theory,vehicles should be assessed a user fee equivalent to the full marginal cost not already borne bythe users. This paper first estimates the full marginal cost of auto and truck travel in differenttime periods on all roadways in Maryland, and evaluates the impacts of such marginal-costvehicle-miles-traveled fees (VMT fees) on travel behavior, revenue generation, equity, pollution,and GHG emissions both in Maryland and in the surrounding States of Delaware, Pennsylvania,Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia (DC). Results show that with considerationof all driving externalities, the marginal-cost VMT fee for auto (truck) travel in Maryland duringpeak periods ranges from 0.20~12.16 (3.91~45.33) cents/mile. Compared to the existing revenuepolicy, the marginal-cost VMT fee can reduce overall vehicle miles traveled by 7.65% in themulti-state region covered by the quantitative model, by 7.81% just in Maryland. In addition, airpollution and GHG emissions in Maryland can be reduced by 7.62% to 9.42% by pollutant type.Total revenue generation would increase by about 168% from that under the existing revenuepolicy (including fuel taxes and sporadic bridge/roadway tolls). In terms of income equity, themiddle-income group would be hurt the most with the largest consumer surplus decrease, whilethe highest income group is hurt the least. Results also indicate that the proposed marginal-costVMT fee in Maryland can affect the neighboring states to varying degrees. For instance, vehiclemiles traveled reduction ranges from 0.02% to 1.35% in the neighboring four states and DC, andtheir revenue generation changes by -1.48% to 0.15%.
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