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Virginia maps out optional per-mile road fee program for 2022 launch

virginiamercury.com

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Re: Virginia maps out optional per-mile road fee program for 2022 launch

#31

Post by throaway46546 »

jefftk wrote: post #8

The general idea of charging road users partly in proportion to miles traveled makes a lot of sense. But why, every time this is proposed, do people talk about fancy tracking mechanisms? Why can't we just use odometers? I mean, yes, the odometer cannot measure how much of your mileage is in Virginia versus other states, or how much is on what kinds of roads, but it is so much cheaper to implement that I would expect…

I have an old car and I can just unplug the speed sensor and the odometer stops turning.

Re: Virginia maps out optional per-mile road fee program for 2022 launch

#32

Post by endgame »

paulgb wrote: post #7
endgame wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, and they told us the contact-tracing databases would only be used for public health purposes. The only way to ensure privacy is to never collect the data.

Are there examples of it being used for other things? Not that I doubt you, I just haven’t read about that.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28070335 has links to instances in DE, SG, and AU.

Re: Virginia maps out optional per-mile road fee program for 2022 launch

#33

Post by djbebs »

paulgb wrote: post #7
endgame wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, and they told us the contact-tracing databases would only be used for public health purposes. The only way to ensure privacy is to never collect the data.

Are there examples of it being used for other things? Not that I doubt you, I just haven’t read about that.

German police have been using it to track down theft

Re: Virginia maps out optional per-mile road fee program for 2022 launch

#34

Post by corpdronejuly »

davek01 wrote: post #26
pdkl95 wrote: post #3

> The goal for the revamped funding system, which also includes a higher gas tax rate and lower baseline vehicle registration fees, is to make sure drivers contribute their fair share to the costs of maintaining the roads they use The "fair share" most small cars - especially fuel efficiency focused designs that remove as much mass as possible - should be paying approximately $0 . Road damage per-axel is proportional…

If registration fees for large trucks were increased it is likely that the costs would be passed on to the consumer. We would see higher shipping fees and potentially higher prices for goods at stores. We can debate which we'd rather pay but one way or another the cost would come down to us.

Which might push our shipping back to more efficient ways to transport goods and services than caravans of big rigs.

Re: Virginia maps out optional per-mile road fee program for 2022 launch

#37

Post by francisofascii »

When the world needs higher carbon taxes, policymakers want to sniff out the small glimmer of a carbon tax that currently exists. More fuel efficient vehicles is a good problem to have. It seems like a no brainer to keep raising the gas tax to further incentivize fuel efficiency.

Re: Virginia maps out optional per-mile road fee program for 2022 launch

#38

Post by refurb »

snakeboy wrote: post #30
davek01 wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If registration fees for large trucks were increased it is likely that the costs would be passed on to the consumer. We would see higher shipping fees and potentially higher prices for goods at stores. We can debate which we'd rather pay but one way or another the cost would come down to us.

Wouldn't this be a good economic incentive to buy more locally? Since it sounds like currently shipping costs via trucking are ignoring this externality.

Externality? Who do you think is bringing you food and all the items you buy? Even locally?

The Grenadier Guard?

Re: Virginia maps out optional per-mile road fee program for 2022 launch

#39

Post by lmilcin »

pdkl95 wrote: post #3

> The goal for the revamped funding system, which also includes a higher gas tax rate and lower baseline vehicle registration fees, is to make sure drivers contribute their fair share to the costs of maintaining the roads they use The "fair share" most small cars - especially fuel efficiency focused designs that remove as much mass as possible - should be paying approximately $0 . Road damage per-axel is proportional…

> Road damage per-axel is proportional to the weight carried by the axel raised to the fourth power!

That's not true. But the truth is even worse than that. The effect is highly non-linear. Depending on type, composition, age and temperature, the road material require minimum load to become plastic. Below that critical load the surface can withstand wear and tear of practically infinite amount of trips (have you ever seen a road where the surface was rubbed away by passing cars?)

Of course, some aging processes continue regardless of whether cars are or are not using roads.

Re: Virginia maps out optional per-mile road fee program for 2022 launch

#40

Post by collegeburner »

AlgorithmicTime wrote: post #27
susiecambria wrote: post #2

I'm not a transportation or tech expert, but the idea that detailing in law the protection of user data will somehow make it come true is absurd. This said, not sure what the alternative is. From the article: One challenge may be convincing drivers there’s a benefit to installing a mileage tracking system in their vehicle and easing any privacy concerns about the device creating a data trail showing where they’ve bee…

Simple solution, take an odometer reading every year and use that, and accept the slop from not knowing how many miles were on restricted access highway vs dirt road vs suburban street.

This is probably the best solution since it's already illegal to tamper with odometer reading. Maybe enable people to declare long out-of-state trip mileage, like their thousand-mile road trip, so they aren't paying state tax on that.
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