Has the gas tax reached the end of the road?

Austin is one of six cities in the country testing a new mileage-based road user fee system that would charge drivers by the mile rather than by the gallon. If the system is implemented, it would replace the gas tax in collecting funds for roads and bridges.

More and more Texans are driving cars with better gas mileage, and that means one of the main sources of money for Texas bridges and roads is running out of gas. Experts say the gas tax won't provide enough money to pay for roads and bridges so they are looking at an alternative way to pay for it.

"By going to the hybrids [and] the plug-in electric vehicles that don't pay into the highway trust fund that pay into our roads," said Paul Henley, director of transportation policy research at the University of Iowa. "The solution would be a user fee, just like you pay for your electric bill the more you travel the more you pay for the road system itself."

The University of Iowa Public Policy Center is recruiting drivers from Bastrop, Caldwell, Hays, Travis and Williamson counties to help evaluate the charge system and see how people respond to the technology and the idea itself.

Drivers who become part of the study will temporarily install an onboard computer in their vehicle that will record road use. The information will then be uploaded to a data processing center. If the system is eventually put into use, drivers would be sent monthly bills according to how much they use the roads.

"What I like about it is there is a two-year study involved, so that gives you an opportunity to obtain data upon which you can make findings and reach conclusions and figure out if the project is worthwhile," said Travis County Judge Sam Biscoe.

Researchers want to make sure that the system is reliable, secure, flexible, user-friendly and cost-effective. They will also find out if drivers accept or reject the system and evaluate what they like and what they don’t. The study lasts 10 months.

People who talked with KVUE News had mixed reactions to the idea.

"I don't think it's a bad idea," said John Harrell. "I think there should be transparency in all aspects of usage and let me pay for what I use."

"I'm not sure how much of a bother it would be to use it in my car, but I know there is alot of frustration how to pay for roads," said Betsy Blair.

Elliott Shake told KVUE, "I don't really like the idea of a computer in my car tracking when and where and how much. I think that is a little bit of invasion of privacy thing."

Funding for the study was included in the 2005 highway bill.

Other cities testing the system are San Diego, California, Baltimore, Maryland, Boise, Idaho, Research Triangle in North Carolina (including Durham, Raleigh, and Chapel Hill) and Eastern Iowa.