Does Perception of Gas Tax Paid Influence Support for Funding Highway Improvements?

The issue for this research is whether perception of the rate and amount of fuel taxes paid by an individual influences his or her support for funding highway improvements from any source of revenue. A survey of likely California and Michigan voters demonstrates that they often overestimate the rate of their state’s gasoline excise tax and the subsequent amount they are likely to pay for this tax in a month. Regression analyses show that voter misperceptions concerning the magnitude of state fuel taxes affect their views regarding an increase in funding to support highway investment proposals. A reasonable policy implication is that the adoption of proposals to generate additional funds for highway investment is more likely if accompanied by a campaign identifying the existing rate of the state’s gasoline excise tax and the relatively small amount of this tax paid by the state’s typical driver.

State highway investment in New Zealand: the decline and fall of economic efficiency

A decade ago, the benefit-cost ratio (BCR) – the economic measure of efficiency in investment spending – was the most important criterion used by the predecessors of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) to determine which land transport projects to fund. However, from 2003 there was a gradual shift away from a reliance on the BCR, and since 2009 it has been only one of three criteria used. In this article I examine how this change has come about, and demonstrate that it has resulted in the funding of a mix of state highway projects that is far from being economically efficient. Average BCRs have dropped so much that the estimated benefit from the allocated funding is far smaller than it would have been had the reliance on the BCR been retained.

Truck Use on Texas Toll Roads

Metropolitan toll roads are a popular source of non-traditional funded highway investment, targeting automobile users. Toll rates have been traditionally derived from traffic and revenue (T&R) studies, which appear unable to accurately estimate truck demand even when a toll road offers an alternative route segment to interstate trucking. This paper examines the current failure of Texas toll road SH-130 to attract truckers from IH-35 in Austin, one of the most congested Texas corridors. CT-VCOST, a comprehensive vehicle operating cost toolkit, was used to calculate truck operating costs on both highways to investigate why few truckers are using the toll facility and whether the decision is based on toll rates or other factors.

Ex Post Facto Evaluation of Indiana's Highway Investment Program

In response to the federal requirements of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Act: A Legacy for Users, nearly all state departments of transportation (DOTs) have started to use performance measurement in the planning or programming process. Although these performance measures are routinely monitored, they are generally completed during the project development process on a project-by-project basis for anticipated future conditions. No state has a fully developed postimplementation tool to monitor and evaluate capital investment programs at a system (statewide) level. Historical highway expenditure and performance data from the Indiana DOT capital program were used in an ex post facto assessment to illustrate a program evaluation methodology that can be transferred to other agencies. The relationships between investment and performance were characterized for the condition of pavements and bridges as well as the operation of safety and mobility assets. In addition, the short-term economic development impacts, for jobs created and earnings added, were estimated for the total investment each year. The most recent surface transportation reauthorization, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century, sets a precedent for performance-based management of the nation's transportation network. The present study demonstrates an ex post facto assessment of impacts of the Indiana DOT's highway program and highlights lessons learned to be used when the agency and other state DOTs move forward in validating the effectiveness of investment to legislative bodies responsible for funding decisions. Finally, the study provides a mechanism to communicate the impacts of transportation investment to the general public.