Successful transportation systems in light-duty vehicle travel are measured on metrics of affordability, equity, congestion, and emissions. The development and implementation of road charges (mileage-based fees) are beginning to roll out in states such as Oregon and California, and there is a unique opportunity to couple these mechanisms with pricing strategies to meet some of the aforementioned goals. This study focuses on two key aspects of pricing: 1) the mechanism and associated effect on each goal, and 2) how a particular pricing scheme could be implemented. The former investigates a number of pricing strategies including forms of congestion pricing, rebates/exemptions for lower income drivers and/or disadvantaged communities, emissions and fuel taxes, and use fees. In addition to the impact of these pricing schemes, the distribution of funds for different services is also investigated. In the latter topic, the PI investigates various forms of implementing each pricing mechanism with a particular focus on integration into a single system. The primary idea is to provide a cohesive and realistically implementable strategy that can flexibly roll out pricing schemes as they are developed through use of developing technology (such as vehicle telematics or cell phone applications).
