04/26/2022

Message from Beth -- April 27, 2022

The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) received a federal grant to study revenue alternatives to replace or otherwise supplement the motor fuel user fees collected in Ohio.  The ODOT Revenue Alternatives Study is using this grant to recommend next steps needed to pilot and implement an alternative user-based revenue program in Ohio.  To help work through the alternatives and make recommendations an External Advisory Committee (EAC) has been created to help provide guidance and feedback. Members of the committee will provide relevant information and perspectives of their organization/industry.  I am pleased to share that I have been appointed to the EAC and will co-facilitate the committee with the ODOT Project Manager, Rich Winning.  Click here for members of the EAC

For the study, it is assumed that the convergence of shared mobility, electric and automated vehicles will profoundly affect the way we use, own, and pay for transportation in the future. It is also assumed that technologies currently (or soon to be) onboarded to many new vehicles can collect, process, and share data easily and cost-effectively.  This capability should open up new opportunities for revenue collection and may significantly improve collections.

The EAC will not set policy but provide input and advice with additional public outreach and targeted surveys completed by the project team led by CDM Smith.  The ultimate goal of this study is to determine long-term, sustainable revenue sources to replace the current motor vehicle user fee. The EAC will have 7 scheduled meetings over the next 18 months, please feel free to share any ideas you may have with me.

~Beth