01154909

Component

Transportation utility fees are a financing mechanism for transportation that treats the network as a utility and bills properties in proportion to their use, rather than their value as with the property tax. This connects the costs of maintaining the infrastructure more directly to the benefits received from mobility and access to the system. The fees are based on trips generated and vary with land use. This paper evaluates the fees as an alternative funding source in terms of economic, equity and administrative effects. The experiences of cities currently using utility fees for transportation are discussed. Calculations are included to determine the fee levels necessary for transportation maintenance budget needs in three sample cities and a county in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. Proposed fees for each property type are compared to current property tax contributions toward transportation. The regressive effects of the fees and the effect of adjusting for the length of trips generated are also quantified.

01147878

10-0572

English

17p

2010

Transportation Research Board 89th Annual Meeting

DVD

Figures (4) ; References (14) ; Tables (6)

Cities and towns; Costs; Fees; Finance; Land use; Maintenance; Public utilities; Trip length; Urban areas

Transportation infrastructure

Twin Cities Metropolitan Area (Minnesota)

Administration and Management; Finance; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; I10: Economics and Administration; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2010 Paper #10-0572

TRIS, TRB

Jan 25 2010 10:17AM