The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) has launched the website for its Road Usage Charge Pilot Program (RUCPP) as part of its efforts to test out a per mile fee to help provide transportation project funding. The site is located at ruc.codot.gov.
“Colorado’s population is expected to nearly double by 2040 to 7.8 million residents, bringing more demands for mobility, and on our transportation infrastructure,” says CDOT executive director Shailen Bhatt. “A healthy transportation system is the backbone of our state’s economy and way of life. As the state’s transportation funding gap under the current gas tax grows, we need to explore possible funding opportunities—such as road usage charging (RUC)—to ensure Coloradans the mobility they need to live, work and play.”
CDOT says the pilot program will research how a pay-by-mile system compares to the current gas tax, which hasn’t been increased at the state level in 25 years. The agency hopes to also research mileage-reporting technologies with a manual reporting option, take a look at how these technologies work in the state’s environment and determine the difference between drivers, such as rural and urban motorists.
“CDOT is proud to be working with the public, stakeholders, elected officials, amd community and transportation leaders on the RUC pilot program,” says Tim Kirby, CDOT’s manager of Metropolitan Planning Organizations & Regional Planning section. “The Colorado Road Usage Charge Pilot Program will engage a diverse group of drivers, from rural to urban, mountains to plains, and cars and trucks to be participants. We look forward to learning from the RUC pilot participants’ experiences to learn more about this potential funding alternative.”
