Browsing by Author "Robinson, Ferrol"

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    From Fuel Taxes to Mileage-Based User Fees: Rationale, Technology, and Transitional Issues
    (Intelligent Transportation Systems Institute, Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota, 2011-08) Coyle, David; Robinson, Ferrol; Zhao, Zhirong; Munnich, Lee; Lari, Adeel
    Two national commissions established by the U.S. Congress recommend replacing the current system of funding transportation based on fuel taxes with a new distance-based system of user fees. The State of Oregon has done a pilot project demonstrating a system for transitioning to mileage-based fees by paying the fees at the gas pump. The University of Iowa has conducted pilot tests around the country to determine how drivers respond to a mileage-based fee approach using GPS-based technology. The Puget Sound Regional Council has conducted a test of congestion tolling. Finally, the Minnesota Department of Transportation is testing an approach for collecting mileage-based user charges using commercially available smartphones with built-in GPS devices, in which the charge element is just one of the applications. While there have been discussions among many transportation leaders regarding why fuel taxes are no longer a good way of funding the transportation system, there is by no means a public understanding of why this is so. The public assumes that the taxes they pay at the pump are paying for the system, and that if funding problems exist, they are due to waste and inefficiency. This examination–of the rationale, technology, and transitional issues in shifting from a financing system for surface transportation based on fuel taxes to one that is based on a mileage-based user fee (MBUF) traveled or vehicle-miles traveled (VMT) fee–sets the stage for a policy discussion on transportation-related user fees and lays the groundwork for an extensive public outreach effort.
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    Itasca County Area Transportation Study
    (University of Minnesota Center for Transportation Studies, 2009-12) Douma, Frank; Fan, Yingling; Robinson, Ferrol; Baas, Gina; Cureton, Colin; Schmit, Matt
    A team of researchers from University of Minnesota’s Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs and Center for Transportation Studies conducted a study evaluating the cost and ease of implementing a variety of options for people to travel within and outside Itasca County, Minnesota. The county presents a challenge to transportation planners, as it is the 3rd largest in the state by land area, but one of the smallest in terms of population. To gain an understanding of the key transportation needs, we held a series of focus groups, listening sessions, and one-on-one interviews, and also conducted background research that included demographic analysis, mapping of the “mis-match” between the location of jobs and where the workers lived, and a national scan of best practices in providing rural transportation. This work resulted in a number of recommendations ranging from improving bike routes and awareness of public transportation, to improving bus service linking Itasca County to Duluth and launching an online carpool service. The recommendations fall into five functional categories: • Policy and Administrative changes • Communications, Education and Outreach changes • Opportunities for Coordination and Cooperation • Operations, Maintenance and/or Service Improvements • Cost Sharing or Saving Opportunities