BUMPY DESIGNS: IMPACT OF PRIVACY AND TECHNOLOGY COSTS ON SUPPORT FOR ROAD MILEAGE USER FEES

Abstract

The mileage user fee is a promising alternative to the fuel tax but public opposition is a barrier to implementation. We use a nationally representative survey with an embedded experimental design to determine the extent to which technology costs and perceived invasion of privacy influence public opinion regarding the adoption of mileage user fees. We find that the ratio of opponents to supporters is about four to one, and that public opposition can be attenuated by insulating motorists from a new one-time cost for GPS technology to measure mileage, and by providing safeguards that eliminate or minimize perceived invasions of privacy.