Imagine if drivers in Hawaii paid per mile of road used instead of paying a per-gallon gas tax at the pump.
The state Department of Transportation wants the public to weigh in on the concept of a road usage charge (RUC) to fund the upkeep of state roads and bridges, and is holding 14 community meetings about the possibilities in the next few months.
According to transportation officials, Hawaii drivers under an RUC system would pay for actual miles driven rather than the current state fuel tax of 16 cents a gallon.
“The reality is fuel tax revenue, which provides a third of state highways funding, continues to decrease as cars become more fuel efficient,” said Ed Sniffen, HDOT deputy director for highways, in a news release. “We need to look at a long-term replacement for the gas tax that is sustainable and fair to all road users.”
Hawaii is one of a dozen states exploring whether the switch to a pay-per-mile-driven charge is feasible.
Oregon launched its road usage charge program, OReGo, in 2015, which is set at 1.7 cents per mile for volunteers who choose to participate. California and Washington state have already completed pilot tests for the pay-per-mile system.
Kailua resident Delphine Homerowski, who drives a Nissan Leaf, said she was receptive to the idea.
“I think it’s only fair because I use the roads and I’m not paying,” she said.
Homerowski said she chose an electric car to be more sustainable, as well as for some perks, like free parking at city parking lots. She would, however, like the state to invest more in EV charging stations and infrastructure.
The state Transportation Department said it received a federal grant in 2016 for a three-year project analyzing the use of a per-mile fee as a “revenue-neutral replacement” for Hawaii’s pay-at-the-pump system.
The project will allow Hawaii drivers to experience what an RUC system would be like as well as offer feedback to transportation officials. It includes tests on the different ways to report mileage, as well as payment structures, and will weigh factors such as sustainability, fairness, and information and privacy protection, officials said.
The project started in August with focus groups and phone surveys, according to DOT spokeswoman Shelly Kunishige. Now DOT is rolling out community meetings through May to get an idea of how much the public understands and what concerns there are about the RUC system.
By the end of this year, the plan is to offer sample invoices to vehicle owners, including an estimate of how much each might have paid under an RUC system in comparison with gas taxes. The estimate will be based on mileage calculated from odometer readings collected during annual safety checks.
In 2020 a research team will recruit about 2,000 volunteers to test the system. In 2021 these volunteers are expected to test various ways to report mileage, and offer feedback on the methods they preferred.
Some ways that vehicle owners could report mileage, as outlined in a 2016 feasibility study, include an old-fashioned odometer reading or via a smartphone app, a plug-in mileage meter, a built-in vehicle mileage reporting system or the purchase of permits to drive a set number of miles or for a specific period of time, such as a month or a year.
After an evaluation, the research team will make recommendations on how to implement RUC in Hawaii, and submit a report to the state Legislature.
The number of electric vehicles in Hawaii is on the rise, according to the latest statistics from the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.
In February there were 8,685 electric passenger vehicles in Hawaii, according to DBEDT’s monthly energy trends report, a 26.1 percent increase from the same month last year, and up 3 percent from January.
The energy trend report also found Hawaii’s statewide consumption for gasoline in December to be at 38.8 million gallons, as measured by the gasoline tax base, a decrease of 0.1 million gallons, or 0.2 percent, from the same month a year ago.
GIVE YOUR FEEDBACK
Community meetings are scheduled for:
Oahu
>> March 20: 6 to 8 p.m. at Kapolei High School cafeteria.
>> April 16 (location TBA).
>> April 17 (location TBA).
Kauai
>> March 22: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Wilcox Elementary cafeteria, Lihue.
>> March 23: 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Koloa Neighborhood Center.
Maui
>> March 25: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Lahaina Intermediate School cafeteria.
>> March 26: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Baldwin High School, Wailuku.
>> March 27: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Paia Community Center.
Molokai
>> April 2: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Kaunakakai Elementary School cafeteria.
Lanai
>> April 4: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Lanai Community Center.
Hawaii island
>> April 9: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Natural Energy Lab, Kona.
>> April 10: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Waimea School STEAM Center.
>> May 9 (location TBA).
Hawaii residents can also participate via an online community meeting scheduled for April 18. More information about all the meetings, including locations yet to be announced, will be posted at hiruc.org.
WAYS TO CHARGE FOR ROAD USE
Engine run time
Drivers would be charged based on how long a vehicle’s engine runs, possibly using engine vibration sensors to record time.
Mileage permit
Purchased for set number of miles, verified via odometer reading.
Odometer charge, post-pay
Number of miles driven in the past year.
Automated mileage reporting
Electronic equipment would be installed to measure and report mileage automatically, with billing based on number of miles driven. To protect privacy, no location information collected.
Source: State Department of Transportation
