Illinois and other states have been at a crossroads over how to fully fund the transportation system in recent years. With cars becoming more fuel efficient — and more people switching to electric and hybrid vehicles — revenue from motor fuel taxes isn't keeping pace with infrastructure costs.
Northeastern Illinois likely will need more than $30 billion beyond existing revenue sources to maintain and improve the transit system alone through 2050. As part of our mobility recovery work, the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) is examining ways to reimagine regional transportation and find sustainable funding to better serve all residents.
One option is a road usage charge. Oregon has been one of the few states in the country to implement this policy, providing a glimpse of how the idea could work on a statewide level.