The Washington State Transportation Commission (Commission) has spent more than a decade studying options to help keep transportation funding fair and sustainable as gas tax revenues decline. You have come to the right place to learn about findings, research results, and next steps.
With support from federal funding, a new research effort called Sustainable Transportation Revenues: Equitable, Efficient, and Transparent (STREET) is now underway.
This project focuses on working with the states of Hawaiʻi, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, and Utah to explore new ways to fund transportation, including a road usage charge (RUC). The research will take place over the next three years (2025-2028).
Some highlights of the STREET project include:
For over a century, Washington drivers have helped fund roads and bridges through a gas tax, whenever they fill up at the pump.
As cars become more fuel efficient and drivers pay less gas tax, we need a new way to fund our roads.
That's where a pay-per-mile road usage charge comes in.
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As Washington prepares for a future RUC system to fund transportation, these three priorities must be addressed:
Offer drivers choice in reporting miles driven and enact strong protections on access to and usage of miles driven data in law
Ensure all drivers pay for miles driven, regardless of what kind of car they drive
Reduce reliance on fossil fuels as the state transitions to zero-emission vehicles