Road Usage Charging (RUC)

Pricing transportation infrastructure, either to achieve a desired outcome or to raise revenue, is a concept dating back to early-and mid-20thcentury economics and transportation scholarship. Different approaches to pricing (e.g., area-wide pricing, vehicle miles traveled, express lanes, etc.) have been adopted in parts of Europe and Asia; some strategies cover all road users, some only passenger vehicles, and others only commercial and goods movement vehicles. Pricing, as a revenue source, has recently gained momentum in the U.S., driven by federal legislation (MAP-21; FAST Act) and state-run pilot programs (CADOT, ODOT, MNDOT, CODOT, WADOT). As local, state, and federal agencies seek to use pricing to create sustainable revenue sources, practitioners must consider current and future shared mobility modes and partnerships.