OKLAHOMA CITY — A statewide transportation research project is underway and needs some help from drivers across the state.
“Fair Miles Oklahoma” is a state Transportation Department research program aimed at identifying alternative approaches to funding the state’s transportation needs.
The pay-per-mile pilot program, which was mandated by the Oklahoma Legislature, seeks to explore potential revenue streams for the state’s roads and bridges while promoting fairness and sustainability.
Ongoing increases in fuel efficiency, combined with the transition to alternative fuels and all-electric vehicles, will decrease available tax revenues to fund Oklahoma’s transportation infrastructure maintenance and future innovation. Fair Miles Oklahoma seeks to explore funding options to replace or supplement the state motor fuels tax on gasoline and diesel.
The pay-per-mile pilot project began this month and is limited to 500 participants who will report their mileage monthly for six months. During the course of the project, participants will be asked to complete five short surveys and will receive a $10 gift card after each completed survey, totaling $50 in gift cards.
Participants will be selected to maximize both vehicle fuel type and geographic diversity to gain an understanding of how such a program might function across a diverse range of Oklahoma drivers.
Results from the Fair Miles Oklahoma pay-per-mile pilot project will help guide the state as it seeks fair and sustainable sources of revenue to finance future maintenance and improvements in the state’s transportation infrastructure, including state and federal highways, county roads and bridges.
To volunteer and help shape the future of funding for roads and bridges in Oklahoma, sign up at www.fairmilesok.com.
“We are still accepting participants for the pilot,” Bryce Boyer, public information officer with the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, told Southwest Ledger last Friday.