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Delaware Pilot Program to Replace Gas Tax

Don Rush

DOVER, Del. (AP) - Delaware's Department of Transportation has received a $1.49 million federal grant for a pilot study regarding the feasibility of charging drivers a mileage-based user fee to help pay for road projects.

The Federal Highway Administration on Tuesday announced $14.2 million in grants for several states to explore alternative revenue mechanisms to help sustain the long-term solvency of the Highway Trust Fund.

Delaware's grant provides funding for a multistate pilot study, in collaboration with members of the Interstate 95 Corridor Coalition, using on-board mileage counters in 50 vehicles to explore the feasibility of replacing the gas tax with a mileage-based user fee.

The proposed project will be overseen by a steering committee of coalition members co-chaired by Delaware Transportation Secretary Jennifer Cohan.

Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.