- Michigan Lawmaker Seeks State Funds For RUC Pilot That Could Attract Federal Grant
- Motorists Complain About Delayed Florida Toll Relief Program Credits
- Maine Convenes An Infrastructure Rebuilding and Resilience Commission
- These are just some of the toll industry developments TRN is following.
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Michigan Lawmaker Seeks State Funds For RUC Pilot That Could Attract Federal Grant
Michigan State Representative Ranjeev Puri (D-24), chair of the House Appropriations Transportation Subcommittee, hopes to secure state funding for a road use charge (RUC) pilot program in budget negotiations this summer, Public News Service reports. “The pilot study is still in early stages of discussion, but it could mean a 6-cents-per-mile fee for drivers, which could raise $1 billion to fix Michigan’s decaying roads.” State funding would support a future application to federal grant programs that incentivize RUC studies, Puri said. He suggested the state should consider removing some roads that aren’t needed due to population shifts and changes in transportation patterns.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D) recently acknowledged that tolling and road use charging are viable options for a modernized system of transportation infrastructure funding.
Motorists Complain About Delayed Florida Toll Relief Program Credits
Eligible drivers are still waiting to receive the benefits of the state’s 2024 Toll Relief Program, which is designed to automatically apply a 50 percent credit to the Florida transponder accounts of drivers who incur 35 or more in-state toll transactions within a calendar month, WTSP reports. The program started April 1 and April credits were supposed to be applied to accounts on May 15. Different explanations for the delay have emerged in social media posts. A SunPass representative told one driver the state was “having issues with the refunds.” Another customer received this message from SunPass: “The 2024 Toll Relief Program started April 1 and credits will begin posting once the administrative processes of the 2024 Florida legislative session conclude. As of now, there is not a date for when the toll credit will be applied. I apologize for the inconvenience.” Michael Williams, an FDOT spokesperson, told WTSP the credits aren’t delayed. “Even with last year’s program, credits would be applied the following month,” he said. “With 22 million customers it does take some time to process all of the credits.” His statement did not address administrative or legislative process problems.
WFTV also spoke to an FDOT representative who said the program credits are held up by an administrative process. That person added, “Customers will begin to see credits on their accounts starting at the end of May.”
AET (All-Electronic Tolling) ETC Systems Florida Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) Florida's Turnpike Enterprise (FTE) SunPass Toll Exemption, Discount And Equity ProgramsMaine Convenes An Infrastructure Rebuilding and Resilience Commission
Last week, Maine Governor Janet Mills (D) signed an executive order creating a commission that will develop the state’s long-term infrastructure resilience plan. “The creation of the commission comes in the wake of several devastating storms, including in December 2023 and January 2024 that caused an estimated $90 million in damage to public infrastructure across the state.” The governor’s announcement noted that she has requested eight federal disaster declarations in the past two year, “an unprecedented number in Maine’s history.” The 24-member Infrastructure Rebuilding and Resilience Commission has the task of reviewing and evaluating Maine’s response to recent storms, identifying crucial areas for near-term investment and policy needs, and developing the state’s first long-term infrastructure plan. The governor’s order requires the commission to deliver an interim report by November and a long-term resilience plan in May 2025.
Climate Change & Infrastructure Resilience Environmental Protection Policies Procedures And Initiatives Highway-Tunnel-Bridge Maintenance Highway-Tunnel-Bridge Safety (Includes COVID-19 Impacts) MaineThese are just some of the toll industry developments TRN is following.
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