Pay-Per-Mile Tax Plan Moves Forward At Transportation Meeting

OLYMPIA, WA — During a meeting Tuesday afternoon, the Washington State Transportation Commission voted to advance a recommendation to convert Washington's gas tax into a pay-per-mile system. Transportation leaders considered feedback and survey results on the proposed "road usage charge," then voted to move ahead with a final report to be presented to Gov. Jay Inslee and the state legislature in early January.

A year-long pilot program tracked hundreds of drivers, and most of those surveyed reported varying levels of satisfaction.

KING 5 reports some expressed concerns during the meeting's public comment period over whether the plan would negatively affect those on fixed incomes, and questioned whether the gas tax would be phased out after the new fee was implemented.

Among those who took the commission's survey, almost 90 percent said their privacy was a top concern with implementing a pay-by-mile system. The News Tribune reports drivers would have several options for reporting mileage under the plan, including those that do not use GPS tracking.

State transportation leaders will prepare a final report on their recommendations by Jan. 13, 2020.

Commissioners said, if approved, instituting the tax is likely to be a prolonged process and accomplished in phases. Initial steps are unlikely to begin for at least a decade.