Michigan road usage charge pilot program slated for February, 1,000 participants expected
by Remington Hernandez|StatewidePoliticalReporterTue, September 8, 2026 at 7:53 PM
Updated Tue, September 8, 2026 at 8:08 PM
LANSING, Mich. — Michiganders pay just over 52 cents per gallon in taxes when they fill up, but the state is getting closer to evaluating whether they should do away with that, and instead charge drivers by the mile.
The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and transportation advocates have long said the way the state funds its roads is unsustainable, as more drivers opt for electric vehicles or hybrids.
Those are only a fraction of cars on the road, but there's another problem. Increased fuel efficiency means fewer trips to the gas station, less tax revenue and less funding for roads.
In 2025, the state legislature approved a study on what's called a road usage charge (RUC), and now, MDOT is putting together a pilot.
In August, a committee tasked with reviewing what's called an RUC and set up the framework for the test, which will look at cars of all types and different ways of measuring how much they've driven.
According to the firm brought in to conduct the pilot, CDM Smith, that will begin early next year with about a thousand participants.
"We're expecting to launch in in February and run for six months through the summer as well," Jenny Roberts, the National Road User Charge Discipline Leader at CDM Smith, said on an MDOT podcast.
When asked about the plan, some drivers were open to it.
"It probably is necessary for, you know, making sure everyone pays their fair share in taxes," Caleb Baccos said.
Toni Langevin did think an RUC might be more confusing than the current system.
"At the same time, if it brings it down a little bit at the gas pump, I suppose it couldn't hurt," she said.
In 2024, MDOT conducted a survey of around 19,000 Michiganders and opinions were mixed on an RUC.
While most saw the value in the effort once it was explained, concerns remained.
44% were not confident it would result in improved roads and more than 30% of respondents worried about data privacy and how the total number of miles driven would be assessed.
Those questions will remain unanswered until the pilot is complete.
Utah is one state with the program, allowing drivers to pay a flat fee at registration or opt in by sending photos of their odometer or connecting their car wirelessly.
About 9,7000 participated in 2025 out of the state's three million cars.
The program lost money between 2021 and 2024, but was profitable last year as more vehicles opted in. Still, administrative costs took a sizable chunk from revenue.
Once MDOT collects the data, the agency will evaluate how best to track mileage, what potential rates would look like and how to protect privacy.
Link:
https://wwmt.com/news/state/michigan-road-usage-charge-pilot-program-transportation-funding-money-government-construction-politics