National mileage fee survey
Data files
Mar 18, 2024 version files 2.13 MB
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national_mileagefee_survey_data.csv
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README.md
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Abstract
As governing bodies continue to explore mileage fees as an alternative to the gas tax, of the uncertainty surrounding public support remains a critical barrier to policy uptake. This study examines the extent to which public perceptions of mileage fees are guided by misinformation or lack of information using a national, internet-based survey. We use hypothetical voting opportunities to gather respondent support for mileage fees, coupled with educational treatments that address mileage fee fairness, privacy, and costs. The findings indicate that respondents are largely misinformed or lack information about mileage fees and the gas tax. Pre-education, only 32% of respondents supported the policy, but post-education, 46% of respondents supported the policy. Through binomial, multinomial, and fixed effect modeling, we examined the factors associated with policy support, changes in policy support, and the educational treatments. Ultimately, our findings indicate that education can play a key role in increasing support for a mileage fee policy as an alternative to the gas tax.
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National Mileage Fee Survey Metadata
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University of Vermont Transportation Research Center
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Metadata Producer : Clare Nelson, University of Vermont<br />
Date : October 2023
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Table of Contents
<br />
Overview
In the United States, transportation fuel excise taxes commonly referred to as the “gas tax” provide a large share of funding to state agencies for transportation maintenance and construction projects. The revenue generating capacity of the gas tax is threatened by increasing vehicle fuel efficiency, electric vehicles adoption and inflation. Alternative funding schemes are necessary, but public acceptance of tax changes is low. We surveyed residents of Vermont, Maine, and New Hampshire to gauge understanding of and support for a mileage-based user fee and a flat fee as potential replacements for the current gas tax and the potential to modify support through education. Throughout the survey, respondents were provided information and learning opportunities to “myth bust” common misconceptions about the gas tax and the potential policy alternatives. We find that, before education, respondents knew very little about how the current gas tax works and showed minimal support for the proposed policy alternatives. Post education, support for mileage-based user fees increased by 11%. Using regression modelling, we determined that respondent attitudes and beliefs, travel behavior, community type, and personalized cost estimates were all highly significant predictors of policy support. Overall, we find responding to common public concerns with up-to-date and non-biased information within a relatively simple learning experience can cause substantial changes in policy support. Our findings offer an avenue to understand how support for gas tax alternatives varies amongst different groups of people and the role that education can play in increasing policy support in the face of widespread misconceptions.
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Producers and Sponsers
- Primary Investigator(s): Rowangould, Gregory, University of Vermont Treansportation Research Center<br />
- Other Producer(s): University of Vermont (UVM), National Center for Sustainable Transportation (NCST)
- Funding Agency/ies: US Department of Transportation (USDOT)
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Data Collection
- Data Collection Mode: Online Survey <br />
- Sampling Procedure: Participants were recruited using a Qualtrics panel to get a representative sample from across the United States. <br />
- Valid Samples: 2,114 <br />
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Variables List
Dataset contains 71 variables, split into 10 categories as shown below.
| # | Name | Response Type | Variable Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | General | Categorical | 2 |
| 2 | Attitudes | Likert Scale | 15 |
| 3 | Factor Analysis | Numerical | 3 |
| 4 | Votes | Binary | 3 |
| 5 | Fairness | Categorical | 12 |
| 6 | Vehicle | Categorical | 6 |
| 7 | Cost | Numerical | 2 |
| 8 | Reflections | Likert | 16 |
| 9 | Demographics | Categorical | 12 |
| 10 | Comments | Open Response Textbox | 1 |
<br />
Variables Description
General
SurveyOption: There were three versions of the survey, each identical except for the way the voting opporutunities proposed collecting the mileage information. This column indicates which type of mileage collection option was presented to the respondent. <br />
| Options | Full Description |
|---|---|
| Odometer | Annual odometer readings |
| Plug In (no gps) | A plug-in device without GPS |
| Plug In (gps) | A plug-in device with GPS |
MileageFeePilot: This survey will ask about mileage fees. They are sometimes called mileage-based user fees (MBUFs), vehicle miles travelled (VMT) fees and road-user charges (RUCs). Have you previously participated in any pilot programs or focus groups related to this type of fee? <br />
Response Type Categorical <br />
| Responses | Count |
|---|---|
| Yes | 0 |
| No | 2114 |
Attitudes
Question = State your level of agreement with the following statements. Providing this information helps ensure our research gets input from a broad range of viewpoints.<br />
Response Type = Likert Scale <br /> <br />
Attitude1: Taxes are an irreplaceable form of funding for state and federal programs.<br />
Attitude2: Sometimes the government needs to pass laws to help protect vulnerable populations.<br />
Attitude3: I trust my state government.<br />
Attitude4: I would prefer less government involvement in my life.<br />
Attitude5: Funding for state programs is mismanaged.<br />
Attitude6: Environmental threats such as global warming and deforestation have been exaggerated.<br />
Attitude7: I frequently think about whether my travel choices have an impact on the environment.<br />
Attitude8: Vehicle emissions in my state have a large impact on air quality.<br />
Attitude9: I frequently think about how my choices will impact my community.<br />
Attitude10: Driving a car is good for society.<br />
Attitude11: My lifestyle is dependent on having a car.<br />
Attitude12: Owning a vehicle provides me with freedom.<br />
Attitude13: Technology does more harm than good.<br />
Attitude14: I’m tracked everywhere I go through my phone.<br />
Attitude15: Technology has made life too complicated.<br />
| Responses |
|---|
| Strongly disagree |
| Somewhat disagree |
| Neutral |
| Somewhat agree |
| Strongly agree |
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FactorAnalysis
Trust_in_Gov: Factor score created using principal axis factor analysis with 3 factors. <br />
Distrust_Science_Tech: Factor score created using principal axis factor analysis with 3 factors. <br />
Pref_for_Autonomy: Factor score created using principal axis factor analysis with 3 factors. <br />
Votes
V1_vote: Do you support replacing the gas tax with a mileage fee collected using (randomly selected: an annual odometer reading; a plug-in device without GPS; a plug-in device with GPS)? <br />
Response Type = Binary <br />
| Responses | Count | Recode Value |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | 646 | 1 |
| No | 1468 | 0 |
<br />
V2_vote: Do you support replacing the gas tax with a mileage fee collected using (randomly selected: an annual odometer reading; a plug-in device without GPS; a plug-in device with GPS)? <br />
Response Type = Binary <br /> <br />
| Responses | Count | Recode Value |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | 1055 | 1 |
| No | 1059 | 0 |
<br />
V3_vote: Do you support replacing the gas tax with a mileage fee collected using (randomly selected: an annual odometer reading; a plug-in device without GPS; a plug-in device with GPS)? <br />
Response Type = Binary <br /> <br />
| Responses | Count | Recode Value |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | 875 | 1 |
| No | 1089 | 0 |
| Skipped Question | 150 | NA |
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Fairness
(Prior to the educational videos) How do you feel about the following statements? A mileage fee would be fair to…
Fair_EV_Before: Electric vehicle owner <br />
| Responses | Count |
|---|---|
| Agree | 1025 |
| Disagree | 492 |
| Neutral | 597 |
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Fair_Rural_Before: People living in rural areas <br />
| Responses | Count |
|---|---|
| Agree | 554 |
| Disagree | 941 |
| Neutral | 619 |
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Fair_Urban_Before: People living in urban areas <br />
| Responses | Count |
|---|---|
| Agree | 989 |
| Disagree | 445 |
| Neutral | 680 |
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Fair_LowIncome_Before: Households with low incomes <br />
| Responses | Count |
|---|---|
| Agree | 538 |
| Disagree | 928 |
| Neutral | 648 |
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Fair_HighIncome_Before: Households with high incomes <br />
| Responses | Count |
|---|---|
| Agree | 1017 |
| Disagree | 408 |
| Neutral | 689 |
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Fair_DriveLots_Before: People with jobs that require lots of driving <br />
| Responses | Count |
|---|---|
| Agree | 653 |
| Disagree | 975 |
| Neutral | 486 |
<br />
Fair_Me_Before: Myself, personally <br />
| Responses | Count |
|---|---|
| Agree | 705 |
| Disagree | 653 |
| Neutral | 756 |
<br />
Considering what you’ve learned, please share your response to the following statement. You may change your mind or maintain your same beliefs. A mileage fee would be fair to… <br />
Fair_EV_After: Electric vehicle owner <br />
| Responses | Count |
|---|---|
| Agree | 1179 |
| Disagree | 399 |
| Neutral | 536 |
<br />
Fair_Rural_After: People living in rural areas <br />
| Responses | Count |
|---|---|
| Agree | 1112 |
| Disagree | 508 |
| Neutral | 494 |
<br />
Fair_Urban_After: People living in urban areas <br />
| Responses | Count |
|---|---|
| Agree | 1056 |
| Disagree | 396 |
| Neutral | 662 |
<br />
Fair_LowIncome_After: Households with low incomes <br />
| Responses | Count |
|---|---|
| Agree | 1118 |
| Disagree | 550 |
| Neutral | 446 |
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Fair_HighIncome_After: Households with high incomes <br />
| Responses | Count |
|---|---|
| Agree | 1095 |
| Disagree | 379 |
| Neutral | 640 |
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Fair_DriveLots_After: People with jobs that require lots of driving <br />
| Responses | Count |
|---|---|
| Agree | 786 |
| Disagree | 780 |
| Neutral | 548 |
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Fair_Me_After: Myself, personally <br />
| Responses | Count |
|---|---|
| Agree | 860 |
| Disagree | 501 |
| Neutral | 753 |
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Vehicle
VehCount: How many vehicles are owned, leased, or available for regular use by the people who currently live in your household? <br />
Response Type = Categorical <br /> <br />
| Responses | Count |
|---|---|
| No Vehicles | 150 |
| 1 Vehicle | 858 |
| 2 Vehicles | 769 |
| 3 Vehicles | 229 |
| 4 Vehicles | 73 |
| 5 Vehicles | 20 |
| 6 Vehicles | 10 |
| Other Amount | 5 |
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VehType: What is your primary vehicle? <br />
Response Type = Categorical <br /> <br />
| Responses | Count |
|---|---|
| Small car (Sedan/Hatchback/Station Wagon) | 761 |
| SUV | 784 |
| Pick-Up Truck | 185 |
| Minivan/Van | 92 |
| Sports Car | 73 |
| Other | 69 |
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VehFuel: What type of fuel does your primary vehicle use? <br />
Response Type = Categorical <br /> <br />
| Responses | Count |
|---|---|
| Gasoline | 1760 |
| Diesel | 53 |
| Gasoline Hybrid (not plug-in) | 94 |
| Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) | 29 |
| Fully Electric (BEV) | 24 |
| Other | 4 |
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FuelEcon_cat: To the best of your knowledge, what’s is the fuel economy (miles per gallon) of your primary vehicle? <br />
Response Type = Categorical <br />
Logic = Directed to this question if fuel economy is known <br />
| Responses | Count | Recoded Value |
|---|---|---|
| 5 - 10 mpg | 52 | 7.5 mpg |
| 11 - 15 mpg | 169 | 13 mpg |
| 16 - 20 mpg | 374 | 18 mpg |
| 21 - 25 mpg | 524 | 23 mpg |
| 26 - 30 mpg | 396 | 28 mpg |
| 31 - 35 mpg | 212 | 33 mpg |
| 36 - 40 mpg | 117 | 38 mpg |
| 41 - 45 mpg | 47 | 43 mpg |
| 46 - 50 mpg | 23 | 48 mpg |
| 51+ mpg | 26 | 55 mpg |
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PerElectric: To the best of your knowledge, what percentage of your driving is all-electric? <br />
Response Type = Categorical <br />
Logic = Directed to this question if primary vehicle is a Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV)<br />
| Responses | Count |
|---|---|
| 10% | 2 |
| 20% | 2 |
| 30% | 2 |
| 40% | 6 |
| 50% | 5 |
| 60% | 5 |
| 70% | 3 |
| 80% | 3 |
| 90% | 1 |
| 100% | 0 |
<br />
VMT: To the best of your knowledge, how far did you travel in your primary vehicle in the past year? <br />
Response Type = Categorical <br />
| Responses | Count | Recoded Value |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 1,000 mi | 207 | 500 mi |
| 1,000 - 5,000 mi | 434 | 3,000 mi |
| 5,000 - 10,000 mi | 503 | 7,5000 mi |
| 10,000 - 15,000 mi | 418 | 12,500 mi |
| 15,000 - 20,000 mi | 191 | 17,500 mi |
| 20,000 - 25,000 mi | 111 | 22,500 mi |
| 25,000 - 30,000 mi | 59 | 27,500 mi |
| More than 30,000 mi | 41 | 40,000 mi |
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Cost
Cost_GasTax: <br />
Response Type = NA, Calculated Value<br />
Formula = <br />
- All Vehicles, besides Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) = $(Tax) (VMT) / (Fuel Economy)$ <br />
- Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) = $(Tax) (VMT)(100 - Percent Electric) / (Fuel Economy)$
<br />
| Min | 1st Qu. | Median | Mean | 3rd Qu. | Max | NA’s (No Primary Vehicle) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | 62.0 | 129.2 | 239.6 | 184.2 | 22419.6 | 150 |
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Cost_Mileage: <br />
Response Type = NA, Calculated Value<br />
Formula = $(Tax) (VMT) $ <br />
<br />
| Min | 1st Qu. | Median | Mean | 3rd Qu. | Max | NA’s (No Primary Vehicle) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 37.5 | 112.5 | 155.1 | 155.1 | 187.5 | 600.0 | 150 |
Reflections
Question = You’ve just finished voting on a new proposal for a mileage fee in your state. You’ve been given a variety of information. Think back on how you voted. How important were the following pieces of information in your final vote for or against a mileage fee to replace the gas tax? <br />
Response Type = Likert Scale <br /> <br />
I_PersonalCost: Learning how much a mileage fee would cost me compared to my current gas tax spending <br />
I_LowIncome: Learning lower income households would, generally, not pay more than higher income households <br />
I_Rural: Learning people living in rural areas would, generally, not pay more than people living in urban areas <br />
I_History: Learning about the history of the gas tax and what it is used for <br />
I_States: Learning states are already exploring mileage fees <br />
I_Federal: Learning the federal government is already exploring mileage fees <br />
| Responses |
|---|
| Not at all important |
| Moderately important |
| Very important |
<br />
Question = The mileage fee in this survey assumed everyone pays the same fee per mile they travel. Some people want to adjust the mileage fee for different drivers. How do the following rate-adjustments change your level of support for a mileage fee? <br />
Response Type = Likert Scale <br /> <br />
Rate_LowIncome: Households with lower incomes pay lower mileage fees. <br />
Rate_Pollute: Mileage fees are higher for vehicles that pollute more and lower for vehicles that pollute less. <br />
Rate_LowEV: Mileage fees are lower for electric vehicles. <br />
Rate_Block: Everyone gets a “free” number of miles every year before they start getting charged for the miles they travel. <br />
| Responses |
|---|
| Decrease support |
| Neutral |
| Increase support |
Question = How do the following ways to collect mileage information change your level of support for a mileage fee? <br />
Response Type = Likert Scale <br /> <br />
For those who took the survey where mileage is collected using annual odometer readings… <br />
Odo_PlugIn: Plug-in device without GPS
Odo_PlugInGPS: Plug-in device with GPS <br />
For those who took the survey where mileage is collected using plug-in devices without GPS… <br />
PlugIn_Odo: Odometer readings (from your vehicle dashboard)
PlugIn_PlugInGPS: Plug-in device with GPS <br />
For those who took the survey where mileage is collected using plug-in devices with GPS… <br />
PlugInGPS_Odo: Odometer readings (from your vehicle dashboard)
PlugInGPS_PlugIn: Plug-in device without GPS <br />
| Responses |
|---|
| Decrease support |
| Neutral |
| Increase support |
Demographics
Age_cat: In what year were you born? <br />
Response Type = Categorical <br />
| Responses | Count |
|---|---|
| 18 - 30 years old | |
| 31 - 64 years old | |
| 65+ years old |
Gender: Please state your gender. <br />
Response Type = Categorical <br />
| Responses | Count |
|---|---|
| Female | 1136 |
| Male | 959 |
Education: What is the highest level of school you have completed or the highest degree you have received? <br />
Response Type = Categorical <br />
| Responses | Count |
|---|---|
| Some high school | 496 |
| Some college | 467 |
| College degree | 1139 |
<br />
Ethnicity: Are you Spanish, Hispanic, or Latino or none of these? <br />
Response Type = Categorical <br />
| Responses | Count |
|---|---|
| Yes | 398 |
| No | 1716 |
Race: What is your race? (Mark all that apply) <br />
Response Type = Categorical (Check boxes) <br />
Formula = *If multiple responses were chosen (i.e., two or more races), response was categorized as “Other race”
| Responses | Recode |
|---|---|
| White | White |
| Black or African American | Black |
| American Indian or Alaska Native | Other race |
| Asian or Asian American | Asian |
| Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander | Other race |
| Other, please specify | Other race |
Children: How many children (under 18) live in your household? <br />
Response Type = Open Ended <br />
| Responses | Count |
|---|---|
| No children | 1401 |
| 1 to 2 children | 583 |
| 3 or more children | 130 |
HouseholdSize: How many adults (18 or over) live in your household, including yourself? <br />
Response Type = Open Ended <br />
| Responses | Count |
|---|---|
| Live alone | 476 |
| Two people | 1178 |
| Three or more people | 460 |
Employment: What is your current employment status? <br />
Response Type = Categorical <br />
| Responses | Count |
|---|---|
| Employed | 1276 |
| Retired | 478 |
| Unemployed | 348 |
Income: Please state your yearly household income. <br />
Response Type = Categorical <br />
| Responses | Count |
|---|---|
| Less than $50,000 | 763 |
| $50,000 to $100,000 | 745 |
| More than $100,000 | 606 <br /> |
Region: <br />
Response Type = NA, Calculated Value<br />
Formula = Derived from self-reported state of residence
| Region | Count |
|---|---|
| Northeast | 327 |
| South | 1068 |
| Midwest | 496 |
| West | 223 |
CommunityType: <br />
Response Type = NA, Calculated Value<br />
Formula = Aggregated RUCA Code
| Responses | Count |
|---|---|
| Rural | 459 |
| Suburban | 1066 |
| Urban | 589 |
Politics: In politics today, do you consider yourself a Republican, Democrat, or Independent? <br />
Response Type = Categorical <br />
Logic = *If response was “Independent” or “Some other party”, respondent was asked “As of today, do you lean more to the Republican Party or more to the Democratic Party?”
Formula = Full alignment with Republican or Democrat or leaning towards Republican or Democrat were considered “Republican” or “Democrat”. Identifying as independent or some other party and leaning towards neither Republican or Democrat were considered “Other party”.
| Responses | Count |
|---|---|
| Republican | 772 |
| Democrat | 963 |
| Other party | 367 |
Comments
Comments: Are there any other comments or feedback you’d like to provide regarding your support or opposition for a mileage fee?<br />
Response Type = Open Ended<br />
| Responses | Count |
|---|---|
| Comment | 1285 |
| No Comment | 829 |
An internet-based survey was used to assess nation-wide support for replacing state gas taxes with a mileage fee. Respondents were given three opportunities to vote for or against a mileage fee replacement, with educational treatments in between votes. The impact of education on respondent voting was evaluated using a variety of regression modelling methods.
Respondents were recruited to the survey through Qualtrics. This company used quota-based sampling schemes to field the survey to every U.S. state. Since this research hypothesized that mileage fee opinions may be in part due to low information about mileage fees, we opted to omit respondents from states where widespread mileage fee education or mileage fee policies were implemented. As of July 2023, we identified California, Oregon, Utah and Hawaii as states where residents were likely meaningfully more educated about mileage fees and chose not to survey those populations.
Three versions of the survey were released, each proposing mileage fees are collected using a different method. The three options proposed collecting mileage fees using (1) an annual odometer reading, (2) a plug-in device without GPS technology, and (3) a plug-in device with GPS technology. Besides differing in the method displayed for collecting mileage information, the surveys were identical.