Washington drivers sought for pay-per-mile pilot program

OLYMPIA, Wash. – State officials are seeking 2,000 drivers to participate in a test program that would have participants pay by the mile for their road usage.

The Kitsap Sun reported this week that the Washington State Transportation Commission and a committee for five years have been assessing a road use charge as a possible replacement for the gas tax which is declining in part because of more fuel-efficient vehicles.

The test, called the Washington Road Usage Charge Project, would run for 12 months and aims to help the committees and the Legislature better understand whether paying by the mile is a viable option for future road funding.

Drivers will be recruited starting in September.

Transportation Commission Executive Director Reema Griffith says it’s a scientific test to see how the proposal would work but will also allow participants to give feedback.