(WWJ) — The Michigan Department of Transportation is offering Michigan residents a $10 gift card to weigh in on how the state’s roads, bridges and other transportation infrastructure are funded.
The road usage charges survey, which launched Tuesday and runs through March 1, is a partnership between MDOT and Via Transportation, Inc. funded through a federal grant. It “seeks to understand Michiganders' attitudes toward potential replacements for the state gas tax,” according to a press release.
While no such change is under consideration by lawmakers in Lansing at this time, MDOT officials say the statewide survey is “the first step in exploring new ways to sustainably and fairly fund and maintain public transit systems, roads, bridges, and other crucial transportation infrastructure in Michigan.”
One possible funding tool is road usage charges, which means drivers would “pay a few cents for each mile driven versus paying based on how much gas they buy,” according to MDOT. Charging based on miles driven could “make the system fairer for drivers who cannot afford newer, more fuel-efficient cars, while also ensuring that the state continues to have the resources needed to maintain roads in the future as vehicles become more fuel efficient or rely on alternative fuels.”
In order to be eligible for the survey and the gift card — which will be awarded by e-mail from Rewards@reward.tremendous.com with the subject “Via Transportation sent you a $10 reward” — respondents must be a Michigan resident aged 18 or older. The survey can only be taken once.
Officials did not specify what the gift card is eligible to be used for.
Qualifying survey participants will also be invited to participate in a pilot demonstration this fall to “help us understand how road usage charges could work in Michigan.” By participating in the pilot demonstration, you could be eligible for additional incentives ranging from $75 to $500. Those interested can make that known in the survey.
To take the survey, visit www.Michigan.gov/MIRoadCharge. More information on the program, including FAQs, can be found here.