New York City and the surrounding counties of the metro region has arguably the most extensive and complex transportation system in the United States. This region has almost every type of transport system and mode of travel, with massive passenger and freight movement across and into the region. Further, this region continues to grow and change while retaining a core base of infrastructure and economic activity that is based on historical development patterns and land use. With that said, the region struggles to find the financial resources to maintain this infrastructure and improve it to meet the needs of the region for the next century.

The authors will explore various alternative traveler-based fees that can supplement the exiting revenue sources that currently provide the core financing for transportation infrastructure and operations. The New York Metro region already leads the country in terms of alternative financing mechanism for transport including significant use of road pricing (tolls) to fund mass transit services. Yet with a high level of mass transit use, the New York State has the lowest annual per capita vehicle miles traveled (VMT) of any state. Therefore, the fuel tax revenue which forms the core of transportation funding sources around the Nation produces far less revenue on a per person basis in New York State and as such our fuel tax funding sources fall far short of transportation system needs.