An End To End V.M.T Framework With Controlled V.M.T Tax Rate Using Optimal Feedback Control Technique

Pratik Verma, University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Abstract

Vehicle Mile Travel (VMT) is a study related to available alternatives for the road

revenue collection system. As per the demand, the existing Gas/Fuel tax based revenue

collection system is not found an appropriate option in the longer run. Due

to existing system constraints like: no eective tax process for vehicles based on alternative

fuel (e.g. electric vehicles), no eective changes in tax due to economical

ination, and more highway expenditure than generated revenue, an alternative revenue

collection mechanism is required. Hence, the objective is to study an alternative

option in detail, which can address the gaps between required revenue and generated

revenue in existing collection system. In Nevada, Phase1 of the study was completed

in 2010, which included: 1) Design of a GPS based mileage fee system, 2) To conduct

comprehensive public outreach, identify concerns, educate the public about the shortfalls

and limitations of the current fuel tax, 3) Assessment and evaluation of potential

privacy impacts, 4) Analyses of institutional, policy, legislative, and legal aspects,

and 5) Developing economic models to assess and recommend equitable VMT fee. As

part of this work, the main objective is to study the Vehicle Mile Traveled (VMT) tax

based revenue collection system solution over existing gas tax based revenue collection

system. Objective also consists of small-scale eld test that needs to be conducted

with 25 participants to assess the feasibility of the VMT system. Other components

of thesis include: identifying the technical details in order to have complete VMT

infrastructure, data analysis, qualitative analysis of reviews collected during phase 1

and phase 2 in order to compare the privacy concern" in both the phases, analyzing

the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) database to assess the approximate VMT

tax rate. An optimal control model has also been developed to control rate per mile

to optimize the generated revenue based on VMT tax.