Potential Revenue Sources for Virginia's Transportation Safety Programs: Review of Virginia's Revenue Sources and a Survey of Other States: Final Report

About the report:

Fearful that inflation and the gradual erosion of federal support for highway safety programs were undermining Virginia's historic position of national leadership in highway safety, management directed a study of potential sources of new revenue for the programs. The project reported here employed a five-step process to gather data necessary for the analysis. First, a literature review of studies on alternative revenue sources for financing transportation safety activities was conducted. Second, the Code of Virginia was studied to identify successful funding mechanisms that are currently being utilized in the Commonwealth. Third, a telephone survey of all states was conducted in an attempt to identify innovative methods of funding that are currently being used elsewhere. Fourth, after analyzing Virginia's current safety funding approach and the results of the national survey, sources of revenue inherently related to highway safety were identified. Fifth, once potential revenue sources were identified through these avenues, each was analyzed and reviewed to project how much revenue could be generated and how it might be allocated. The researcher concludes that there is a need for additional revenue to fund Virginia's highway safety programs. Recommendations are made concerning several viable options, and suggestions are offered concerning both the distribution and use of the funds.

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