Statewide - hawaii road usage charge, phase 3 (RESEARCH)

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) awarded the Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) a $7.2 million Project Grant on September 7, 2025, under the Highway Research and Development Program (CFDA 20.200) to support Phase 3 research activities for Hawaii's statewide Road Usage Charge (RUC) initiative. The award, with an ultimate completion date of September 30, 2030, funds research and development efforts to advance RUC program communications, implementation, and operational optimization. Key deliverables include research supporting continuous improvement mechanisms for the RUC program, feasibility and scalability studies to expand the program to include all vehicles statewide by 2033, and investigation of expansion opportunities to implement RUC mechanisms at the county level.

This award demonstrates FHWA's investment in alternative transportation revenue mechanisms and innovative infrastructure financing solutions under the Highway Research and Development Program, which prioritizes exploratory advanced research and deployment of proven technologies to enhance highway operations and infrastructure integrity. The multi-year funding structure reflects the program's support for complex transportation innovation initiatives requiring sustained research and development efforts to address critical challenges in transportation financing and revenue collection across diverse geographic jurisdictions.

Project description

Supporting continuous improvement in RUC program communications, implementation, and operations; scalability to include all vehicles statewide by 2033; and expansion to include RUC at the county level