It's not what you burn, it's where you go

I saw this coming for a couple of reasons: there's a pilot project taking place now to test the use of GPS systems to monitor road use in order to pay taxes. Drive on a Federal highway, the Feds get the money. Drive on a state road, the state gets it; drive on a county road, the county gets it, etc. Reason: high gas prices and gas CONSERVATION! Use less gas, there's less gas taxes to pay for roads. Make it a pay-as-you-drive system, and this will be more uniform.

It will also change behavior. If this catches on, people will start to figure out cheaper ways to get places. There will be Web sites mapping the less-tax-routes. It will force reexamination of the time vs. money equation vis-a-vis personal vehicle vs. mass transit. And if the privacy concerns are adequately addressed (I don't think anyone wants a record of where they've been, even if it supposedly won't ever go public), the next step is even more logical, following successfully-implemented road-pricing systems around the world; the taxes will be adjusted for time-of-use, as well as distance. This is the other reason I saw this coming; such road pricing systems address congestion. People adjust their commute to travel at less expensive times, even if only by half an hour. The problem is; if congestion lessens, people drive more (provided the personal finance equation still works). But if we convert slowly over time to vehicles powered by something less polluting than gas -- and yes, I mean CO2 here -- then this isn't as much of a problem.

http://www.roaduserstudy.org/