Michigan budget has good news for studying road usage charges

With Michigan’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget agreement now signed into law, this week’s edition of the Talking Michigan Transportation podcast focuses on a long-discussed pilot project for a road usage charge (RUC) system, which received funding.

First, State Sen. Veronica Klinefelt of Eastpointe, who chairs the Senate Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee and has been a strong advocate for studying alternative ways to fund transportation, explains why she advocated for the RUC pilot.

Later, John Peracchio, a senior adviser to Michigan’s Council on Future Mobility and Electrification (CFME), offers his insights on how a RUC system has worked in other states and how the council can help with the education process.