Methodology of Impact Fees Emphasizing Vehicle Miles Traveled

This paper provides a working concept and methodology for application of a mobility fee in Florida. The mobility fee has many characteristics of an impact fee modified for sensitivity to vehicle miles traveled (VMT). Policy and practical implications of implementing such a fee are addressed, along with the fee methodology and illustration of the approach through hypothetical testing in Alachua County, Florida. The primary concept for the mobility fee is a modified impact fee assessed on new development. The approach presented anticipates regional cooperation in the development and adoption of a mobility plan that includes all transportation modes. Through sensitivity to VMT, the modified impact fee may help to discourage urban sprawl and reward mixed-use development and other development near or within existing activity centers. The hypothetical test results reveal that the two approaches—the average rate and the location-based rate—produce very different fees for new development. The paper reports on research performed for the Florida Department of Community Affairs.