Nik Rajkovic / news@whmi.com

Debate continues in Lansing on how to raise money for roads as more people buy electric vehicles.

One idea is what critics call a "mileage tax" on every mile you drive, or at least a voluntary pilot program to study it.

"That would look at mileage-based user fees, include people from all areas of the state. Look at common issues in terms of privacy, such as security, in terms of cost of collection," said Baruch Feigenbaum, senior managing director of transportation policy for the Reason Foundation.

The state currently collects a gasoline tax at the pump to help pay for roads, but that revenue has been declining.

Feigenbaum told MDOT's "Talking Michigan Transportation" podcast that Michigan has the advantage of seeing how other states are combatting a reduction in gasoline tax collections.

"Two of the highest fuel tax states in the country, California and Pennsylvania, are also both looking at this," he said. "Pennsylvania also has a large turnpike. But this is going to be a major problem in 10-15 years."

"Finding a solution and working on pilots now is critical, because as bad as things might be now, and as awful as the potholes on U.S. 23 might be, things are only going to get worse because the revenue is simply not there."

Lawmakers also are discussing the possibility of toll roads, but Feigenbaum is unsure whether there is broad support for it.