The Commission's charge and the application of the guiding principles introduced here are examined in detail as follows:
• Chapter 2 addresses the investment needs and places those needs in the context of currently available and projected resources.
• Chapter 3 builds on the overarching funding principles introduced in Chapter 1 to pro- vide specific evaluation criteria and a preliminary screening of a comprehensive range of alternative funding mechanisms.
• Chapter 4 provides an in-depth review of existing and potential fuel tax mechanisms and offers a more detailed evaluation of this central funding approach.
• Chapter 5 provides an in-depth review of potential freight-related funding mechanisms and their possible applicability to funding specific categories of investment.
• Chapter 6 offers a comprehensive discussion of facility-level tolling and broad-based pricing mechanisms, including the potential of a mileage-based user fee system to serve as an alternative or addition to the current national fuel tax system.
• Chapter 7 addresses the finance mechanisms that can be used to leverage available revenue streams, recognizing that these approaches are enhancements to rather than substitutes for much needed increased funding. This chapter also addresses the current and potential role of private-sector financial investment and considers the appropriate role of federal programs and policies to facilitate such investment.
• Chapter 8 offers the Commission's specific policy recommendations to narrow the funding gap and transform the funding and finance framework for the nation's investment in surface transportation infrastructure.
• The Annex provides a synopsis of the Commission's responses to Congress's specific questions and a roadmap to related key elements of this report.