Conference in 2025: presented speaker - Christian Schonlau, Regional Transportation Authority of Washoe County
Christian Schonlau, the Chief Financial Officer at the Regional Transportation Commission of Washoe County, will be a featured speaker at the upcoming Road Pricing Summit 2025.
With over a decade of experience in government finance, Schonlau brings a diverse background in local funding, grants, accounting, budgeting, and regulatory operations to the table. At the RTC, Schonlau oversees accounting, budgeting, auditing, federal grant compliance, risk management, procurement, and financial planning functions.
The Road Pricing Summit 2025, scheduled for September 18-19 at the Hyatt Regency Miami in Downtown Miami, Florida, will convene policymakers, industry leaders, and innovators to exchange best practices. The two-day conference will focus on tolling, road usage charging (RUC) and mobility pricing schemes, aiming to address the challenge of replacing declining gas tax revenues with sustainable funding for roads and infrastructure.
Schonlau will discuss the trials and tribulations of infrastructure funding in Washoe County, including various legislative strategies, alternative funding mechanisms, and tax tolerance limits. He will also share insights on the likely implementation of a flat or graduated fee structure for electric vehicles and high-efficiency vehicles in Nevada by 2030.
Unfortunately, policy options for addressing funding issues went unheard in the recent legislative session in Nevada. The state has a heavy resistance to adding new tax or fee structures, even for infrastructure-related activities. However, legislative initiatives in Washoe County supporting innovation in user debt financing include measures promoting fintech development and consumer protection laws, while regulations imposing strict lending caps or complex compliance requirements may hinder innovation as of 2025.
The Road Pricing Summit is the only independent annual forum of its kind for tolling and road pricing professionals across the USA, and registration is available here. Schonlau is looking forward to learning and sharing about progress toward road pricing around the US and how everyone can work together to advance the topic.
In his advice for implementing user-financed transport schemes, Schonlau emphasises the importance of understanding the environment you are working in and trying to anticipate the challenges you might face in rolling out new solutions.
The summit features a comprehensive agenda, high-level speakers, and exclusive networking opportunities. Don't miss out on this opportunity to learn from experts like Christian Schonlau and contribute to the discussion on sustainable funding for roads and infrastructure.
