Transportation Commission of Washoe County Speaker event at the 2025 Road Pricing Summit: Introducing Christian Schonlau
Christian Schonlau to Speak at Road Pricing Summit 2025
Christian Schonlau, the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at the Regional Transportation Commission of Washoe County, is set to speak at the Road Pricing Summit 2025. This annual forum, scheduled to take place on 18-19 September at the Hyatt Regency Miami in Downtown Miami, Florida, is the only independent gathering of its kind for tolling and road pricing professionals across the USA.
With over 10 years of experience in government finance, Schonlau brings a diverse background in local funding, grants, accounting, budgeting, and regulatory operations to the table. His expertise spans across various sectors, having served as CFO for several government agencies and spending time in the governor's finance office.
The Road Pricing Summit aims to address the challenge of replacing declining gas tax revenues with sustainable funding for roads and infrastructure in North America. This year's summit will focus on the planning, financing, implementation, and operation of tolling, road usage charging (RUC), and mobility pricing schemes across highways, urban roads, and cross-border corridors.
In Nevada, where Schonlau currently works, a likely evolution by 2030 includes a flat or graduated fee structure for electric vehicles (EV) and high-efficiency vehicles. However, the state shows a heavy resistance to adding new tax or fee structures, a challenge Schonlau is familiar with.
Despite this resistance, Schonlau has been instrumental in discussing legislative strategies and alternative financing mechanisms in Washoe County. He has focused on innovative public-private partnerships and leveraging local government bonds to fund infrastructure projects.
At the RTC, Schonlau oversees the accounting, budgeting, auditing, federal grant compliance, risk management, procurement, and financial planning functions. The most rewarding aspect of his role, he says, is working with the MPO, Transit Provider, and Road Builder functions.
Schonlau is looking forward to speaking at the Road Pricing Summit to learn and share about progress toward road pricing around the US. At the summit, he will discuss the trials and tribulations of infrastructure funding in Washoe County, including various legislative strategies, alternative funding mechanisms, and tax tolerance limits.
Policy options for addressing funding issues went unheard in the recent legislative session, a testament to the ongoing challenges faced by governments in securing sustainable funding for their infrastructure projects. The Road Pricing Summit 2025 promises to be a valuable platform for professionals to share experiences, learn from each other, and explore innovative solutions to these challenges.
