The current transportation authorization bill (“MAP-21”) expires next year. A recently-released report from the Congressional Research Service (CRS) says that if Congress were to pass a six-year transportation reauthorization bill that increases spending on surface transportation programs in line with inflation, it would need to fill a nearly $80 billion gap. With more fuel efficient vehicles and reliance on public transit, just raising the gas tax isn’t going to cut it, so what are some other options?
The CRS report lists some options. Like in Virginia, a federal motor fuels tax could be assessed as a percentage of the retail price of fuel instead of a fixed amount per gallon. There is also the vehicle miles traveled option that would track and charge you for the number of miles you put on your car. This option raises privacy and fairness concerns however. How about expanding the use of tolls on federal highways? That option has its share of detractors as well.
Congress certainly has its hands full as it looks for ways to bolster the highway trust fund to help pay for our aging infrastructure. The clock is ticking…
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