VMT Fee
Report Supports Road Tolls and VMT Fees over Gas Tax
The Congressional Budget Office takes aim at transportation funding and spending. It notes with alarm a $143 billion federal subsidy since 2008 and recommends charging motorists directly via vehicle-miles-traveled fees and road tolls.
Massachusetts Could Be Next State to Adopt a Road Usage Charge
In the wake of voter rejection of automatic indexing of the state gas tax, Massachusetts legislators may do away with the tax altogether. They are considering a trial of the Oregon model of road usage charge.
Oregonians Slow to Adopt the New OReGO Road Usage Charge
All eyes are on Oregon as it rolls out its road usage charge program, known as OReGO. So far Oregonians have been slow on the uptake.
An Unexpected Advocate for Utah's Vehicle-Miles-Traveled Fee
One would expect the Utah Taxpayers Association to oppose county measures to increase general sales taxes by .25 percent to fund transportation programs, so their endorsement of an alternative revenue option, the mileage fee, is surprising.
Need Convincing that Vehicle-Miles-Traveled Fees Make Sense?
Eric Jaffe's July 1 article in CityLab has 18 reasons, and not one in opposition. The date is significant as it marks the official kickoff of the Oregon Road Usage Charge program.
Should Electric Vehicles Be Taxed or Subsidized?
The answer depends on location, according to previous studies on EVs. The study from NBER evaluated both gas and electric-powered vehicles to determine their effect on the environment. A surprising recommendation is a new road funding option.
Inflation, not Fuel Efficiency, Is Main Flaw of Gas Tax
Yes, vehicles have become more fuel efficient, but a just-released report by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy shows that inflation is 3.5 times more responsible for the decline in the purchasing power of the gas tax.
Op-Ed: Charge Drivers by the Gallon, Not by the Mile
Ben Adler of Grist makes a convincing case of why we should stick with gas taxes and not switch to a road usage charge, as Oregon will do July 1 in a limited program. Tax what you burn, not by how much you drive, he argues, to get the best results.
Montreal Debates Tolls or Mileage Charges to Finance Bridge Construction
A powerful realty group fears tolls will 'marginalize' downtown Montreal, so they propose a regional kilometer-traveled-fee to finance the new Champlain Bridge.
Tolling, Road User Charge Examined at Annual Transportation Conference
Transportation finance and road usage charging are the themes of the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association's annual conference held in Portland from April 26 to 28 in downtown Portland. Oregon's road usage charge begins July 1.
The Tax Foundation's Take on Mileage-Based User Fees
An economist from the Tax Foundation spoke to advocates of a mileage-based user fees. First surprise, he calls it a tax, not a fee. He appears to favor the MBUF over the gas tax, but notes its problems.
GPS Technology Chosen for Oregon's Road Usage Charge
Oregon's much heralded mileage fee program, known as OReGO, has selected the technology to record the miles driven by participants. A French and Canadian company will collaborate to provide a telematics road usage charging framework to begin July 1.
Survey Finds Surprising Attitudes toward Increasing Gas Tax
If there's a solid take-away from the California Field Poll, it is not to ask residents how they feel about raising gas taxes, or any one option for that matter. Rather, offer a menu of funding alternatives and the results become more meaningful.
Transportation Think Tank Recommends Ending Highway Trust Fund
The non-partisan Eno Center for Transportation has had it with futile attempts to raise the federal gas tax and the never-ending transfers (bailouts?) from the federal general fund to keep roads and transit funded. "Pay as you go" no longer works.
The Georgia Transportation Funding Debate
Georgia's experience emerging from the recession as revenues increase after years of government belt tightening is common around the country. The question now: How to finance the improvements to the state's neglected transportation infrastructure?
Mileage Fee Worries in the Golden State
California's mileage fee pilot program legislation is now law. Dan Weikel of the Los Angeles Times raises two concerns drivers have regarding the switch to a mileage-based fee from a gas tax: privacy and fairness.
Restructured Gas Tax, EV Fees Proposed in Wisconsin
Gov. Scott Walker's transportation secretary is proposing a four-part tax, fee, and transfer plan to raise $750 million over the next two years. It would lower the gas tax while adding a wholesale sales tax and charge EVs and hybrids an annual fee.
Rail Project on Chopping Block After Voters Reject Gas Tax Indexing
The rollback of gas tax indexing is projected to lose $1 billion for the Bay State over the next decade. Initiative proponents claim that the legislature can increase the gas tax anytime, though last year's tax increase was the first since 1991.
The High Revenue Potential of a Mileage-Based Driving Fee
Based on a comparison to a list of federal revenue options to make the Highway Trust Fund sustainable, one stands out far above the others—a mileage-based user fee which, surprisingly, is also one of its disadvantages, writes Eric Jaffe of CityLab.
Senators Build Suspense Regarding Gas Tax Replacement
Keith Laing of The Hill breaks the news that two influential Republican U.S. Senators predict that the federal gas tax is on its "last legs." It will be replaced with an (unnamed) user fee when the current transportation funding bill expires May 31.
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