"If we hope that Congress will solve the transportation funding questions in our nation, they won't," said Oregon state Sen. Bruce Starr at the National Conference of State Legislatures' (NCSL) meeting in Washington this month. Starr has been one of the leading advocates for a pilot program in his state that analyzes the feasibility of establishing a vehicle-miles traveled fee, or VMT, which is seen as a more financially sustainable alternative to the gas tax.
In recent years, states have embraced legislation that encourages financing mechanisms like public-private partnerships. But they have been a bit slower to pursue higher fees and taxes, which would address underlying revenue shortfalls. Fourteen states haven't raised their gas tax in 20 years, according to NCSL, and only eight state legislatures along with Washington, D.C., have raised gas taxes since 2008. Just five states index their gas tax to inflation, meaning most states' gas taxes are, to some degree, facing the same fundamental challenges as the federal gas tax.
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"We've got to sell this to the public, the fact that there is a need," said West Virginia state Sen. Bob Plymale, who last year sponsored legislation -- eventually vetoed by the governor -- that would have raised DMV fees in order to generate about $40 million annually for road funding.But attitudes may be changing, as state lawmakers of all political stripes seem to be showing that they're willing to tackle the transportation revenue question:
- Pennsylvania lawmakers are reportedly considering a plan to remove a cap on the taxes paid by gas stations that could generate more than $1 billion annually.
- A governor's task force in Minnesota has recently released a report advocating for higher gas taxes, vehicle fees and local sales tax. Political shifts in the state could give some of those proposals legs.
- Texas lawmakers have discussed new revenue options for transportation, such as dedicating vehicle sales taxes to roads and increasing vehicle registration fees.
- Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick will soon reveal a plan to help close the state's transportation funding shortfalls, but so far he's been reluctant to discuss specifies. His previous attempt at raising the gas tax didn't gain traction.
- Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker -- who opposes a gas tax increase -- has said he's reluctant to pursue tolling but it's still an option as he seeks to pursue infrastructure investment
- Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell will reportedly soon send Virginia lawmakers a plan to generate $500 million annually for transportation projects, but he didn't reveal how that will happen. He's previously discussed indexing the gas tax. A series of budget amendments he proposed this month would direct $48 million in state sales tax to roads, but it did not include the $500 million plan.
- A proposal in Wyoming to increase gas taxes and vehicle registration fees is gaining steam. Gov. Matt Mead supports a fuel tax increase but doesn't support increasing vehicle registration fees.
But there's no shortage of solutions: State and federal lawmakers know exactly how much funding they need to maintain existing infrastructure and build new projects to meet their growth projections. In fact, there's a whole cottage industry of advocates, stakeholders and policy wonks developing countless white papers and proposals documenting what work must be done, and importantly, how to pay for it. In short, no lawmaker can say with a straight face that it's unclear how to pay for infrastructure. "It's not a technical problem," said Joung Lee, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials' (AASHTO) associate director for finance and business development "It's a political problem. There's no question about it."
Must Reads
Los Angeles Times: Los Angeles County fell just shy of the two-thirds vote it needed to approve a transportation sales tax last month. Now advocates say that bar is too high, and they're trying to change state law.Jalopnik: See a slideshow of the country's most ridiculous speed limits, including 10.5 mph in Copake, N.Y.
The Next Web: General Motors will be the first automaker to integrate Apple's voice-controlled "Siri" software into its new models.
D.C. Streetsblog: I participated in the Eno Center for Transportation and Bipartisan Policy Center's post-election transportation discussion. Find out what the election means for transportation policy.
Eno Center for Transportation: Is the gas tax the best way to close the transportation funding gap? Maybe not. Eno's Joshua Schank offers an interesting take, arguing that the feds could instead consider dedicating a portion of the general fund to transportation.
AASHTO: A new report explains how transportation agencies can cut costs while promoting environmental sustainability using case studies from state DOT projects.
The New York Times: City officials in New York face a problem you wouldn't expect -- too many parking spaces (in downtown Brooklyn, at least). The challenge is the result of requirements that residential developments build garages, along with the influx of subway lines and bus routes that mean some residents don't really need cars.
Wired: Transit nerds will appreciate these beautiful visualizations of mass-transit patterns in American and international cities.
