Tag: transportation funding: Page 40

Roadbuilding

Texas toll road fight proves how badly we need a gas tax hike

When push comes to shove, Texans can get more than a little rowdy. Of late, their cantankerous streak has flared up in opposition to the state’s toll road programs. For those of you who are not familiar, the newest toll roads in Texas use license plate scanners and other technology to eliminate toll booths and […]

March 11, 2015

Roadbuilding

Oregon offers online calculator so drivers can see what they’ll owe in upcoming pay-as-you-go road usage program

OReGO, Oregon’s voluntary Road Usage Charge Program, offers an online calculator to help determine what a drive would pay under the program compared to existing gas taxes. This is in integral part of the program, as participants can receive a refund if they pay more in gas taxes than they do in the program. Conversely, […]

March 11, 2015

Roadbuilding

North Carolina DOT asks for public input on 10-year transportation plan

The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) wants the public to comment on its Draft 10-Year State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) by April 23. The STIP has been developed under the state’s Strategic Transportation Investments law and would cover the years 2016-2025. It addresses 1,073 projects throughout the entire state. Final approval is expected in June. […]

March 10, 2015

Roadbuilding

Texas Senate passes highway funding bill

The Texas Senate passed a highway funding bill March 4 that will dedicate a portion of motor vehicle taxes to road and bridge construction, according to a report from the Associated Press. The Senate passed the bill on a 28-2 vote roughly a week after the Transportation Committee approved it. The bill, along with a constitutional amendment, […]

March 5, 2015

Roadbuilding

Report identifies areas of improvement for Utah’s roads and bridges

Despite getting a B+ grade from the American Society of Civil Engineers for the condition of its roads and bridges, Utah still needs improvements to prevent economic growth from being stifled, according to a report from The Road Improvement Program. In its report, “Utah’s Most Critical Surface Transportation Projects to Support Economic Growth and Quality of […]

March 3, 2015

Roadbuilding

Can John Oliver’s stand on U.S. infrastructure do for highway funding what “Last Week Tonight” did for net neutrality?

John Oliver, on the latest episode of his HBO program “Last Week Tonight”, aimed his comedic wit at the issue of the need for infrastructure spending in the U.S., much in the same way he targeted the net neutrality issue in 2014. Many pundits believe his call to action last year, funny as it was, helped push […]

March 2, 2015

Roadbuilding

There are 90 transportation funding bills awaiting action across the U.S.

The American Road & Transportation Builder’s Association, through its Transportation Investment Advocacy Center (TIAC), reports that 26 state legislatures have a total of 90 introduced measures between them that would offer transportation project funding. ARTBA’s Chief Economist Dr. Alison Premo Black said that state and local funding makes up slightly less than half of all […]

March 2, 2015

Roadbuilding

Ohio DOT approves $2.5 billion in construction projects

The Ohio Department of Transportation’s Transportation Review Advisory Council (TRAC) has approved roughly $2.5 billion in transportation plan projects and associated jobs over the next 11 years, according a release from the department. The investment for projects in 2015 total $705.8 million. The projects are part of Gov. John Kasich’s “Jobs and Transportation Plan” that has […]

March 1, 2015

Roadbuilding

Illinois Tollway to invest $1.63 billion for transportation infrastructure in 2015

Illinois Tollway plans to spend $1.63 billion on transportation infrastructure improvements in 2015 as part of its $12 billion capital program, Move Illinois: The Illinois Tollway Driving the Future, the organization announced February 26. Illinois Tollway operates and maintains 286 miles of interstate tollways in 12 counties in northern Illinois. The 15-year Move Illinois program began in 2012 and is […]

February 26, 2015

Roadbuilding

Texas Senate will vote on using portion of vehicle taxes for highway funding

The Texas Senate Transportation Committee approved a bill that would dedicate a portion of motor vehicle taxes to road and bridge construction and maintenance. Senate Bill 5, one of two bills addressing the issue, will most likely come up for a vote next week, according to the state. Previously, these taxes have been used to “plug holes in […]

February 26, 2015

Roadbuilding

18 states and D.C. use variable-rate gas tax for highway, bridge projects

The latest report from the Transportation Investment Advocacy Center (TIAC) shows that 18 states and the District of Columbia use variable-rate gas taxes to fund highway and bridge improvement projects. Such taxes adjust to inflation and the wholesale price of gas, rather than relying the static nature of a flat excise tax. The American Road & Transportation Builders Association […]

February 26, 2015

Roadbuilding

California’s gas tax cut will reduce highway funding, won’t mean cheaper pump prices

The California State Board of Equalization voted to reduce the state’s gasoline tax to 30 cents per gallon from 36 cents, a change set to be implemented in July, according to an Associated Press report. The tax cut reportedly will not cause the price of gas to go down for consumers, but the California Department of Transportation says […]

February 25, 2015