Tag: fuel tax: Page 3

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

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

Deficient roads and bridges cost Iowa drivers an extra $2 billion each year

Twenty-seven percent of Iowa’s major urban roads and highways are in poor condition, and 21 percent of the state’s bridges are structurally deficient, according to a report from The Road Improvement Program (TRIP). On Wednesday TRIP released “Iowa’s Top Transportation Challenges: Meeting the State’s Need for Safe and Efficient Mobility” at a press conference at the Iowa State […]

February 19, 2015

Roadbuilding

Bill introduced to SC House seeks to increase gas tax while another wants to halt all road construction for 5 years

Members of the South Carolina House of Representatives have filed two bills with very different agendas. If either were to become law, it would have a huge impact on road construction in the state. In section 5 of House Bill 3579, introduced Wednesday, includes language that would not allow new road construction until July 1, 2020. “This section must […]

February 12, 2015

Business

Corporate tax code reforms have early bi-partisan support as method for funding long-term highway bill this year

After President Barack Obama made a brief mention of infrastructure funding in his State of the Union address last week, urging Congress to focus on that rather than the Keystone XL pipeline, Vice President Joe Biden has now made his own appeal to lawmakers to fund a long-term highway bill this year. According to a […]

January 26, 2015

Business

Alabama has no plans to raise gas tax; state will rely on next year’s bond issue for road projects

Gov. Robert Bentley says he has no plans to ask the Alabama legislature to raise the state’s 16-cent-per-gallon gas tax, responding to emailed questions submitted by The Tuscaloosa News. Instead, Alabama instead will look to a $508.5 million highway bond issue to finance highway projects, bonds that last week received a AAA rating from Standard […]

December 15, 2014

Roadbuilding

Michigan Senate votes to raise gas tax

The Michigan Senate has passed a bill to raise the state’s gas tax. The bill would approximately double Michigan’s fuel tax to raise about $1 billion a year more to fix transportation infrastructure. If the bill passes the House, the gas tax could increase from 19 cents a gallon all the way to 41 cents a gallon […]

November 25, 2014

Business

Road builders, construction groups oppose bill to lower gas tax, surrender federal highway authority to states

Construction groups and transportation interests have written Congress to express opposition to the so-called “devolution” of the federal highway program and the proposed Transportation Empowerment Act. The bill, introduced in the House and Senate last fall, transfers almost all authority over federal highway and transit programs to the states over a five-year period. It would […]

September 18, 2014

Roadbuilding

POLL: Majority of Americans would rather pay tolls than taxes

73 percent of Americans agree that transportation spending is inefficient and most would rather pay for highway repairs with tolls instead of taxes, according to a Reason-Rupe poll. Out of the 1,000 people surveyed, 58 percent say they would rather pay for transportation projects with tolls. Only 32 percent would prefer to pay for the projects […]

August 18, 2014

Roadbuilding

Illinois Governor signs $1B plan for road repairs

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn has signed a $1 billion capital spending plan, intended to create jobs and help repair the state’s roads and bridges. Transportation officials claim the money will go toward “shovel ready” road projects scheduled to take place this summer. Quinn estimates the 210 road projects will create around 14,300 jobs. Most of […]

July 23, 2014

Roadbuilding

LaHood pushes for 10-cent gas tax hike during St. Louis visit

During a trip to St. Louis, Mo., on Tuesday, former Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood pushed for a 10-cent-per-gallon gas tax increase, St. Louis Public Radio reports. LaHood is visiting the city to promote infrastructure investment and bring awareness to the state of the Highway Trust Fund (HTF), a primary source of funding for state and […]

July 2, 2014