Vehicles in the U.S. have gotten much larger over the past few decades, and research suggests that this shift has had far-reaching consequences, making roads more dangerous for everyone while increasing emissions and other environmental impacts. A recent New York Times analysis estimates that between 200 and 400 pedestrian deaths each year could have been avoided if cars had remained roughly the same size as they were 25 years ago. While the rise of SUVs and pickup trucks is often treated as the result of a cultural shift or consumer preference, researchers argue that policy has also helped shape today’s vehicle market. If policy helped encourage this shift, it could also help reverse it.
Pricing
Transit projects don’t have to cost this much
Fires and electrical problems at Penn Station ahead of World Cup matches have contributed to a global spotlight shining on America’s lackluster transit systems this summer. The price tag for an upgrade at Penn Station? Seven billion dollars—larger than Arkansas’s entire annual budget. The United States has some of the highest costs to build transit in the world, but smart reforms and investment in public capacity could bring some of those vertigo-inducing price tags back down to earth.
Transportation disrupted: Rethinking how we pay for it
In an earlier installment of this blog series, we explored the mounting transportation costs that Americans face, which are now exacerbated by rising gas prices. Efforts to provide relief through gas tax holidays—first in certain states, then nationally—show just how fragile our system is. These temporary measures offer minimal relief while undermining the very foundation of our transportation funding.
Congestion pricing could be the only path to managing gridlock
Transportation agencies in the U.S. spend billions of dollars each year expanding highways to ease gridlock. Yet commute times have increased 20% over the last 50 years and traffic congestion is still worsening, according to a several reports. New research confirms congestion pricing may be the best path toward any kind of relief. New York’s program, which launched in January amid plenty of controversy, looks like a promising example.
Pressure is building to move beyond gas taxes and EV fees
The way we currently fund our transportation system is falling short in many ways. MIT researchers anticipate electric vehicles will account for 50% of the national fleet in 15 years and 80% by 2050, which means gas tax revenues will decline by around 30% in just 14 years. Their new study, Replacing the Gas Tax, offers a useful lens for evaluating the alternatives.
Gas taxes are unpopular and insufficient, here are some alternatives
From flailing transit systems to inadequate maintenance, states throughout the country are struggling to adequately fund their transportation infrastructure. Making the problem more difficult is the fact that one of their primary funding mechanisms, the gas tax, is failing to cover added costs. Due to projected revenue decline from increased fuel efficiency and EVs, the political aversion to raising the tax, and looming fiscal cliffs, some state legislatures are beginning to consider how to supplement gas tax revenue to sustainably fund their transportations systems.
Continued fare-free transit will require new funding streams
Fare-free transit has made headlines recently as more agencies propose bold plans to cut costs for riders. The latest ambitious proposal comes from Washington, D.C., which will eliminate fares on all bus rides in the city starting July 1 while also expanding 24-hour service. This is especially beneficial for low-income riders, although transit advocates often worry that eliminating fare revenues could force agencies to cut service or prevent them from making necessary improvements. These concerns raise important questions. How are these programs being paid for, and what are the prospects that they will be sustainable?
Congestion pricing impacts people differently depending on their income
High-income travelers pay the bulk of congestion pricing fees, according to a new UK study. Others tend to change their travel behavior and would benefit from better travel options.
New study finds households with constrained parking drive fewer miles
More studies over the years have shown us that the price and availability of parking has a strong influence on people’s travel choices. A ten-year-old study from New York, for instance, called attention to the influence of parking availability on people’s decision to drive to work. Several years later, I led a study connecting long-term parking growth to citywide increases in car commuting. Now a new study by a cohort of researchers across North America, including myself, makes that connection even clearer by drawing a direct line from residential parking ratios to household VMT.
If the future of cars is electric, what does that mean for transportation funding?
The adoption of electric vehicles is growing in the United States, with all-electric vehicle sales increasing by 85% from 2020 to 2021 and plug-in hybrid sales rising 138%. This is a welcome trend for many, but the increased popularity of EVs combined with better fuel efficiency, and a gas tax that hasn’t been raised in thirty years, is posing a major challenge to policy makers; how to make up for lost gas tax revenue, which currently pays for 29% of state highway funds and 84% at the federal level.