Higher fuel efficiency standards and a weak economy have made the motor-fuel tax—the principal fundraiser for road costs in the US for 80 years—increasingly less viable. As better mileage becomes the norm in the American …
funding
Road pricing: public perceptions and program development
As state and local governments grapple with reduced revenue from traditional sources, deferred maintenance needs, and traffic congestion, many are searching for ways to generate revenue and reduce congestion without making major capital investments. An …
How do you get there from here?
Fuel taxes are no longer a good way of funding the transportation system. With increasing fuel efficiency and new fuels powering transportation, the fuel tax as we know it is not sustainable. Two national commissions …
And in the same year that Eisenhower introduced the National Highway System
Time Magazine in 1955 gushed about toll roads: “EVERYBODY agrees that the U.S. needs more and better roads, but almost nobody agrees on how to pay for them. While the argument rages, Texas has gone …
Bookends on the highway era: A view at the start and a look back from today
Fortune magazine has republished a September 1958 article that takes stock of the Interstate construction boom, just then beginning. It’s a thorough and surprisingly prescient take, and one that reminds us that our highway system …
GM CEO: “We ought to just slap a dollar tax on a gallon of gas.”
“Well, it’s unanimous – everyone agrees the country needs a significant hike in the gas tax. Everyone outside of Congress, that is. Last week, General Motors CEO Dan Akerson told The Detroit News that a …
Kansas Increases Funding for Railroad Loan/Grant Program
Recognizing the importance of rail service to industries and communities dependent on moving heavy, lower-value-per-ton goods, Kansas recently increased funding for its State Rail Service Improvement Fund (SRSIF) from $3 million to $5 million annually. …
Voters approve smart transportation referenda
The Nov. 2 election dimmed the chance of a major new infusion of federal money for transportation. But when voters were presented with local projects and plans, they usually said yes, even when it meant …