The Iowa Department of Transportation asked SSTI for assistance building public support for a gas tax increase to fund critical repair and maintenance work. SSTI contracted with Spitfire Strategies, a strategic communications firm that works exclusively with nonprofits and foundations, to help Iowa craft effective messaging that would resonate with policymakers and key stakeholders. Based on SSTI and Spitfire’s work in Iowa and recent polling, this paper outlines how transportation professionals can gain support for a “fix-it-first” approach to transportation policy. It highlights messages and tactics that have effectively garnered voter and policymaker support and presents lessons learned from the Iowa Department of Transportation.
gas tax
Cost of Alternative Revenue Generation Systems (TRB, 2011)
This report evaluates and measures the administrative, collection, and enforcement costs associated with five revenue-generating policies: fuel tax, tolling, VMT fees, congestion pricing, and parking fees. Download the full report here.
GAO: When it comes to highways, all states now receive more funds than they contribute
A new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) confirms that between 2005 and 2009, every state received more Federal-Aid Highway Program dollars than it contributed through the gas tax and other fees. This is …
GAO: When it comes to highways, all states now receive more funds than they contribute
A new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) confirms that between 2005 and 2009, every state received more Federal-Aid Highway Program dollars than it contributed through the gas tax and other fees. This is …
Funding infrastructure repairs: Pennsylvania considers its options
Budget constraints and a bleak economic forecast are forcing Governor Tom Corbett of Pennsylvania to consider new ways to fund improvements to the state’s transportation infrastructure. The Governor’s advisory commission estimates that $2.7 billion is …
As gas tax yields less revenue, renewed focus is placed on a mileage tax
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 …
As gas tax yields less revenue, renewed focus is placed on a mileage tax
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 …
No unanimity on Illinois Tollway proposal to increase tolls
The Illinois Tollway wants to fund a $12 billion 15-year capital plan with increases in tolls. Two-thirds of the money is to keep the existing 286 miles of the Tollway in a state of good …
CAFE standard sound off
The new Corporate Average Fuel Economy standard has been released and there is no shortage of opinions on its worth. Here is a roundup of various responses to the Obama administration’s new fuel efficiency standard: …
Charged for what you use? Tennessee Commissioner of Transportation Schroer proposing pay-per-mile idea.
The downside of fuel efficiency is that fuel tax revenues decline with increased efficiency, while wear and tear on the roads does not. Tennessee is predicting it will lose tens of millions of dollars over …