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.
highway trust fund
Federal bill continues support for transportation programs
The new federal “omnibus” appropriation bill, enacted March 23, provides over $86 billion for the U.S. Department of Transportation, a record funding amount and an increase of almost $10 billion from U.S. DOT’s FY ‘17 funding levels. Road, transit, and rail programs all see funding increases. The FY 18 funding levels show Congress’s commitment to robust federal investment for important state and local infrastructure projects.
Oregon leads the way in addressing transportation funding challenges
Many states are facing the same challenges as the federal government, with decreasing buying power from gas tax collections and little political support for raising the tax. Oregon has decided to take steps to circumvent the transportation funding cliff by implementing a pay-per-mile program that will launch in July 2015. A new report by ODOT describes Oregon’s evolving pay-per-mile fee.
Six ideas for fixing the nations infrastructure problems.
Two writers for Governing, Russell Nichols and Ryan Holeywell, have come up with a thoughtful set of ideas, ranging from revamping the highway trust fund to empowering state and local governments to “get cities to …