About 70 percent of the FAA’s funding comes from charges related to use, while the TSA covers only about a third of its costs with user fees. A stronger user-based system, one economist argues, would be fairer, would direct resources where they are most needed, and would protect the system from uncertainty in Washington.
revenue
SSTI Report on State and Local Transportation Revenue Sources (SSTI, 2013)
This SSTI report examines innovative, sustainable transportation funding models to assist decision-makers in identifying policies and practices to augment the current fuel tax revenue system. The report provides a broad account of these funding methods, where they have been implemented or proposed, and identifies state laws, policies, and practices that permit state DOTs and local governments to pursue a more sustainable funding model. The report, completed with the participation of North Carolina DOT, as well as Arizona, Illinois,Tennessee, Vermont, and Washington DOTs, suggests ways multiple revenue sources might be packaged to support and maintain transportation systems.
Can we talk? How to communicate on transportation issues
Talking to the public or elected officials about transportation policy and funding can be difficult. AASHTO and blogger Lloyd Brown have some tips for crafting and delivering your message.
On the Move State Strategies for 21st Century Transportation Solutions (National Conference of State Legislatures, 2012)
This report explores a wide array of innovative surface transportation reform laws, policies and programs that policymakers are considering or pursuing to take the nation’s transportation system well into the 21st century. Particular focus is placed on policies that promote fiscal and environmental sustainability; facilitate affordable, safe and accessible transportation choices; and achieve shared benefits such as improved public health and economic development.
Who Pays for Roads in Wisconsin? (1000 Friends of Wisconsin and COWS, 2011)
Transportation is one of the biggest-ticket items for state and local government. The cost is high, and so is misunderstanding of who pays for what. Taxpayers cover costs that should be borne by road users and these …
A transportation engineer rethinks congestion pricing
Congestion pricing in New York City should be easy; there are only bridges and tunnels to get into the most congested areas of the city, and many already have tolls. Access is limited, and transit is plentiful once commuters arrive in congested Manhattan. But political pressures from the outer boroughs and anti-tax sentiments defeated efforts to implement congestion pricing in 2008. Now a veteran transportation engineer has offered a new plan that could be more popular in the suburbs and still provide incentives to find alternatives to driving into the central business district.
“30/10″ Plan: The right track for transportation
According to Charles Chieppo of the Harvard Kennedy School, Los Angeles County appears eager to learn from mistakes made in transportation funding over the last twenty years — such as the Boston “Big Dig” highway …
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 …
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 …