Survey Finds Growing Support for a Mileage Fee Over the Gas Tax

"Nearly half of Americans think it’s time to rethink how we fund our road infrastructure by switching from a federal gas tax — which theoretically rewards drivers for choosing greener cars, but doesn’t always deter excessive driving itself — and replacing it with a tax based on how many miles drivers actually travel," according to an article by Kea Wilson.

Wilson is sharing the findings of newly released survey findings from the Mineta Transportation Institute. "Forty-five percent of respondents said they would prefer a flat mileage fee to a gas tax, while 49 percent said they’d prefer a 'green' mileage fee that charges drivers of high-polluting cars a little more, and drivers of more-efficient cars a little less — the highest levels of support the researchers have found in the 10 years since the survey began," explains Wilson.

The article includes a thorough explanation of the gas tax, the fragile and perpetually threatened state of the Highway Trust Fund, and the benefits of changing for Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT).