Blumenauer Proposes VMT Legislation

Vehicle-Miles-Traveled (VMT) fees have been ruled out by the president, and while studied and even implemented (on a trial basis) at the state level, have been hampered by the privacy issue. But Oregon Congressman Earl Blumenauer is not dissuaded.

2 minute read

December 17, 2012, 11:00 AM PST

By Irvin Dawid


Blumenauer's bill, H.R. 6662, is not a VMT fee bill but a VMT 'study' bill, and it would be the Treasury Dept. that does the studying. Introduced on Dec. 13, it would require that other funding options be studied as well.

Pete Kasperowicz writes that according to Blumenauer, "$48 billion has been moved from the General Fund to the Highway Trust Fund over the last four years, but that the fund needs another $15 billion a year — on top of the gas taxes already collected — just to stay at 2009 funding levels."

As noted here, there was talk that the 'dreaded fiscal cliff' could spur consideration of a gas tax increase because of that $15 billion annual drain on the nation's dreaded fund' - talk which appears to have gone nowhere.

Kasperowicz references his March 24, 2011 article, "CBO: Taxing mileage a 'practical option' for revenue enhancement" where he described CBO's, "Alternative Approaches To Funding Highways" (PDF) report.  "The report discussed the (VMT fee) proposal in great detail, including the development of technology that would allow total vehicle miles traveled (VMT) to be tracked, reported and taxed, as well as the pros and cons of mandating the installation of this technology in all vehicles", he wrote at that time.

Kasperowicz also references a 2011 draft transportation bill where the Obama administration appeared to support study of a VMT fee - a position he has clearly backed away from in 2009, unlike Rep. Bill Shuster, (R-PA), the incoming chair of the House Transportation Committee, who according to Bloomberg Business Week said that "a vehicle-miles tax, raising the gasoline tax, tolling and public-private partnerships should be among options Congress considers to close the (funding/spending) gap."

As for the major obstacle of implementing VMT fee proposals, protecting personal privacy by not tracking where motorists drive, according to Oregon Live, "Despite privacy concerns, Blumenauer said a national system would be convenient for drivers, protected personal privacy and easily administrable."

Friday, December 14, 2012 in The Hill's Floor Action Blog

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

June 25, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Western U.S. indicating public lands that would be for sale under a Senate plan in yellow and green.

Map: Where Senate Republicans Want to Sell Your Public Lands

For public land advocates, the Senate Republicans’ proposal to sell millions of acres of public land in the West is “the biggest fight of their careers.”

June 19, 2025 - Outdoor Life

Person wearing mask walking through temporary outdoor dining setup lined with bistro lights at dusk in New York City.

Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?

Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.

June 19, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Close-up of full beer glass with purple train-themed design sitting on bar between two frosty tall cans.

Platform Pilsner: Vancouver Transit Agency Releases... a Beer?

TransLink will receive a portion of every sale of the four-pack.

June 30 - Cities Today

Vintage red Toronto streetcar passing in front of Rogers Arena in Toronto, Canada.

Toronto Weighs Cheaper Transit, Parking Hikes for Major Events

Special event rates would take effect during large festivals, sports games and concerts to ‘discourage driving, manage congestion and free up space for transit.”

June 30 - blogTO

Map of Berlin with ring roads in green and red.

Berlin to Consider Car-Free Zone Larger Than Manhattan

The area bound by the 22-mile Ringbahn would still allow 12 uses of a private automobile per year per person, and several other exemptions.

June 30 - Streetsblog USA

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.