Gas Taxes

Road pricing has its faults as a revenue measure, but it needs to be compared to ten elements of the current system of paying for transportation, including hidden subsidies, says Joe Cortright, an urban economist with Portland-based City Observatory.

February 4, 2019 - City Observatory

There's a potential consequence from autonomous vehicles that has mostly gone unnoticed: municipal financial ruin.

June 28, 2018 - Wired

Tolls and gas taxes—that's how Connecticut Governor Daniel P. Malloy plans on raising revenue for the state's troubled Special Transportation Fund.

February 2, 2018 - The Hartford Courant

An August 17 press release from the National Safety Council indicates the United States is on track to exceed 40,000 road deaths this year, the highest since 2007. A January NPR report links the spike to decreased gas prices.

August 19, 2015 - CNNMoney

For the first time, a new law allows Colorado's cities and counties to spend revenue raised by the state's fuel sales taxes and license plate fees on projects other than roads and bridges.

May 6, 2013 - The Denver Post

Blogger Chewie suggests a controversial idea - a tax on bicycle sales and repair to go to creating more bicycle infrastructure.

August 22, 2011 - Straight Outta Suburbia

AASHTO is pitching a replacement of the current fed excise fuel taxes with sales taxes - initially revenue neutral, but would increase with inflation, unlike stagnant excise taxes last increased in 1993. In 6 years, might raise an extra $43 billion.

October 17, 2010 - The Wall Street Journal - Business

$7 gas is necessary according to a new report if transportation emissions are to be reduced to EPA targets by 2020. What's more, providing tax credits for electric and hybrid vehicles would backfire. The report recommends steep gas tax increases.

March 8, 2010 - The New York Times - Science

In an interview, Rep. Jim Oberstar gives a retrospective of American infrastructure funding and talks about the need to consider transportation in light of the "post-interstate era."

July 26, 2009 - PBS: Blueprint America

Planetizen has teamed up with National Journal, a weekly politics and policy magazine, to explore transportation issues. As part of National Journal's Transportation Experts blog, we've asked Planetizen Interchange bloggers and National Journal's Transportation Experts whether money from the Highway Trust Fund should be used for non-highway projects like bike lanes and pedestrian walkways.

May 4, 2009 - Planetizen

A NYT editorial and NYT columnist Thomas Friedman both arrive at the same conclusion - some type of gas tax is essential for both the auto bailout and Obama's goal of greening the U.S. economy.

January 1, 2009 - The New York Times

Nobel laureate and Energy Secretary designee Steven Chu is apparently at odds with the president-elect's position on fuel prices in terms of the price signal it sends to motorists and home-buyers.

December 24, 2008 - ABC News: The Note

Sacramento Bee political columnist took three road trips through 17 states and has a few comments to make, along with some facts, about the condition of the Golden State's roads - in comparison to those he toured, and where the responsibility lies.

October 29, 2008 - The Sacramento Bee

Norway's carbon emissions have increased 15% since imposing a carbon tax in 1991, unlike neighbor's Sweden and Denmark where emissions decreased with their carbon taxes. Unlike the oil industry which became carbon-lean, Norway's drivers didn't change

October 1, 2008 - The Wall Street Journal

Implementing auto regulations and restrictions or raising the gas tax is the debate amongst the public as to how to lower air pollution from the growing car population. However, getting older cars off the road may be the most effective.

September 27, 2008 - The Wall Street Journal

Keep gas and diesel taxes stable and add new road tolls and private investment, and the road funding deficit will be solved, according to the new Bush transportation plan released July 30.

July 31, 2008 - The Wall Street Journal

At a time when highway infrastructure is already facing challenges such as the rising costs of concrete and steel, a change in driving habits is causing a major reduction in available funds.

July 29, 2008 - The Wall St. Journal

Yet another unforeseen consequence of high gasoline prices and less driving: the gas tax-funded federal highway trust fund is being depleted, putting states' highway project funding in danger.

July 22, 2008 - The Los Angeles Times

Conservative columnist Charles Krauthammer notes high gas prices are doing what Congress has taken decades to do – make the vehicle fleet more fuel efficient. He sees Congress repeating the mistake now with cap and trade - instead of gas taxes.

July 9, 2008 - The Washington Post

As drivers complain about higher gas prices, one California lawmaker is promoting a new 9 cent fee on gasoline to fund public transportation and congestion relief in Los Angeles County.

June 4, 2008 - NPR