Title: Let’s Talk Dollars and Sense: Florida’s Case to Fund Infrastructure with Mileage-based User Fees
Abstract: This article describes how previous research stated that most experts recognize that the current fuel taxing regime will not be sustainable in the long term because of increased fuel efficiencies and the growing concerns for energy and climate change. Meanwhile, the aging national transportation infrastructure is reaching its planned service life and is in desperate need of maintenance, repair, and in some cases, complete overhaul. Fuel taxes, which are assessed on a per gallon basis, have been the major source of transportation funding for the past century. Despite increasing travel demand, aging infrastructure, soaring construction, operation and maintenance costs, and improved fleet economy, the federal fuel tax rates have remained the same since 1993. Given the concerns over the future of highway funding, it is critical that a new roadway user charge based on the actual vehicle miles traveled (VMT) be explored. Per mile fees are the fairest and most logical method to fund crumbling roadways for all motorists, regardless of vehicle type or fuel efficiency and recent polling shows growing public support for tolling charges in lieu of tax increases. The article describes how the state of Florida is transitioning from a fuel-based tax to a VMT fee. The establishment of a mileage-based charge, which collects all other fees such as registration, annual renewals, titles, etc., can provide transportation efficiencies, save on costs, and help rebuild the Highway Trust Fund (HTF).
Publication Year: 2012
Publication Date: 2012-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
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