Dr. Eowyn posted: " Long neglected by drowning-in-debt federal and state
governments, America's physical infrastructure of roads, highways, bridges,
and dams is crumbling. Yesterday, reversing a long-standing federal
prohibition on most interstate tolling, in a 4-year" Respond to this
post by replying above this line
New post on *Fellowship of the Minds*
<http://fellowshipoftheminds.com/author/eowyn2/> Coming soon: Tolls on
interstate
highways<http://fellowshipoftheminds.com/2014/04/30/coming-soon-tolls-on-interstate-highways/>
by
Dr. Eowyn <http://fellowshipoftheminds.com/author/eowyn2/>
[image: US Interstate highway
system]<http://fellowshipofminds.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/us-interstate-highway-system.gif>
Long neglected by drowning-in-debt federal and state governments, America's
physical infrastructure of roads, highways, bridges, and dams is crumbling.
Yesterday, *reversing a long-standing federal prohibition on most
interstate tolling*, in a 4-year $302 billion White House transportation
bill, *the Obama administration opened the door for states to collect tolls
on interstate highways.*
Ashley Halsey III reports for the *Washington
Post*<http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/white-house-opens-door-to-tolls-on-interstate-highways-removing-long-standing-prohibition/2014/04/29/5d2b9f30-cfac-11e3-b812-0c92213941f4_story.html>,
April 29, 2014, that *the traditional funding source for interstate road
repair, the 18.4-cent federal gas tax* provided by the Highway Trust
Fund<http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/dr-gridlock/wp/2014/04/15/usdot-highway-fund-almost-too-low-to-pay-bills/>,
can no longer meet the need. That's because the federal gas tax *has eroded
steadily as vehicles have become more energy efficient.*
*Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx* said the highway trust fund would
face a $63 billion shortfall over the next four years, and that the fund
"could run dry” by this August. “States are already canceling or delaying
projects because of the uncertainty.”
While providing tolling as an option to states, the White House proposal
relies on funding from a series of corporate tax reforms, most of them
one-time revenue streams that would provide a four-year bridge to close the
trust-fund deficit and permit $150 billion more in spending than the gas
tax will bring in.
But the corporate tax reform proposal has gotten a lukewarm reception even
from Democrats in Congress. With the trust fund about to run into the red
and the current federal highway bill set to expire Sept. 30, Congress
cannot — as it is wont to do — keep “kicking the can down the road.”
Obama had first
outlined<http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/federal-eye/wp/2014/03/04/transportation-budget-seeks-revenue-for-rapidly-dwindling-highway-fund/>the
proposal for states to collect tolls on interstate highways almost two
months ago. The proposal would:
- Leave it to states to decide whether they want to toll their
interstates.
- Any new interstate tolling plans would have to be approved by the U.S.
secretary of transportation.
- Priority would be given to repair of existing roadways and bridges,
before any expansion of network.
- Expand popular loan-guarantee programs that have been used by state
and local governments to fund projects.
- Double the funding — from $12.3 billion to $22.3 billion — for transit
systems and intercity passenger rail.
- Increase the fine an automaker could face for a safety violation from
the current $35 million to $300 million.
Terry O’Sullivan, president of the Laborers’ International Union of North
America, favors a federal gas tax increase as “the most tested and logical
way of meeting our critical investment needs." The last time the federal
gas tax was raised was in 1993 and has not been adjusted for inflation.
James Corless, director of the nonprofit Transportation for
America<http://t4america.org/>,
predicted that most Americans would accept tax increases to fund
transportation. “When people understand where the dollars are being spent,
the direct impact to their lives, they support paying their fair share.”
*~Eowyn*
*Dr. Eowyn <http://fellowshipoftheminds.com/author/eowyn2/>* | April 30,
2014 at 1:00 pm | Tags: Anthony
Foxx<http://fellowshipoftheminds.com/?tag=anthony-foxx>,
federal gas tax <http://fellowshipoftheminds.com/?tag=federal-gas-tax>, Highway
Trust Fund <http://fellowshipoftheminds.com/?tag=highway-trust-fund>,
Transportation
Bill <http://fellowshipoftheminds.com/?tag=transportation-bill>, transportation
secretary <http://fellowshipoftheminds.com/?tag=transportation-secretary> |
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