Federal gas tax proposal dwarfs proposed NJ increase
January 15th 2008 09:25 am
Transit Panel Urges Gas Tax Increase
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: January 15, 2008
Filed at 9:03 a.m. ETWASHINGTON (AP) — A special commission is urging the government to raise federal gasoline taxes by as much as 40 cents per gallon over five years as part of a sweeping overhaul designed to ease traffic congestion and repair the nation’s decaying bridges and roads.
The two-year study being released Tuesday by the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission, the first to recommend broad changes after the devastating bridge collapse in Minneapolis last August, warns that urgent action is needed to avoid future disasters.
Under the recommendation, the current tax of 18.4 cents per gallon for unleaded gasoline would be increased annually for five years — by anywhere from 5 cents to 8 cents each year — and then indexed to inflation afterward to help fix the infrastructure, expand public transit and highways as well as broaden railway and rural access, according to persons with direct knowledge of the report, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the report is not yet public.
The report also calls for rebuilding and expanding the national rail network to meet a growing demand for alternatives to congested highways.
Continuing to apply patches to the nation’s aging infrastructure is ”no longer acceptable,” and without dramatic changes, ”the nation’s system of transportation will further deteriorate,” according to the report, portions of which were read to the AP.
Bob Scheurle responded on 15 Jan 2008 at 11:10 am #
Final report available here:
http://www.transportationfortomorrow.org/final_report/
Eine Kleine Multi-level responded on 22 Jan 2008 at 1:55 am #
This commission currently describes the USA’s current surface transportation system as “the best…in the world”. Interesting basis to start from.
Has Corzine become brave enough to work towards an increase in NJ’s state gas tax? Certainly by comparison, the federal government certainly does not have the strength of character to increase the federal gasoline tax, especially with regard to the impact it would have on present retail prices (oh my, we’ll have to pay the same price per gallon as the Europeans were paying in the 80s and 90s).