Posted on 05/08/2022 12:51:49 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
Following a slowly growing national movement, Pennsylvania may be ready to try the idea of charging drivers a mileage-based fee to make up millions in transportation revenue lost to more fuel-efficient hybrid and electric cars.
Melissa J. Batula, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s acting executive deputy secretary, said the department is working with the General Assembly to draft legislation establishing fees for those who pay little or nothing toward road maintenance. That’s because the state gets about 75% of its road money from the gasoline tax.
A commission appointed last year by Gov. Tom Wolf recommended a series of steps to phase out reliance on the gasoline tax, including creating a method for hybrid and electric vehicle owners to help pay for transportation costs.
“There’s still a lot to figure out,” said Ms. Batula, adding that she is optimistic a bill can be introduced by the end of summer.
Oregon has had a voluntary program since 2015; Utah started a similar one in 2018 and Virginia followed in 2019. The federal infrastructure bill includes money for a national pilot program, but nothing has been established yet.
The problem is that states that rely on gasoline taxes for transportation funding have seen that money stagnate or in some cases decrease because of more fuel-efficient vehicles and the growing popularity of electric vehicles.
With the pandemic keeping some drivers home and the Biden administration’s multibillion-dollar push to increase charging stations to grow the number of electric vehicles, the problem is only going to get worse.
In Pennsylvania, the Wolf administration last year set a goal of phasing out the gasoline tax — among the highest in the country at 57.6 cents a gallon — and replacing it with a mileage-based fee . . .
(Excerpt) Read more at post-gazette.com ...
We have the 2nd highest gas tax in the nation and that money is supposed to go to roads and bridges. Those roads and bridges are crap thanks to our leftist infested government and their lazy ass employees.
The solution: Cut the gas tax to the lowest in nation, and really dedicate it to roads and bridges. PennDOT and the Turnpike Commission needs to be merged. No reason to have two corrupt outfits ripping off Pennsylvania residents. Then public sector unions need to be outlawed, followed by a mass firing of lazy ass government employees - starting from the top down. Reorganize PennDOT to focus on roads and bridges. Sorry, Philly. No funds for your beautifully corrupt SEPTA - you pay your own way. No funds for Amtrak. No funds for green crap. Build roads and brides and do it right.
If the lowest gas tax in the nation doesn't fund excellent roads and bridges, then cut all those social programs without raising any other taxes.
Roads and bridges are one thing that government should provide. If they can't do something as simple as that, then they shouldn't be doing anything at all.
So every highway, street, alley, graveled country lane, parking lot, driveway, or anywhere else a person is likely to drive, would become a toll road.
so they’ll control every vehicle ?
“Ve Must Restrict Zee Mobility of Zee Peasants!”
However in PA they note the mileage every time the car is inspected. Total BS….fed up with all taxes.
Too intrusive. Too Big Brother. Next.
(Thanks a lot, electric weenies.)
Such a fee would hurt service companies that must drive vehicles to locations to do their work. I know that companies like Comcast, would be paying big mileage fees because of such dim-witted policy.
How about disconnecting the odometer for half a year? If they give you a GPS, pull the fuse. F their war on private transportation!
My thoughts exactly; yet another way to screw rural areas or people who simply drive to work.
slowly but surely we are being boiled to death....
you can bet all the govt workers will get free gas or gas cards...
yep....the more fuel efficient our cars become the less tax the govt class gets so they had to do more scheming....
This is not a solution.
This is bad.
I must report my odometer reading every time I renew my Allstate insurance. PENNDOT surely records the odometer reading when I get my annual vehicle inspection, as well.
What is tharlt better?
FrogDad and I were talking about this the other day.
People in DC and other East Coast cities have public transportation options. Hell, you can drive across 3 States in an afternoon. Advocating for a per-mile fee could be almost okay there.
People in the West who have to drive 75 miles each way to some doctors appointments or 30 miles each way to a full-sized WalMart will get screwed with a per-mile fee. People in DC don’t seem to care.
Another reason they’re pushing to eradicate older, pre obd2 vehicles.
Yank your speedo cable and your odo won’t move.
all modern cars are tracking you anyway, especially EVs.
No inspections in OK......They had one when I moved here. It was just lights, mirrors, etc....But they stopped that BS.
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