Patching Potholes

IBD Editorials ^ | May 19, 2011 | Staff

[Kaslin]

Transportation: Ever wondered where that 18.4 cents-a-gallon gasoline tax goes while dodging disaster on an overcrowded and crumbling highway? Too much of that revenue is spent on nontransportation items.

Washington can collect as much as $25 billion in federal gasoline taxes a year. Ideally — and ethically — ever penny of those taxes should be spent on federal roads, repairing the old ones and building new ones where needed.

But it isn't. Only about 60% is used for federal highways and bridges. The rest is spent on whatever Washington decides it wants to use it for. Mary Peters, transportation secretary under President George W. Bush, once noted on PBS that it's spent on "special programs."

"The last highway bill that was passed," said Peters, "in the summer of 2005, contained over 6,000 of those (ear)marks, those specially designated projects."

Some of the spending is legitimate. But some of the revenues go for roads and bridges to nowhere. In many cases, Peters said, the taxes paid by motorists are funding museums, bike paths, trails and lighthouse repair.

A good chunk of the federal gasoline tax is also used to subsidize public transportation. When the tax was hiked by a nickel in 1982, a penny of that increase was committed to urban transit. Meanwhile, car commuters are struck in traffic, and ruining tires and suspensions on cracked asphalt and broken concrete.

[cripplecreek]

Well $20 million went to a system in San Fransisco that works with a phone app to help find parking spaces.

now Seattle wants it too.

http://www.king5.com/news/Drivers-getting-high-tech-help-finding-parking-121702289.html

[SpaceBar]

The highway bandits that have plagued the weary traveller throughout history are now the policy makers of government. And that is no joke.

[cripplecreek]

Riders of the people mover in Detroit pay a whopping total 7% of total operating costs. “successful” public transportation systems are rider funded at around 25%.

http://www.michigancapitolconfidential.com/14989

[JimmyMc]

Maryland want to double the toll on the Bay Bridge to $5.00, and in a couple of years to $8.00. It is supposed to go into the highway fund. You can bet it will go into the general fund. A lot of people cross the bridge both from the east side, and the west every day for their jobs. Then there are the businesses like the seafood industry and suppliers who cross the bridge multiple times a day, or with multiple trucks.
How many jobs do you think that will kill, or people becoming under employed? When will politicians realize that the average tax payers’ deep pockets aren't that deep anymore.
I'm pissed if you can't tell, and this does not really affect me directly.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Wow. I’m surprised a full 60% made it back to We The People!

Wisconsin’s last ‘Rat Governor, ‘Diamond Jim’ Doyle stole like $80 million from our state’s transportation fund! That money is gone, gone, gone...while our roads and interstate suffers.

But, by all means, demand a high-speed rail system, LOL! (New Governor Walker stopped that foolishness...for now!)

[Smokin' Joe]

But, by all means, demand a high-speed rail system, LOL

The only high speed rail system we should have would let you drive on and off the train. Then you could take your car with you so you could go where you really need to.

[Sherman Logan]

Amtrak has an auto-train from DC to Orlando area, if that’s any help.

[Explorer89]

Maryland is also raising the tolls on the Baltimore tunnels (within 2 years: $2.80 round trip for commuters) and the bridges into Cecil County. With the price of gas, a lot of commuters from Harford and Cecil have to really rethink their commuting options.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

“The only high speed rail system we should have would let you drive on and off the train. Then you could take your car with you so you could go where you really need to.”

Perfect! :)

[george76]

All states should introduce resolutions asking Washington to let the states keep the revenues from the federal gasoline tax rather than round-tripping the money around the Beltway, where it’s watered down by politics and the usual bureaucratic handling fee before it’s returned with strings attached.