The Hill »
A study by the U.S. Congressional Budget Office (CBO) found charging drivers for direct highway usage through tolling, a vehicle miles traveled (VMT) fee or tax, or congestion pricing would be an effective alternative to the federal gas tax, which has not been increased since 1993. The full CBO report can be found here.
Delaware Senator Tom Carper has proposed legislation to increase the federal gas tax by four cents per year for the next four years to increase the federal gas tax from 18.4 cents to 34.4 cents per gallon, approximately the rate it would be if indexed to inflation. According to a 2011 report by the U.S. Department of Energy, a federal gas tax rate of 53 cents per gallon would be second to the lowest gas tax worldwide.
The U.S. Department of Transportation released a report forecasting transportation and infrastructure needs over the next 30 years. This article provides a few highlights from the report.
Associated Press/Union-Tribune San Diego »
A report by the Obama Administration estimates and raises questions about transportation and infrastructure needs over the next 30 years.
The Ontario Auditor General’s recent annual report found that by using public-private partnerships (P3s) on public infrastructure projects Ontarians paid $8 billion more than if traditional public funding had been used. While other Auditors General in Canada have raised questions about P3s, this is the first time an Auditor General specifically questions the fundamental methodology that rationalizes the use of P3s.
A report by the Eno Center for Transportation compares the current U.S. method for transportation funding against five other countries, and finds that the current use of a Highway Trust Fund may not be the best way to fund transportation programs. The full report can be downloaded here.