In 2013, the Massachusetts Legislature passed a transportation funding bill that included a three cent gas tax increase, and authorization to link the gas tax with the Consumer Price Index allowing for an annual gas tax increase based on inflation rates. On November 4, 2014, voters passed a repeal of the gas tax indexing legislation. Transportation officials estimate a loss of $1 billion in revenue that would have funded transportation infrastructure projects. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) recently found that more than half of the Commonwealth’s bridges are structurally deficient. State officials are concerned about public safety due to deferred maintenance of the state’s bridges and roads cause by lack of funding.
