Transportation groups call for national VMT (vehicle miles traveled) program

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Transportation groups call for national VMT program

Published April 16, 2021

Chris Teale
Reporter

Dive Brief:

• A collection of transportation and labor groups have joined businesses and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in a joint letter to U.S. House of Representatives and Senate leaders calling for a national vehicle miles traveled (VMT) program to pay for infrastructure fixes.

• In a letter to House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chair Peter DeFazio and Ranking Member Sam Graves, and U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works Chair Tom Carper and Ranking Member Shelley Moore Capito, the groups warned that the reliance on the federal gas tax to keep the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) solvent is unsustainable, as tax receipts do not keep pace with new fuel efficiency and vehicle electrification.

• Instead, the signees call for a national VMT program that would replace all current gas taxes and fees, building on a federal grant program that has looked to foster similar schemes at the state level. A national system — which they said should have provisions around data collection, equity, interoperability and costs — could be tested first by federal and state fleets, including by the U.S. Postal Service.

Dive Insight:

The letter's signees, which include the American Public Transportation Association, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, the Governors Highway Safety Association and the Intelligent Transportation Society of America, say the current system of using regular transfers from the General Fund to keep the HTF solvent is not a long-term solution. They note that Congress has authorized transfers totaling $158 billion since 2008.

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[FoxNewsSucks]

1. They're not seeing the answer

"the current system of using regular transfers from the General Fund to keep the HTF solvent is not a long-term solution. They note that Congress has authorized transfers totaling $158 billion since 2008."

It would be a long-term solution if they'd just make billionaires and corporations pay taxes. Then there would be plenty of money to keep making those and increased transfers.

[Mary in S. Carolina]

2. This is a Tax on the Middle Class and is Regressive

1. Why don't we pay for airports by taxing the number miles a person flies per year?

2. Why don't we pay for schools by taxing the number of children you have?

3. Why don't we pay for environmental clean by taxing on how much a person or company pollutes?

4. Why don't we pay for stadiums by taxing how many sporting events attended?



This is a ridiculous regressive tax - any Democrat that is for this tax needs to be voted out of office.

[jimfields33]

3. I'm sorry, but this sucks.

Average American drives 12,000 a year at 50 cents a mile is 600 bucks at least every year. Can people afford this? The government can.

[padfun]

4. You mean $6000

Unless you meant 5 cents per mile.

[jimfields33]

6. Even worse. I do not think the populous should be paying this.

Thankfully President Biden said no taxes for 400K and above. I know this isn’t a tax but it’s sure going to feel like it.

[MichMan]

8. How is it anything but a tax?

[Finishline42]

9. To begin with

It wouldn't be $.50 a mile. Current gas taxes are $18.4/gal Fed and just looking for a midpoint - approx $.25/gal at the state level. If you drove 15,000 miles and got 25mpg that would be 600 gal per year x $.434 gas tax = $260.40

But it would mean that the people that use the roads pay to build and maintain them.

You could declare your mileage when you register your vehicle each year and then when you sold or traded it you would have to make up the difference between what you claimed and what the true mileage was.

But it should also be different rates depending on weight and number of axels. Have a couple of different engineering schools study the wear and tear and break it down into classes.

Taxing based on weight and miles might move people to smaller cars and closer to work (or work from home) to save money.

[Mary in S. Carolina]

5. Why would any Democrat

put their name on this junk. I think the Oligarchs need to pay the tax because we are driving on these roads to get to work to make them wealthy.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

7. I knew that made too much sense. NT