Fuel Taxes

On December 3, I had the opportunity to address the Maine Transportation Conference in Augusta, an annual event sponsored by the Maine Better Transportation Association, the Maine Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers and the Maine Department of Transportation. I spoke about state transportation funding activities in 2015. Here’s an edited version of my remarks.

Eight states—Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Michigan, Nebraska, South Dakota, Utah and Washington—raised their gas taxes in 2015. Two other states—Kentucky and North Carolina—made adjustments to their gas tax mechanisms to make revenues more reliable. The state of Delaware meanwhile enacted legislation to raise several vehicle and license fees in order to fund road repair and maintenance. And states such as Maine and Texas approved ballot measures that will result in more money going to transportation. All that activity surpassed 2013 when six states produced major transportation revenue packages. But despite all that activity and despite the fact that 2015 could see Congress approve a new long-term federal transportation bill, 2016 also could see a large number of states join the club, particularly if many of those states that have come close in recent years or have had processes in place to examine revenue options end up moving forward. Here’s a roundup of the states to watch in transportation funding next year and some additional resources where you can read more.

As I wrote last week, Tuesday was a big Election Day for transportation in a number of places around the country. Statewide ballot measures, for example, won approval in Maine and Texas and local measures were approved in Seattle, two Colorado towns and a handful of Utah counties. But it wasn’t just at the ballot box that transportation was a focus of policy decisions. The U.S. House of Representatives worked their way toward passage of a long-term transportation bill. And Michigan lawmakers approved a long-in-the-works, $1.2 billion road funding bill that includes the eighth gas tax increase approved by a state this year. Here’s a roundup of transportation-related election results and updates on some of this week’s other key transportation developments.

While 2015 may be an off-year for elections in most states, it has the potential to be an important one for transportation in a variety of places. Here’s a roundup of how transportation is factoring into this year’s key state contests and ballot measures.

With August drawing to a close, it’s time to check in once again on what states are up to on the transportation funding front. The number of states to increase their gas taxes this year now stands at seven with the addition of Washington State last month. Other states could be poised to join their ranks in the months ahead. Here’s a roundup of some of the latest developments and links where you can read more.

The city of Denver and state of Colorado have seen their share of transportation successes in recent years thanks in large measure to regional cooperation, federal investment, a 2004 tax increase, partnerships with the private sector and some innovative thinking. But the city and state face numerous challenges in the years ahead that will severely test the transportation system, notably a burgeoning population, stagnant federal investment and limits to increasing taxes at the state level. Those were some of the messages state and local officials delivered to a group of state legislators from eight states at the CSG West Transportation Forum last month in Denver.

Eight state legislators from around the country, many of them transportation committee chairs or vice chairs in their respective states, attended the 5^th Annual CSG Transportation Leaders Policy Academy May 11-13, 2015 in Washington, D.C. The academy, which took place during Infrastructure Week, included a tour of transportation projects in Northern Virginia, a keynote address by Maryland Secretary of Transportation Pete Rahn, a luncheon at the D.C. office of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), a standing-room-only briefing for Capitol Hill staffers on the importance of continuing federal transportation investment to state and local officials, a conversation with officials at the U.S. Department of Transportation, a dinner with representatives of two of the largest transportation-related membership associations—the American Road & Transportation Builders Association and the American Public Transportation Association and a briefing on the status of state exploration of mileage-based user fees. Attendees also took part in a transportation policy roundtable with representatives of ASCE, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Transportation for America, the Eno Center for Transportation, the American Trucking Associations and UPS. Finally, the legislators were able to take part in Infrastructure Week activities including Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill. This page includes photos from the three-day academy, the complete agenda for the event and links to web pages where you can read extended excerpts of remarks from many of the speakers.