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Fred Barnes: Americans Mainly Want to Stay in Their Cars
After yesterday's electoral drubbing, the Obama administration will have to deal with a starkly different Congress when they make their expected push for a multi-year transportation bill early next year. We know that some influential House Republicans, like John Mica, don't necessarily believe that bigger highways will solve America's transportation problems. And we know that some pro-transit voices in Washington originate from the right. But no one expects the GOP ascendancy to make transportation reform any easier.
November 3, 2010
New Report Examines the Media’s Role in the Gas Tax Debate
The
success of state-level plans to increase gas taxes is tied to the
media's portrayal of the proposals in question, with narratives tied to
"crumbling infrastructure" and "economic progress" showing more success
than those emphasizing long-term transportation budget gaps, according
to a new report released by the University of Vermont's Transportation
Research Center (TRC).
May 26, 2010
Tracing the Fault Lines Between Public and Private Transit Operators
Should private transit companies enjoy the same federal gas tax
exemption that many public operators receive? How does the existence of
private inter-city bus service affect the government's development of
new high-speed rail lines? And does it matter that private transit firms
are eligible for public subsidies, even if at a much smaller rate than
public rail and bus agencies?
May 25, 2010
Kerry on Senate Climate Bill: Federal Gas Tax is Staying at 18.4 Cents
The several dozen transportation industry groups that raised questions about where the upcoming Senate climate change bill would send proceeds from its new “linked fee” on carbon fuels can stop worrying — because it looks like the legislation won’t contain any new tax on motor fuels. Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) (Photo: Getty) As Sen. John … Continued
April 21, 2010
Former U.S. DOT Chief on the Worst-Case Scenario: 4 Years of Extensions
To a certain extent, hope springs eternal in federal transportation
circles. Even as state DOTs and metropolitan planning organizations
operate under the latest in a series of extensions of the
2005 law that governs road, transit, and bike-ped spending, few are
willing to envision a future in which new legislation doesn't pass by
next year.
April 19, 2010
‘Gas Tax’ Sounding Like a Four-Letter Word to the White House and Senate
Transportation groups of all shapes and sizes have been
concerned that the Senate's forthcoming climate bill could set back
the prospects for a federal transportation measure by imposing extra
carbon fees on Big Oil -- which would then be passed on to
customers at the pump, effectively increasing the gas tax for purposes
other than funding new infrastructure projects.
April 16, 2010
Nevada Becomes Newest Battleground in Mileage Tax Debate
Nevada’s state DOT is in the early stages of a years-long study aimed at mapping a possible transition from the gas tax to a vehicle miles traveled (VMT) fee, a shift urged last year by a congressionally chartered panel on infrastructure financing and encouraged by Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR). In-vehicle GPS units, such as the … Continued
April 9, 2010
LaHood Faces Off With GOP Senator Over High-Speed Rail, Livability
When Cabinet secretaries appear in front of Congress' appropriations
committees, which control the annual budgets for each federal agency,
the proceedings tend to be dry affairs dominated by local concerns and
arcane fiscal debates.
March 4, 2010
Could a New Kind of Fuel Tax Help Break the Senate Climate Deadlock?
Even before the Senate environment panel pushed through a GOP protest to approve
its climate change bill, Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Joe Lieberman
(I-CT), and John Kerry (D-MA) were working behind the scenes on a
so-called "tripartisan" plan that can win enough votes in Congress' upper chamber to make nationwide emissions cuts a reality.
March 1, 2010
The Gas Tax Versus a VMT Tax: Is ‘All of the Above’ an Option?
(Chart: Oregon DOT) The prospect of an eventual move away from the gas tax and towards a fee on vehicle miles traveled (VMT) has sparked consternation from some well-known bloggers this week, with Matt Yglesias asserting that “a VMT [tax] has no advantages whatsoever over higher gasoline taxes” and Andrew Samwick suggesting that declining fuel … Continued
February 10, 2010