Monthly Archives: January 2015

Funding Trend: Adieu Gas Tax

Georgia House unveiled a transportation funding plan this week which:

  • Eliminates the Georgia gas tax and replaces it with a 29.2 cents per gallon excise tax
    • Including a 6-cents-per-gallon local excise tax on gasoline, subject to public votes in cities and counties
  • Create an alternative vehicle fee
    • Annual vehicle assessment on electric-, propane- and natural gas-powered vehicles – but not hybrids – of $300 for commercial vehicles and $200…

Private Public Partnerships- Good. Privately Owned Toll Roads- Bad.

One transportation & eminent domain bill is very popular: HB 565 by Burkett. The bill revokes eminent domain authority from a private toll company. 

Here’s why Burkett says it is important: 

  • The problem is a private company overseeing a project with eminent domain authority (hello, pipelines, are you listening?)
  • If property is taken for public needs, it should be “fair and transparent”
  • Toll roads are wearing out their welcome
  • It will b…

Transportation Funding Reforms Empower Texas Style

How would Empower Texas improve transportation funding? By doing this:

  • reduce motor fuels sales tax diversions, which will trigger:
    • eliminating non-essential programs and agencies
    • dedicating future revenue streams to transportation
    • reforming the budgeting process to prioritize core conservative principles
    • enacting stricter spending growth limits
  • extend 2014’s Prop 1 spending restrictions to ALL STATE FUNDS for use…

Electronic Road Enforcement? Bill Says No.

One of the most elegant amendments in recent years was the amendment authorizing red light cameras. The amendment made no mention of red light cameras, cameras, or electronic enforcement.

SB 340 wants to be the final nail in the coffin to all electronic traffic enforcement and electronic license plate readers. The bill by Senator Huffines would end fines & violations based on these electr…

Cali DMV Throws Wrench into Ride Share Regulations. Oh, Uber. Oh, Lyft. Oh, My.

California DMV issued an advisory that any time a car transports people for compensation, the car requires a commercial registration. Today the Ubers and Lyfts of California do not have commercial registration for their peer-to-peer ride-sharing.

Lyft responded by explaining that treating ride share companies like taxis undermines rules established by the California Utilities Commission. 

In 2013 Governor Brown signed a compromise measure on insurance coverage required by r…

Chair Houghton: Roadways Still Need More Funding Options

What transportation funding options does Texas have:

  • Bond issues
  • Public-private partnerships and
  • Massive voter support last November for using $1.7 billion from the state’s Rainy Day Fund

TXDOT Chairman Houghton says it’s not enough. What options did he offer:

  • He avoided talk of the gas tax
  • He supports solutions that “will require new thinking, planning and new funding.”

Posted byadminPosted infunding, roads