Category Archives: funding

Transportation Bonds. Bipartisan Support. Centennial State.

Colorado legislature is gaining bipartisan support for fudning state transportation via bonds. The info you need:

  • Colorado is falling behind on transportation funding every year
  • A Republican, chair of Senate Transportation Committee, has a $5.5 billion bond package that would require voter approval
  • The bond package has bipartisan support
  • The bond package does not dedicate funding for bond service
  • Some opposition is rooted in future budget writers will have less revenue to compensate for…

Calhoun Port Authority, Port Expansion. 3 Reasons Why.

Calhoun Port Authority is adding a new ship pier for these reasons:

  • Matagorda Bay has been an active port for 400 yhears
  • Matagorda Bay needs to accomodate larger ships and this pier will accomodate ships up to 145 feet wide and 900 feet long
  • Economic Development. Economic Development. Economic Development

Funding for the project includes a federal cost share agreement with the Army Corps of Engineers.

Victoria Advocate | Port expansion will help regional economy

Fund Transportation with a Dedicated Tax Mitigated by Tax Cuts Elsewhere. 2 Key Pieces of Info

New Jersey Legislature passed a 23 cent gas tax increase to fund transportation. 

What do I need to know about the 23 cent tax gas increase?

  • Offset by other tax cuts ($16 billion or $1.4 billion depending who you ask)
    • elimination of the estate tax
    • cuts the sales from 7 cents to 6.625 cents
    • increased tax benefits for the working poor and veterans
  • Also created a 4 member transportation project approval board consisting of:
    • Governor appointees
    • Senate President appointee
    • Speaker…

Neighbor to the East has a Governor's Task Force on Transportation Infrastructure Investment

What is Louisiana’s Governor’s Task Force on Transportation Infrastructure Investment​ doing these days?

  • Appointed in June
  • Goal is to reduce the state’s $12.7 billion transportation backlog

What ideas has the Task Force received from local leaders?

  •  Higher gas tax with different rates for commercial users and individuals
  • Interstate Tolls

The Advertiser | Gas tax, tolls suggested to fund La. transportation needs

Study Says Best Long Term Highway Funding Mechanism is Mileage Charge

The researchers: School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis & IndyGo

The study:“State and federal fuel taxes: The road ahead for U.S. infrastructure funding” published in January 2017 Journal of Transport Policy 

The reasons why a vehicle mileage tax is the best long term transportation funding source:

  • fuel tax revenues decline with no adjustment for inflation
  • taxing vehicle mileage avoids long term revenue declines

Indiana…

4 Points of Import. Texas Ports. New Panama Canal

Texas energy exports: The 1st oil and gas export left the Port of Corpus Christi earlier this year

Energy exports will benefit from the new Panama Canal with its 50 foot drafts.

How the new Panama Canal sets up a quagmire for Texas: Texas ports can only handle a draft of 45 feet.

The funding issue: Most coastal states fund Port maintenance and expansion. Texas does not. It uses user fees and some local property taxes. The cost to expand the Port of Houston is $55-$60 million.

Energy…

Federal Grant to Test Alternative to Gas Tax

Which state received this federal grant? Delaware  Department of Transportation

What alternative to the gas tax is Delaware testing? Mileage based tax

Grant amount: $1.49 million federal grant

Are other states involved?  yes, 5 Atlantic Coast states are testing a mileage based transportation funding mechanism

What does the pilot program look like?

  • Transportation officials will track the driving habits of 50 volunteer Delaware motorists
  • The goal is to assess a charge based…

1 State. Filling Gas Tax Hole with Tax on Hybrid and Electric Cars. 3 Points to Know.

The state: Maine

The tax proposal: Fill the $168 million annual gas tax hole with a tax on hybrid and electric cars

What opponents say:

  • A tax on hybrids and electric cars is not enough to fill the $168 million annual shortfall
  • Bonds are a tool, but shouldn’t be relied on for road and bridge maintenance

Bangor Daily News | Contibution by Transportation Committee Chair | Taxing hybrids and electric cars alone won’t solve Maine’s road funding problem

Transportation Utility Fees. TX Cities impose it. More TX cities considering it.

Which cities impost a transportation utility fee? Austin, Bryan, Corpus Christi

How is the transportation utility fee imposed? On a water bill

What does the transportation utility fee mitigate? Lessens reliance on on general funds for roadway maintenance and improvements

What city is considering it & how much revenue is anticpated? Killeen anticipates $4.9million in revenue.

The Final Vote by Killeen? Killeen is a solid NO on transportation utility fee

Killeen Daily Herald…