Category Archives: funding

INTERIM. 2 New Texas Special District for Transportation Funding.

What local governments  created a new special district for transportation funding? Weatherford & South Padre Island with Cameron Cunty

What is the goal of the new special district? spur development along the Interstate 20 corridor in Weatherford & improve Padre Boulevard

How will the new special districts funding work? 

  • Property tax revenue continues collection 
  • the local governments will designate to the TIRZ fund a portion of the  additional property tax revenues as…

Lege Trend: How to Speed up Road Projects from the East

What state is legilatively speeding up transportation projects? Georgia

What type of road projects qualify for the quicker time line? Road & airport projects that are fully state funded and cost less than $100 million

What makes the projects move faster? Fully state funded projects can waive environmental reporting requirements when determining the potential impact of a proposed road project.

Are there exceptions to the environmental speed up? Yes, projecs that could impact…

TRENDING. 5 Recommendations from a Transportation Task Force. Hint: Gas Tax not Sustainable.

Which state’s transportation system was studied? Washington State

Who sat on this task force? 16 regional civic, business and government leaders

What did the task force recommend:

  • Regional solutions to big traffic problems like in the puget Sound Area
  • The gas tax is not sustainable source of funding due to fuel efficiency
  • Recommend a fee on miles driven as a fair and equitable funding solution
    • Compared a fee on miles driven to utilty usage. 
      • ““Like utilities, like your phone…

Transportation Funding via Tax the 1% on the East Coast. 3 Bits Informed Intel.

  • Every state needs more transportation dollars, which sparked Massachusettes to consider a ballot question of a millionaires tax
  • The tax would be an additional 4 percent tax on individuals’ incomes over $1 million
  • Tax revenues would be split between transportation and education

Boston.com | Advocates eye ‘millionaire’s tax’ for new transportation funding

TREND: Local tax increases for Transportation.

What state is considering allowing local entities to rise taxes for transportation? Massachusettes

What states do they point to that are already allowing local entities to raise sales taxes for transportation projects? California, Colorado, Ohio

What would the MA bill do? Require a local ballot before raising sales taxes that would be solely dedicated to local transportation projects

What are example local transportation projects?  fix local roads, expand rail service and create more…

Vehicle Miles Traveled Road Funding. + 1 State & its a huge state.

What state is now considering to join Oregon with a vehicle miles traveled tax?

California

What are supporter arguments?

  • California has athe 45th worst roads in the country
  • Bad roads cost Californians $44 billion/year
  • Gas consumption peaked in 2005, making gas taxes an unreliable funding source
  • USC study shows a 2.1 cents per mile traveled tax can replace all of the revenue gained from the current state excise and sales taxes on gasoline

Tax Foundation | The VMT tax: A solution to…

Trend: Pay for Bridge Repair with Truck Tax

Which state wants to trucks to pay a bridge toll? Rhode Island

What got Rhode Island to this point where bridge repair requires a bridge toll? Rhode Islands bridges are in the worst shape in the country. 23% of its bridges need structural repair, that’s the highest in the U.S.

What justifications are lawakers offering to toll truckers?

  •  Trucks account for 70% of the damage to roads
  • Trucks pay about 20% of the cost of road

What numbers will the toll produce?

  • $20 on large commercial…

Western State to Lower Gas Tax. 3 Bits Informed Intel.

  • California is set to reduce its gas tax by 2.2cents.
  • How did California get here? To keep budgeter hands off California general revenue when paying off transportation bonds, Gov. Schwarzenegger and his Legislature “swapped the state’s sales tax on transportation fuel for an equivalent “gallonage tax.”’
  •  each 1-cent adjustment to the tax is worth about $149.2 million