Category Archives: funding

Funding State Transportation Projects via Ride Share Tax. Deep in the Old South.

The State: Virginia

The ride share tax: extending state and regional sales taxes to ride services

The ride share tax revenues will be dedicated to: 

  • “$21 million a year for mass transit systems across Virginia, replacing the use of state-backed bonds to pay for new buses”
  • $154 million a year for the ailing Washington-area Metro system
  • ” one-time bond payment of $50 million as Virginia’s share of a $150 million pledge with Maryland and Washington to collect an equal share of federal funding…

Lege TREND. Gas Tax for School Transportation. 3 Key Points. Read the Bill.

The State: Kentucky

The gas tax proposal, House Bill 211:

  • 3 cents
  • rebranded from “gas tax” increase to “school transportation funding fee”
  • the new funds will be specifically dedicated to school transportation

The revenue estimates from a 3 cent school transporation fee in Kentucky:

  • $90 million in new revenue
  • $30 million to be used for bonds for new buses
  • the remaining $60 million will go to the state’s share of school transportation funding

News-Enterprise | Lexington official proposes…

Lege Trend. Pay as you Drive. How do you tax Ride Share. This State has an idea:

Who will be responsible for pay as you drive taxes in Minnesota for ride sharing? Ride share companies

What is the reason for taxing the companies? More people will not own vehicles as ride share becomes more popular as do EV, and autonomous vehicles

Governing | With Gas Taxes in Peril, More States Study Alternatives

4 Reasons a High Speed Rail Study Was Shut Down in the Midwest.

Where: Minnesota

The reasons that the Minnesota Department of Transportation was stopped from completing a high sped rail study:

  • Republicans denied the study federal funds for completion
  • Republicans said the study was a waste of taxpayer dollars
  • Republicans say Minnesotoans opposes high speed rail
  • A Republican said its not an economically viable project

Governing | High-Speed Rail Study Shut Down in the Midwest

Lege Trend. Sunshine State Republicans. Alternative Transportation Authority to Fund Autonomous Vehicles. How it works:

The Bills,  HB535  and SB 1200, would:

  • Create the Statewide Alternative Transportation Authority
  • Repurpose an existing $60 million in rail funds to fund alternative transportation projects
  • The “alternative” projects would include:
    •  “Bus Rapid Transit”
    • Autonomous vehicles
    • Focus on urban areas like Tampa Bay area & Miami
  • For local governments to get to the satte alternative transportation dollars, counties and cities would have to match funds

WUSF Public Media | New Legislation Would…

3 Points About Pay As You Drive in California

  • Caliornia’s pilot pay as your drive program is called the  California Road Charge Pilot Program
  • The state policy support arguments for pay as your drive: fairness as pay as you drive accounts for EVs, hybrid and feul efficient vehicles
  • The opposition to taking the pay as your drive statewide: the privacy issues of mileage trackers.
    • will mileage trackers be placed in cars? will they track GPS locations?
    • will mileage trackers be installed at gas pumps and charging stations?
    • will…

Gas Tax Trend. 3 Points Supporting Show Me State Gas Tax Increase. Read the Bill.

Legislative Gusto:  Chair of the Senate Transportation Committee & vice-chair of the 21st Century Missouri Transportation System Task Force filed SB 734  to raise the gas tax

Support for the gas tax increase:  

  • Likely to come from a recommendation of the 21st Century Missouri Transportation System Task Force, 23-member task force of state officials and private citizens.
  • the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association calls it the most equitable funding approach
  • Mayors in 27 cities…

Transportation Funding Trend. Set Asides for Smart Vehicles in the West

State: Nevada

The Transportation Funding Set Aside Proposal: 5% of transportation funding for smart vehicles

How will the 5% be divided within the state? 80% to large and midsize cities & 20% to  Rural areas and regional partnerships

Proponents: Bipartisan: Democratic State Senator Catherine Cortez Masto 7 Republican Governor Sandoval

Las Vegas Review Journal | Nevada senator calls for tax money for ‘smart’ vehicle projects

TX Attorney General Opinion Request. Toll Roads+ Constitutional Propositions + Comingling Funds

Texas Attorney General Opinion request RQ-0192-KP asks whether Propositions 1 and 2, that prohibited the use of dedicated funds for toll projects, can provide funding for toll road projects.

Update:

Texas Tribune | TxDOT eyeing accounting trick to get around toll road prohibition

TXDOT’s point of view:

  • fund the tolled lanes with federal loans backed by toll revenues
  • fund added non-tolled main lanes with tax dollars
  • win-win: TxDOT has more building capacity with limited funds.

3 Proposals to Fund Mass Transit in a Big City. Includes Real Estate Fee.

Proposals to fund mass transit in New York City include:

  • Congestion pricing
  • Creating a “transit-maintenance district”
  •  Adding a $1.50 charge to the core business district’s $60- to $70-per-square-foot rents since high rise buildings benefit the most from mass transit

Crain’s New York | Former MTA executive pitches real estate fee to fund mass transit