South Texas Energy & Economic Roundtable: Increase Eagle Ford Road Funding

South Texas Energy & Economic Roundtable sent a letter to TXDOT calling on more Prop 1 transportation funding dollars to support road improvements in Eagle Ford and Permian Basin oil producing regions. 

Letter highlights:

  • “South Texas county judges, mayors and all elected officials, along with the oil and natural gas industry, put a premium on safety.”

  • Increase in accidents in the region

  • Roads were not designed to withstand the increased activity

  • An investment in South Texas roads will help sustain long term economic development in a region driving the state’s economy.

  • Only 15% of funds from Prop 1 will fund Energy Sector roads, & this should be reconsidered   Fuel Fix

Michigan Sends Transportation Funding Proposal to Voters

Michigan passed new transportation funding mechanisms that will require voter approval. The proposal includes:

From Michigan Live:

  • Convert existing 19-cent per gallon gasoline and 15-cent per gallon diesel taxes to a wholesale version. Gas taxes could top 41 cents by October 2015, but there would be no additional sales tax, and all resulting revenue would go to transportation.
  • Eliminate some annual vehicle registration fee discounts, increase fees for heavy trucks and create new surcharges for electric and hybrid vehicles whose owners pay fewer fuel taxes.

  • Strengthen warranty requirements for construction projects and require more competitive bidding.

  • Fully restore the state’s Earned Income Tax Credit to 20% of the federal level. It was scaled back to 6% in 2011.

Leach: 3 Transportation Funding Solutions & Bill to be Filed

Leach’s transportation funding solutions:

  • “Stopping diversions from the State Mobility Fund
  • Dedicating some of the motor vehicle sales tax to the State Highway Fund (SHF) and
  • Dedicating a larger percentage of the general revenue to the state’s transportation fund.” Community Impact for Collin County 

Leach’s soon to be filed transportation funding bill will:

  • Dedicate 1/2 of the motor vehicle sales tax into the SHF

Collin County & City Leaders: Toll Lanes Are Our Current Solution to Transportation Funding

Explosive growth in North Texas has meant more strain on limited transportation funding.  

Collin County transportation funding solutions are:

  •  Toll HOV lanes or new lanes on existing roadways
  • Local residents oppose it, but it’s the only way to get additional funding until more state transportation funding happens

Collin County Officials Point to the Followign Transportation Funding Problems:

  • “state budget dedicated to road funding has decreased from about 33 percent to about 9 percent”
  • Insufficient fuel tax revenue from fuel efficient cars

Community Impact for Collin County

Republican Iowa Governor: Yes to Transportation Funding from the Gas Tax

Iowa also has a transportation funding crisis. Governor Brandstad is looking for a bipartisan solution.  

To get to the revenue levels Iowa needs, the following proposals fit the bill:

  • 10 cent gas tax increase & index the gas tax to inflation
  • “A “combination” tax that lowered the per-gallon tax to 16 cents and added a 5 percent sales tax on the retail price of fuel.”   Muscatine Iowa Journal 

Nichols & Metcalf Support Vehicle Sales Tax Dedication to TXDOT

Take aways from a Conroe forum featuring Senator Nichols and Representative-Elect Metcalf:

  • $3.5Billion can be added to road funding by dedicating vehcile sales tax to TXDOT
  • Cut unnecessary spending 
  • To offset the hit to general revenue from dedicating the vehicle sales tax, Metcalf is quoted as saying “Our plan is to add 10 percent of the funds to the road funds over a 10-year span.”

[The Courier of Montgomery County]

Abbott Supports $4Billion in Transportation Funding

On Monday, Governor- elect Abbott announced staff and legisltive plans, including adding $4Billion to the transportation coffers. He hopes to accomplisht his by:

  • Dedicating sales taxes collected on vehicle sales to road construction and maintenance.
  • Resulting in  more than $2 billion a year added to the  highway fund.
  • Ensuring more of the gasoline taxes go to roads, without touching the gasoline taxes that fund DPS. [TX Tribune]

Dallas Regs for Ride Share

Ride sharing has new regulations in Dallas. The new requirements will take effect April 30th and include: 

  • Ridesharing companies must provide primary insurance.
  • All vehicles must pass inspection.
  • Drivers would be required to have:
    • an operating permit,
    • a valid driver’s license,
    • limited traffic violations and
    • must undergo background checks. [Houston Chronicle]