Gas Tax is Complicated When Governor Eyes Presidency

New Jersey needs more funding for transportation. Its a common refrain. New Jersey has the nation’s 2nd lowest gas tax at 10.5 cents. 

New Jersey has a Transportation Trust Fund, but the funds  go to pay transportation bond debt. Sounding familiar?

To fill transportation funding gaps, NJ raised its toll prices. It’s not enough.

The head of the Assembly’s Transportation Committee wants to increase the wholesale gas price. The cost to people in NJ will be about 80cents per day, but it will raise $1.25 Billion per year for transportation funding.

A couple weeks ago there was an election, and a lone Republican Governor lost his re-election bid in Pennsylvania’s. He had signed a nearly 30 cent increase in the gas tax. That’s on Chris Christie’s mind as NJ grapples with funding transportation. [NorthJersey.Com]

3 Uber Lawsuits Get Complicated in Nevada

Nevada is a quirky state where the federal government owns most the land, and there is an extraterrestrial highway. Make sure you fill up before you start the drive, because gas stations are few and far between.  Roadside shops are fileld with plenty of alien costumes. 

A quirky legal battle is brewing in Nevada over state regulations for car services, like Uber and Lyft. 3 different lawsuits were filed by the Attorney General. Judges are fighting over:

  • which case was filed first
  • whether the cases should be consolidated
  • whether the companies should be prevented from offering rides while the lawsuits continue
  • how Nevada’s statewide taxi regulations fit with modern companies like Uber and Lyft. 

In the mean time, rides are still being offered. [Washington Post]

 

Fuel Tax Changes Popular Throughout the US.

Transportation Funding, including fuel tax increase options, are being bandied about in IA, MI, MN, WI, NJ, SC… just to name a few.  

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association supports increasing the fuel tax. It says that its fair and efficient, as long as the additional revenue goes to transportation projects. [LandLineMag]

 

 

Texas Transportation Funding in Governing Magazine

Governing looked at how well transportation measures fared during the election. Pretty well, it seems as roughly 2/3 passed. Governing highlights facts about Texas transportation dollars and Governor-Elect Abbott’s transportation funding strategy: 

  • “Texas A&M University say the state needs $5 billion more a year just to keep congestion at current levels.”
  • “Abbott has proposed changes to the state budget to direct more money toward transportation. He would put stricter rules on how money in the State Highway Fund is spent, which he estimates would bring in an additional $400 million a year.
  • Abbott also wants to reroute more money from the state’s sales tax on motor vehicles — which brought in $3.9 billion last year — from general funds to the highway account. [Governing]