Ross: Will a Road Usage Charge replace gas tax?
Feb 21, 2023, 9:22 AM | Updated: 9:36 am
A recent study by Jason Stone Injury Lawyers has revealed that Washington ranks third-lowest in the country for miles driven per registered vehicle, with an average of just 7,464 miles in 2022. (WSDOT/Twitter)
(WSDOT/Twitter)
Today in Olympia, the House Transportation Committee holds a hearing on , which sets up a voluntary program to test the practicality of a Road Usage Charge to replace the gas tax.
And there are people determined to kill it any way they can.
Here鈥檚 an email that was sent to members of the transportation committee 鈥� it reads:
“it has been decided鈥� 鈥� doesn鈥檛 say who did the deciding 鈥� “it has been decided that several dozen citizens will soon physically follow you, [and] your staff members 鈥verywhere throughout the state capitol buildings including your offices鈥� We own where you tread鈥�.But we promise in the spirit of the text of the bill to safeguard your privacy, not to follow you into the stalls.聽We鈥檒l just wait for you right outside.聽We also promise to be polite and cordial.鈥�
The writer is trying to make the point that the Road Usage Charge is a thinly-disguised government surveillance program because some versions would use GPS tracking.
The writer proposes instead that electric cars pay a tax at charging stations.
Pay up! Unpaid parking, traffic tickets being collected
The only problem there is that most electric vehicles are charged up at home.
This all reminds me of the original $30 tab campaign way back in 1999 鈥� which cut so much money from the highway budget we鈥檙e still dealing with the maintenance backlog.
The problem is that roads here are very expensive, but drivers still want more of them.
The total cost of the 520 project alone will be $5.1 billion!聽Assuming that estimate holds 鈥� a big assumption 鈥� that鈥檚 about $1,000 for every man, woman, and child in the Puget Sound region JUST for that project!聽I say we all send in our checks this afternoon and get it paid for 鈥� anybody with me?
No.
I remember many years ago calculating that it would be cheaper just to pay Eastside commuters to move to Seattle than build the new I-90 bridge.聽But no one seemed to like that idea.
We like to drive!
So if you don鈥檛 like the road usage charge 鈥� find a better way to raise the money, a cheaper way to build AND maintain roads, or, move to a neighborhood where you can walk to work.聽聽
Or pray for another pandemic, and then we could just let the roads fall apart.
Listen to Seattle鈥檚 Morning News with Dave Ross and Colleen O鈥橞rien weekday mornings from 5 鈥� 9 a.m. on 成人X站 Newsradio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the聽podcast here.
