A 20-cent-per-gallon fee on motor fuels is the way to raise funds for infrastructure investment, according to a proposal released by the American Trucking Association (ATA).
ATA President and CEO, Chris Spear, also went before the House Ways and Means Committee to demand authentic funding solutions from the federal government, noting the huge problem that current infrastructure poses. He blamed federal inaction, stating that it has prompted states to undertake their own, regressive revenue proposals that actively hurt communities by diverting money to non-infrastructure priorities.
“We are no longer facing a future highway maintenance crisis – we’re living it – and every day we fail to invest, we’re putting more lives at risk. In nearly 53 percent of the highway fatalities, the condition of the roadway contributed,” Spear said. “Time wasted sitting in traffic – rather than at work or with our families – has skyrocketed. Motorists now pay an average of $1,600 due to repairs and congestion each year. Trucking now loses $74.5 billion sitting in gridlock. These are regressive realities and the escalating costs of doing nothing – and they are reflected in the prices we all pay. These costs are measurable and should serve as offsets for new spending on our nation’s infrastructure.”
ATA’s fuel tax proposal is called the Build America Fund, and they want to see it phased in over a four year period. That would breakdown to a five cents per year. In all, they estimate it would generate $340 billion over the next 10 years, all slated for road and bridge repair and replacement.