A new report from the Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI) has found that 75 percent of Americans support raising transportation revenue through higher federal gas taxes or a new mileage fee.
The report, MTI’s 16th annual survey, found that Americans are willing to pay for transportation when the purpose is clear, specific and aligned with their values, especially for safety and maintenance.
“An astounding 75 percent of Americans told us they would support paying an extra 10 cents per gallon in federal gas taxes if the revenue raised were dedicated to maintaining the transportation system,” study co-author Asha Weinstein Agrawal, PhD, said. “And almost as many – 72 percent – would support that same increase if the revenue were dedicated to improving safety.”
Agrawal said committing the new revenue to specific purposes the public values is key for tax increase support. Public support was only half as high – 38 percent – when the revenue was dedicated to “transportation” in general.
Support for raising the federal gas tax rate has risen steadily since 2010, the survey found. The survey found that public support for raising taxes to pay for environmental objectives has also risen.
“For more than ten years, since 2013, at least half of respondents have supported tax increases to pay for reducing air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions,” Co-author Hilary Nixon, PhD, said.
More than half of the respondents (51 percent) said they supported replacing the gas tax with a green-rate mileage fee if the rate were an average of 3 cents per mile, but varied based on the vehicle’s pollution emissions, with higher polluting vehicles charged a higher rate. The survey also found that only 44 percent of respondents supported a mileage fee with a flat rate of 3 cents per mile for all drivers.