$1 TRILLION DEAL LEAVES DOOR OPEN TO NATIONWIDE MILEAGE TAX, WOULD FORCE DRIVERS TO PAY PER MILE TRAVELLED

Kea Wilson highlights key points of some of the amendments proposed for the revised infrastructure bill, including a proposal to supplement or replace the gas tax as more Americans purchase electric vehicles. “One option that’s gained bipartisan interest in recent years is a Vehicle Miles Travelled tax (also known as a mileage-based user fee). The bill includes $50 million for a five-year pilot to study how the U.S. might shift to the innovative model, as well as to raise public awareness about its benefits (though some argue it’s not a silver bullet, or that drivers should face other taxes, too.)”

“One of the handful of amendments that the Senate did manage to pass on Tuesday — and with landslide bipartisan support to boot — was aimed at understanding just how the Highway Trust Fund became so drastically underfunded.” Transit advocates hope that “commissioning the first federal study that actually quantifies that blindingly obvious truth is an important first step towards finding a funding mechanism that actually reflects the full costs of the mode.”

www.planetizen.com/news/2021/08/114300-more-details-massive-infrastructure-bill-and-its-amendments