Where we drive may be and should stay private.

That said, our national and our state gas tax system is no longer sustaining the highway and bridge funds to adequately maintain our roadways to say nothing about any expansion or building new roads and bridges.

The current system is archaic and no longer is fair to all drivers and vehicles. Any of the newer alternative-fueled vehicles still require the same roadways and use the same basic space as gasoline- and diesel-fueled vehicles. These vehicles pay no taxes that will maintain the roadways based upon how much they use the roadways.

Starting with our federal government taking the lead role, then with all states following suit, we need a new system to support the maintenance and limited expansion of our state and nation’s highway and bridge transportation network. The balance in the Highway Trust Fund is nearly broke and has been going downhill since the steep swing in fuel prices starting back in 2006-07. The high prices along with the high unemployment rate severely reduced the number of miles people were driving and thus the amount of fuel purchased along with fuel taxes paid. At the same time the market of and for alternative fueled vehicles has exploded thus cutting the revenue supporting the Highway Trust Fund even more.

In my personal opinion, this country needs a system based upon roadway (miles traveled) use and vehicle size reflecting the amount of damage each vehicle does to our highways and bridges. Failure of our nation’s leaders to seriously look at and enact a new and fair system to provide the needed revenue to support maintenance and limited expansion of our state and nation’s highway and bridge transportation network will result in a lower quality of life and slow our economic growth.

In addition, our nation’s elected leaders need to look at limiting the many other uses of our fuel tax dollars that siphon off a large percentage of fuel tax dollars each year to provide funding for recreational (bike and hike) trails and other facilities.

 

Carroll Aasen Jr.

Chaska