Federal Transportation Funding

[thebigtamale]

Federal Highway Trust Fund facing insolvency and structural deficit without reforms. Is there a solution?

Highway Trust Fund Ticker | Department of Transportation

[Just the facts]

Solutions are available but enacting them is impossible because we don't a government or corporate system that is based on solutions that solve problems. We have a system based on solutions that provide benefits to specific groups, which in turns requires the problem to never be solved, lest the funding dry up.

Things that could work (in no particular order):
Increases gasoline tax and index it to both inflation and average fuel economy
Electric and CNG cars pay an annual highway fee
Implement urban development standards that reduces the need to drive in the first place (including DOT/TOD based mass transit)
Stop expansion of the system we can't afford
Tax based in miles driven
Toll all interstates

[Plutonic Panda]

They'll figure out a solution and get more funding. Highways are part of what makes this country a 21 century country. The only reason Europe doesn't have them is because most of their cities developed before the automobile was invented. They also have no room to build highways in their cities. The US developed right and as technology increases, we will have concrete that will last longer and be more durable. We can raise taxes and toll certain highways, but I am NOT in favor of tolling all the interstates.