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Federal highway funding appears to be mostly funded by gas taxes on highway users. It costs $44B, and $39B is funded by gas tax revenue. While $5B is still a l
by trothamel 9y ago
Federal highway funding appears to be mostly funded by gas taxes on highway users. It costs $44B, and $39B is funded by gas tax revenue.
While $5B is still a lot of money, it's smaller than the $8B that funds mass transit.
- ashark 9y agoTrucks do disproportionately more damage do the roads than they pay in taxes for fuel, though. You're subsidizing trucking every time you fuel up your passenger vehicle.
- ProfessorLayton 9y agoThis subsidy is going to take an interesting turn with vehicle electrification. Right now the lower the MPG, the more taxes you pay. Moving to a tax per miles driven is going to punish those that have the most efficient vehicles in a more upfront manner than it is today (Hidden in gasoline prices).
- hansthehorse 9y agoThis is the reason, at the federal level, diesel fuel is taxed more than gasoline. Diesel = 24.4c/gal and Gas = 18.4c/gal. The difference isn't enough to compensate for the increased wear but there is a difference.
- Voyage_wanderer 9y agoAre you sure? Truck burns 6 miles/ gallon. New EPA regulations in 21 century actually increased fuel consumptions since about 20% of engine's power goes to cleaning the air. Modern car use 30+Miles/gallon.
- ashark 9y agoRoad wear isn't linear with weight. Estimates I've seen put a heavy 18-wheeler at the equivalent of more than 9,000 cars traveling over the same stretch of road. Way, way more than 5x the damage (6mpg vs 30mpg).