Increase gas prices vs. tax per mile driven

A recent report for the Transportation Planning Board of Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments says the best way to improve deteriorating roads and bridges as well as transit systems is to increase gas prices for drivers. Conversely, transportation police group Cambridge Systematics reports that inflation on gas prices is a short-term solution. Their long-term reports says it is not how much gas drivers buy but how often they use the roads.

Instead of paying more for gas, a long-term solution would mean vehicle miles travel fees, where drivers would pay a tax per miles driven. The report says, “The greatest challenge to the region is the existence of multiple jurisdictions at several levels, each with its own tax base, tax structure, and tax policy.”