Transportation Funding

Transportation Funding

The League supports a variety of taxes and fees related to transportation to support transportation infrastructure, but is against a miles-travelled tax; the League supports fuel assistance for low-income Vermonters.
Position In Brief: 

The League supports a variety of taxes and fees related to transportation to support transportation infrastructure, but is against a miles-travelled tax; the League supports fuel assistance for low-income Vermonters.  The League opposes transferring funds from the state Transportation Funds to programs and funds that are not transportation related.

The state must provide for revenue sources to meet its responsibility for transportation infrastructure. Taxes and fees should be structured to keep pace with inflation and the long term maintenance and replacement of roads, bridges, and other transportation infrastructure. Therefore the League of Women Voters of Vermont supports:

  • A gasoline tax based on a combination of a flat fee per gallon and a percentage of the price.
  • Indexing the flat portion of the tax to inflation so that the real value of the tax does not decrease over time.
  • Increasing the 2% average quarterly retail price per gallon adder to the flat rate, that was set for the Motor Fuel Transportation Infrastructure Assessment (MFTIA).
  • An increase in the gas tax as needed to meet long-term infrastructure and other transportation needs.
  • Registration fees for private vehicles based on weight as is done for commercial vehicles.
  • Weight limits on the federal interstate highway system that are consistent with state limits.

 

The League of Women Voters of Vermont:

  • Opposes the transfer of funds from the state Transportation Fund to state programs and funds that are not transportation related.
  • Does not support a miles travelled tax at the state level due to concerns with implementation and fairness in a state where public transportation is not widely available.
  • Recognizing that the gas tax will be most burdensome to low income Vermonters, the League supports fuel assistance measures to relieve this burden.
Issues: 
League to which this content belongs: 
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