Skip to Content
Streetsblog Los Angeles home
Streetsblog Los Angeles home
Log In
DC Streetsblog

LaHood to Congress: It’s Time to Talk About a Gas Tax Increase

As Congress maneuvers to end the political impasse over the next
long-term national transportation bill, lawmakers going to have to
debate an increase in the federal gas tax, Transportation Secretary Ray
LaHood said today.

Trans_Secretary_Ray_LaHood_Discusses_Cash_Jx_HxR08cPwl.jpgTransportation Secretary Ray LaHood (Photo: Getty Images)

In his remarks at a Fort Worth transportation meeting, first reported by the local Star-Telegram, LaHood stopped far short of reversing the White House's stated opposition to raising the federal gas tax, which has remained at 18.3 cents per gallon since 1993.

But
LaHood appeared to edge the door open to a solution to the nation's
transportation funding crisis -- provided that lawmakers swallow their
re-election concerns and acknowledge that the current gas tax is no longer raising enough money to run an effective system.

Here's what LaHood said today (emphasis mine):

To index the federal fuel tax [to inflation], that's something Congress is going tohave to decide. As we get into the reauthorization bill, the debatewill be how we fund all the things we want to do. You can raise a lotof money with tolling. Another means of funding can be theinfrastructural bank. You can sell bonds and set aside money for bigprojects, multi-billion-dollar projects. Another way is [charging motorists for] vehicle miles traveled. The idea of indexing thetaxes that are collected at the gas pump is something I believeCongress will debate. When the gas tax was raised in 1992 or 1993, inthe Clinton administration, there was a big debate whether it should beindexed. At that time, they thought there'd be a sufficient amount ofmoney collected. Now we know that isn't the case. That is one way tokeep up with the decline in driving, and more fuel-efficient cars.

Another fact not mentioned by LaHood: Transportation construction inflation has increased at a rate twice as high [PDF]
as the Consumer Price Index, the Labor Department's traditional method
of measuring price hikes for household goods. That means that raising
the federal gas tax to appropriately reflect the cost of infrastructure
improvements would be even more challenging than many in Washington now
admit.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog Los Angeles

Kevin de León, Agent of Council Chaos, Quietly Exits Stage Left

Disgraced Councilmember Kevin de León finally bows out, two years after his racist scandal roiled the city. Newcomer Ysabel Jurado, who handily defeated him in November, takes the reins of Council District 14 today.

December 10, 2024

SGV Connect Podcast: Leave Us Your Questions for an AMA with Foothill Transit’s Felicia Friesema

For our last podcast of the calendar year, SGV Connect is excited to announce an “Ask Me Anything” episode with Felicia Friesema the Director of Marketing and Communications for Foothill Transit.

December 10, 2024

La Verne Pedestrian Bridge Will Connect Metro A Line, Metrolink, and Fairplex

Officials from La Verne and the SGVCOG are excited about the bridge’s “elegant” design and connectivity for transit oriented development.

December 10, 2024

This Week In Livable Streets

Glendale Brand Boulevard project, L.A. Capital Plan, Metro Vermont Transit Corridor, and more

December 9, 2024
See all posts