States Consider Charging Drivers by Mile to Maintain Nation’s Roads

Commuters drive on the beltway as heavy rush hour traffic volume rebounds from the empty r
Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post via Getty Images

States are scrambling to figure out how to keep making money to funnel into road maintenance amid economic struggles in President Joe Biden’s (D) America.

Officials have historically spent gas taxes on roadways, but “the problem that has developed is those taxes are generating less each year due to inflation, fuel efficiency and the rise of electric cars,” Fox Business reported Sunday.

Now, state officials are hoping to somehow replace those taxes, and charging drivers by the mile and not the gallon in the future is one among several proposals.

Others include taxing electricity via car charging stations and adding charges to door-to-door deliveries.

“The federal government is about to pilot its own program, funded by $125 million from President Biden’s infrastructure measure that he signed in November 2021,” the Fox report said.

“So far, only three states, Oregon, Utah and Virginia are generating revenue from road usage charges,” the outlet continued, noting Hawaii is set to join the states listed.

President Joe Biden signs the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act as he is surrounded by lawmakers and members of his Cabinet during a ceremony on the South Lawn at the White House on November 15, 2021 in Washington, DC. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

President Joe Biden signs the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act as he is surrounded by lawmakers and members of his Cabinet during a ceremony on the South Lawn at the White House on November 15, 2021, in Washington, DC. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Meanwhile, Americans are still struggling in the Biden economy, and White House Senior Advisor Mitch Landrieu said recently that although the economy is fairly strong, “inflation is very, very stubborn.”

“It’s lower here than in every other [country in the] industrialized world and it has come down for the last eleven months. So, I’m not saying we’re out of the battle,” he stated.

The Associated Press

White House infrastructure coordinator Mitch Landrieu speaks during a briefing at the White House, May 12, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Voters in the United States remain concerned about the problem of inflation, Breitbart News reported June 12.

“Eighty-seven percent of likely U.S. voters say they are concerned about inflation, including 63 percent who say they are very concerned, a poll from Rassmussen Reports showed Friday. Only 11 percent say they are not concerned about inflation,” the outlet said.

In regard to the “rise of electric cars,” as the Fox report noted, increasing electricity prices have made it to where it costs more to drive an electric car 100 miles than it does for someone to drive a gas vehicle the same distance, Breitbart News reported in January.

However, President Joe Biden (D) has promoted electric vehicles as his administration pushes for green energy. He stated in January that “on my watch, the great American road trip is going to be fully electrified.”

President Joe Biden drives a Cadillac Lyriq through the showroom during a tour at the Detroit Auto Show on September 14, 2022, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

COMMENTS

Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.