Today’s Headlines

  • Former Transportation Secretary Mary Peters, appointed by George W. Bush, says a vehicle miles traveled tax ultimately must replace the gas tax (Cascadia Prospectus)
  • Gas prices to keep dipping towards the $2 per gallon mark, according to AAA (WaPo)
  • Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN), hardly the model of progressive environmentalism, is taking flak from his party for supporting a low-carbon fuel standard (WSJ)
  • Was the late New York Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan (D) unfairly shut out of Planetizen’s Top 100 Urban Thinkers? (TNR)
  • Transit advocates in Montgomery County, Maryland, release a "secret plan" that the local DOT tried to keep under wraps — its ostensible purpose to move more cars through the National Institute of Health campus (GGW)

ALSO ON STREETSBLOG

The Gas Tax Versus a VMT Tax: Is ‘All of the Above’ an Option?

By Elana Schor |
(Chart: Oregon DOT) The prospect of an eventual move away from the gas tax and towards a fee on vehicle miles traveled (VMT) has sparked consternation from some well-known bloggers this week, with Matt Yglesias asserting that "a VMT [tax] has no advantages whatsoever over higher gasoline taxes" and Andrew Samwick suggesting that declining fuel […]

The Gas Tax: A Trip Back in Legislative Time …

By Elana Schor |
As Tax Day prompts a rush of political rallies and media coverage, it’s worth looking back at the history of the federal levy that helps pay for transportation projects: the gas tax. The late Sen. Jesse Helms (R-NC) in 1982, when he battled his own party’s attempts to raise the gas tax. (Photo: TIME) Most […]

New Report Examines the Media’s Role in the Gas Tax Debate

By Elana Schor |
(Chart: University of Vermont Transportation Research Center) The success of state-level plans to increase gas taxes is tied to the media’s portrayal of the proposals in question, with narratives tied to "crumbling infrastructure" and "economic progress" showing more success than those emphasizing long-term transportation budget gaps, according to a new report released by the University […]

Q Poll Finds Americans Opposed to Gas Tax “Holiday”

By Brad Aaron |
For what it’s worth, a Quinnipiac poll released today again shows that Americans aren’t buying into the Clinton-McCain gas tax "holiday" gimmick. By a 49 – 41 percent margin, American voters say eliminating the federal gas tax for the summer is a bad idea… Republicans split 45 – 46 percent on the gas tax ‘holiday,’ […]