Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
Gas Tax

Maryland: A Case Study in the Lack of Political Will to Fund Transportation

As national policymakers hunt for a sustainable way to raise more money for a more efficient, less polluting transportation system, raising the federal gas tax is often at the top of their list -- after all, the tax has remained stagnant since 1993, despite signs that its usefulness is eroding as American drivers choose more fuel-efficient cars.

andrews.pngMontgomery County Council President Phil Andrews (Photo: MoCo Council)

But political will, not fuel efficiency, is proving the most powerful deterrent to a gas tax hike. Members of Congress freely admit they lack the votes to pass one, the Obama administration has already ruled one out, and many state officials are equally resistant to asking voters to pay up-to-date prices for using local roads.

In Maryland, for example, local officials are acknowledging that transportation projects will stall without the extra money generated by raising the state gas tax, which has remained at 23.5 cents per gallon since 1992. From the front page of today's Washington Examiner:

Maryland is long overdue for an increase in the gas tax to help buildnew roads and ease congestion, Montgomery County Council President PhilAndrews said Monday. ...

Andrews' comments echo the sentiments of many elected officials in theDistrict's suburbs, who said their constituents would be happy to payan extra nickel or dime per gallon of gasoline if it meant spendingless time sitting in some of the country's worst traffic.

The Examiner reports that the leaders of the Maryland and Virginia state Senates are on board for higher state gas taxes. But both states' governors are decidedly uninterested.

New Virginia Gov.-elect Bob McDonnell (R) credited his infrastructure policy with helping lead him to victory. As he summed it up in a weekend interview with CNN: "New money for transportation, while protecting education funding and not raising taxes."

And Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley (D), who is up for re-election next fall, sounded a similar note in the Examiner:

"It's certainly not something we're considering right now," said ... O'Malley's spokesman Shaun Adamec, who added that there waslittle "appetite or desire" to raise taxes in the current economicclimate.

State legislators could be forced to change their approaches to the gas tax if more areas are unable to meet their requirement to match federal transportation aid; in fact, 15 states are already running out of matching funds. But in the meantime, raising taxes will continue to rank among politicians' least favorite solutions to the problem.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Thursday’s Headlines Are Charged Up for the Fourth

The Republican megabill is bad for the electric vehicle industry, but it could be worse.

July 3, 2025

Why is the Secretary of Transportation Begging Americans to Take More Road Trips?

Instead of making America easier to see on all modes, the US Department of Transportation is encouraging U.S. residents to just get in their cars and drive.

July 3, 2025

Wednesday’s Headlines Are for the Children

From mothers with babies in strollers to preteens on bikes, much of the U.S. is hostile to families just trying to get around without a car.

July 2, 2025

Ambulance Data Reveals That Boston Drivers Are 4 Times More Likely to Run Over Pedestrians From Black Neighborhoods

"Overall, residents of predominantly Black and Latino neighborhoods are about four times more likely than residents of predominantly white neighborhoods to be struck as a pedestrian."

July 1, 2025
See all posts