The motor fuel tax has funded America’s roads for over 70 years. It has served its purpose well and has many positive features, the most important being that it is easy to pay (many people may not even be aware that their total at the gas pump includes this tax).

However, the gas tax may need updating. Reasons for this include:

  • Current trends are threatening the ability of the tax to continue to pay for our roads. As hybrids and hydrogen-fueled vehicles become more common, funds generated will steadily decline. Even higher fuel efficiency means we may no longer be able to afford the quality transportation services that we have become accustomed to.

 

  • The jurisdiction in which fuel is purchased often is not the one in which travel actually takes place. Therefore, sometimes drivers do not pay for the construction and maintenance of the roads on which they drive.