A federal gas and diesel tax increase.
This solution to the highway bill often turns away politicians, but it’s the solution that U.S. Sens. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) came up with to counteract the bill’s diminishing funds.
It’s also the solution that the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association (NSSGA) is working toward.
“The Highway Trust Fund is broken,” said Michael Johnson, president and CEO of NSSGA, during a session at the 2014 Trimble Dimensions User Conference.
The increase seems like a lot but it’s easier to grasp when put into perspective, Johnson said. A-12-cent increase could replace some of the smaller things that we purchase throughout a year’s time, like a small bag of Doritos or a McDonald’s cheeseburger with a large Coke.
The average American driver pays $444 per year in car maintenance fees, Johnson said, and the Tennessee Department of Transportation is currently postponing $40 million in roadwork. The highway bill is set up for a $167 billion shortfall, Johnson added.
“This (increase) would create $164 billion in additional revenue over two years,” he said.
By 2024, the increase would result in a surplus of revenue dedicated to the maintenance of infrastructure in the United States, according to Johnson.
With this in mind, NSSGA is advocating for a federal gas and diesel tax increase to improve U.S. roadways.
“You can’t build anything of significance that doesn’t start with a rock,” Johnson said.
