Comments on: National Commission Calls for Gas Tax Hike http://bikeprovidence.org/2008/01/18/national-commission-calls-for-gas-tax-hike Providence Bicycle Coalition (PBC) Fri, 25 Jul 2008 09:52:45 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Barry http://bikeprovidence.org/2008/01/18/national-commission-calls-for-gas-tax-hike#comment-218 Barry Thu, 31 Jan 2008 21:40:48 +0000 http://bikeprovidence.org/2008/01/18/national-commission-calls-for-gas-tax-hike/#comment-218 I hope the bike communuty will help shift the national conversation a bit from "we don't want to pay for government" to lets invest in infrastructure, including aspects that help fight global climate change, promote heath, and enhance energy security. So that would include bike paths and bike facilities. As it is, even current programs are threatened by a revenue stream that is not even keeping up with inflation. At the last Transportation Advisory Committee meeting last week, the RIDOT rep indicated they would be coming in with a TIP amendment to make needed bridge repairs that would "wipe out" most of the rest of the program. Cuts to Right-Care threaten RIPTA with a budget deficit next year that likely will lead to fare increases and service cuts jsut when we need to expand transit. But the President, Governor, Congress, talk-shows etc are fixated on saying they are against taxes no matter what happens to the country. I have suggested indexing the RI gas tax to inflation at numerous forums. As it is now, the fixed amount per gallon doesn't rise with inflation, the same is true on the Federal level. so each year RIDOT and RIPTA thatd epend on this for funding lose purchasing power. RIDOT has borrowed from teh future to make it up, making future problems worse. It seems to me thepeople who run this country are have lost interest in making it better, focusing instead only on short term greed and power. I hope the bike communuty will help shift the national conversation a bit from “we don’t want to pay for government” to lets invest in infrastructure, including aspects that help fight global climate change, promote heath, and enhance energy security. So that would include bike paths and bike facilities.
As it is, even current programs are threatened by a revenue stream that is not even keeping up with inflation. At the last Transportation Advisory Committee meeting last week, the RIDOT rep indicated they would be coming in with a TIP amendment to make needed bridge repairs that would “wipe out” most of the rest of the program. Cuts to Right-Care threaten RIPTA with a budget deficit next year that likely will lead to fare increases and service cuts jsut when we need to expand transit. But the President, Governor, Congress, talk-shows etc are fixated on saying they are against taxes no matter what happens to the country.
I have suggested indexing the RI gas tax to inflation at numerous forums. As it is now, the fixed amount per gallon doesn’t rise with inflation, the same is true on the Federal level. so each year RIDOT and RIPTA thatd epend on this for funding lose purchasing power. RIDOT has borrowed from teh future to make it up, making future problems worse.
It seems to me thepeople who run this country are have lost interest in making it better, focusing instead only on short term greed and power.

]]> By: Mark http://bikeprovidence.org/2008/01/18/national-commission-calls-for-gas-tax-hike#comment-207 Mark Sat, 19 Jan 2008 19:47:36 +0000 http://bikeprovidence.org/2008/01/18/national-commission-calls-for-gas-tax-hike/#comment-207 The New York Times has an article about <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/19/us/19tolls.html?_r=1&ref=us&oref=slogin" rel="nofollow">Pennsylvania's plan to make 311 miles of I-80 a toll road by 2010</a>. The state is struggling to maintain roads and claims that gas taxes have just not kept up with inflation. They are hesitant to raise state gas taxes, with the Fed's talking about their own tax hike. It sure seems like the writing is on the wall, time for the US to wake up and seriously consider alternative transportation options. The New York Times has an article about Pennsylvania’s plan to make 311 miles of I-80 a toll road by 2010. The state is struggling to maintain roads and claims that gas taxes have just not kept up with inflation. They are hesitant to raise state gas taxes, with the Fed’s talking about their own tax hike.

It sure seems like the writing is on the wall, time for the US to wake up and seriously consider alternative transportation options.

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