Comments on: Oregon gov recommends peak-hour tolls and incentives for alternative forms of transportation http://bikeprovidence.org/2008/04/14/oregon-gov-recommends-peak-hour-tolls-and-incentives-for-alternative-forms-of-transportation Providence Bicycle Coalition (PBC) Tue, 06 Jan 2009 22:05:24 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Barry http://bikeprovidence.org/2008/04/14/oregon-gov-recommends-peak-hour-tolls-and-incentives-for-alternative-forms-of-transportation#comment-391 Barry Sat, 19 Apr 2008 19:01:38 +0000 http://bikeprovidence.org/2008/04/14/oregon-gov-recommends-peak-hour-tolls-and-incentives-for-alternative-forms-of-transportation/#comment-391 I think the above article dismisses gas tax adjustments too readily. At least gas taxes, as opposed to tolls, give an incentive for using more efficient vehicles, and reqire no additional bureaucracy to implement. Here, because gas taxes are a fixed amount per gallon and they haven't been raised in over a decade, both RIDOT and RIPTA automatically lose purchasing power each year, which makes even maintaining operations tough just as we need to fix our (expensive!) bridges and expand our transit system. At least the gas taxes should be indexed for inflation so they they grow with prices as sales taxes do. Also: There is an opportunity to comment on both our short-term (4 year) and long term (20 year) plans on how we spend all our RI transportation money at the next Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC) meeting Thurs, April 24 at 6:30pm in the Warwick Public Library on Sandy Lane. The agenda always allows public comment before the TAC acts. You can call me (353-6536) if you have any questions about what is in these plans for bikes or otherwise. Barry I think the above article dismisses gas tax adjustments too readily. At least gas taxes, as opposed to tolls, give an incentive for using more efficient vehicles, and reqire no additional bureaucracy to implement. Here, because gas taxes are a fixed amount per gallon and they haven’t been raised in over a decade, both RIDOT and RIPTA automatically lose purchasing power each year, which makes even maintaining operations tough just as we need to fix our (expensive!) bridges and expand our transit system. At least the gas taxes should be indexed for inflation so they they grow with prices as sales taxes do.

Also: There is an opportunity to comment on both our short-term (4 year) and long term (20 year) plans on how we spend all our RI transportation money at the next Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC) meeting Thurs, April 24 at 6:30pm in the Warwick Public Library on Sandy Lane. The agenda always allows public comment before the TAC acts. You can call me (353-6536) if you have any questions about what is in these plans for bikes or otherwise.

Barry

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