Transportation & Water Update

TRANSPORTATION

New Transportation Director for Missouri

The Missouri Highway and Transportation Commission has selected Patrick McKenna to serve as director of the state Department of Transportation (MoDOT). Presently, McKenna is deputy commissioner of the New Hampshire DOT. He will start his new job on December 7.

He will start his new job at an agency facing many challenges, particularly low revenues.  MoDOT has not significant improvement or expansion projects slated for the next five years because of lack of funding. The agency anticipates it will not even have enough money to fully maintain roads and bridges in the state within a couple of years.

McKenna will be coming from a different environment. New Hampshire raised its fuel tax in 2014. It also has toll roads; Missouri has none, though McKenna has suggested it should be on the table as a way to pay for roads.

You can find out more about McKenna and his appointment in the Kansas City Star, Jefferson City News-Tribune, or St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

WATER

California Communities Consider Direct Potable Reuse

The drought in California has led to a discussion of direct potable reuse of wastewater. This “toilet-to-tap” practice involves sending treated wastewater directly to treatment for drinking water. Some Texas communities have already adopted this practice as a response to drought. You can find out more here.

Transportation Funding: States Look To Their Own Resources

Congress has not agreed on a way to address declining fuel tax revenues, the primary source of funding road projects and maintaining existing roads. This has prompted some states to consider their own resources to raise revenues for roads.

*Michigan is considering a proposal to double its fuel tax by 2018.

*New Jersey legislators are holding hearing on a fuel tax increase.

*Some states have already increase fuel taxes: Indiana, Maryland and New Hampshire.

Other posts and articles:

Michigan Senate plans vote on gas tax increase

N.J. gas tax debate: Final hearing on Transportation Trust Fund set for Nov. 20

N.J. gas tax would rise nearly $300 a year for average driver under bill to fix roads, rails and bridges

States take lead on gas tax hikes

Gas Taxes

Federal and state fuel taxes are a major source of funding for transportation infrastructure. Declining revenue from these taxes, brought on by increased fuel efficiency and reduced travel due to the weak economy, is prompting lawmakers to take a look at how transportation is funded.

California and Wyoming have already increased gas taxes. Maryland, Minnesota, New Hampshire and Virginia may soon follow.

Of course, people are looking beyond fuel taxes. Some have suggested treating transportation more like a utility. In a sense, a gas tax is something like a utility fee in that gas use is somewhat proportional to miles use. The problems with a fuel tax have been noted, which means the tax rate must increase if it is to continue as a primary funding source. A tire tax might also support a utility-like fee because tire wear is also somewhat proportional to miles driven. Some have even propose a per-mile tax, though this would be more difficult to administer because miles driven would have to be reported by vehicle owners or recorded and submitted by a device, which prompts privacy concerns.

We probably have the means to solve our transportation funding problems. Not all of them are easy, but then what is?

Related posts and articles

The gas tax compromise (Baltimore Sun, Mar. 5, 2013)

Highway Funding (Infrastructure Watch, Jan. 29, 2013)

It's official: Gas tax going up (Horn, J., San Diego Union-Tribune, Feb. 28, 2013)

Md. Gov. O’Malley calls for sales tax on gas, other steps to pay for road and transit projects (Washington Post [Associated Press])

NH panel endorses 15-cent gas tax hike (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Feb. 21, 2013)

Plan calls for $20 billion in Minnesota tax hikes for roads, transit (Doyle, P., Star Tribune, Nov. 30, 2012)

Richmond’s bad transportation deal (Galuszka, P., Washington Post, Feb. 20, 2013)

Transportation as Utility (Peterson, E. C., Eno Brief)

Wyoming Senate passes fuel tax hike (Billings Gazette [Associated Press], Feb. 14, 2013)