Letters Gas Tax Is for All Transportation Government at all levels should be boosting investment in all modes of transportation. February 18, 2015 Carly Fiorina and Penny Nance’s “Cheaper Gas? Politicians Want a Tax Fill-­‐Up” (op-­‐ed, Feb. 12) runs out of gas early on with its lack of understanding about why members of Congress from both parties and many governors are looking to generate new user fees—including an increase in the gasoline tax: years of chronic underinvestment in highway and public-­‐transit systems is increasingly choking the U.S. economy and mobility. Ms. Fiorina and Ms. Nance are mistaken about how Highway Trust Fund revenues are used. According to an October 2014 Government Accountability Office report, sidewalk and bike-­‐
trail spending account for 1% of the $39 billion invested in the federal highway program. The op-­‐ed also fails to recognize the important role of public transportation to the overall system. Americans take public transit 35 million times a weekday—the highest number in 57 years. Eliminating public transit investment would result in tens of millions of more cars a day being added to our already clogged roads. Drivers would suffer an additional 865 million hours of delays. That’s a recipe for bringing commerce to a grinding halt in cities big and small, and crippling the ability of residents in urban, suburban and rural communities who rely on public transit to get to work and school. We are the “united states” of America with one, integrated transportation network. If anything, government at all levels should be boosting investment in all modes of transportation to help fuel a wave of new economic prosperity. T. Peter Ruane, Amer. Road & Transportation Builders Association Mike Melaniphy, American Public Transportation Association Washington 5
The Gasoline Tax and Paying to Maintain Our Roads Congress should do the responsible thing—raise the gas tax Jan. 21, 2015 4:29 p.m. ET Regarding your editorial “Abolish the Gas Tax” (Jan. 15): Republicans and Democrats in Congress have acted five separate times since 2008 to prevent cutting highway and transit investment. Abolishing the federal gas tax would either eliminate the source of funding for 52% of U.S. highway and bridge capital improvements or force states to fill the massive investment gap with their own resources. It’s not surprising that no governor—Republican or Democrat—has stepped forward to endorse that idea. State and local governments have cut their own highway and bridge capital investments by more than 15% since 2008, hardly reassuring evidence they are ready to assume a larger role in confronting a clearly national challenge. The editorial is correct in saying “the U.S. does need more roads to relieve congestion and encourage trade and economic activity.” In today’s competitive global marketplace, however, this can only be achieved with significant increases in transportation investment by all levels of government. T. Peter Ruane President & CEO American Road & Transportation Builders Association, Washington 6