Is A Per-Mile Driving Tax In Our Future?

[CAC1001]

and on a more personal note, i think i very much like the idea of free and open roads. it is, i dare say, very AMERICAN. it is a part of my culture, and i think it would be a great shame to lose it. not every public resource needs to be metered.

Me too, here here.

 

[Pyrrhus]

but we already charge more for popular links with tolls. and we can raise revenues by raising tolls or taxes. i assume you have calculated some dollar amount that you think this is supposed to save through increased efficiency?

the banana thing i don't get. bananas cost more or less depending on where you buy them, and according to crop yield. they vary by time and place/space.

and on a more personal note, i think i very much like the idea of free and open roads. it is, i dare say, very AMERICAN. it is a part of my culture, and i think it would be a great shame to lose it. not every public resource needs to be metered.

It is not the same. The financing mechanism is different. The current tolls with the exception of High Occupancy Toll Lanes are focused on revenue collection rather than travel demand management (although I think sometimes the value may increase, but for the most part is unresponsive to demand). Most of the reason for tolling in the USA is based on tolling to pay for the construction of a highway.

The "banana thing" was just me trying to argue that transportation good is for the most part non comparable to the people's idea of a good (which tends to always be a private good). For example, roads can be competitors (substitutes) or add value to each other (complements), while bananas can only be substitutes between them.

I know your last argument. It is what I hear at every public audience both from the public and politicians. It is the same reason that the gas tax has not been increased, and the same reason that I don't think a VMT tax (or GPS based per mile tax) will ever pass. I think tolls might have a chance, especially with the high occupancy toll lanes in the USA, and other tolling such as cordon pricing in the UK, and other European countries. As for me, I am in favor of another system more practical, similar to telecommunications charges .

 

[Pyrrhus]

I recommend reading:

THE RATIONALE FOR ROAD
PRICING: STANDARD THEORY
AND LATEST ADVANCES

by Kenneth Button

It's a good read about what's going on, and what should be done.

 

[OmCheeto]

Me too, here here.

Socialists...

 

[CAC1001]

Socialists...

What do you mean by that? I don't mind paying taxes to maintain the road system by any means, but I do like the road system in general where you can hop in your vehicle and go cruising.