WASHINGTON — A vehicle-miles-traveled tax would present a good long-term solution for funding the nation’s infrastructure, while higher fuel taxes could address more near-term needs, representatives from the Association of American Railroads said.
Officials from AAR made the comments during a Feb. 8 news conference held to update the public on implementation of Positive Train Control as well as railroads’ safety and business performance.
To address immediate infrastructure needs, lawmakers could implement an increase in the federal gas tax that would fully cover the current shortfall in the Highway Trust Fund, AAR officials said on the call, noting that American Trucking Associations is among the groups that back an increase in fuel taxes. ATA supports a 20-cent-per-gallon built-in fee on transportation fuels that would be collected at the terminal rack, as part of the group’s Build America Fund proposal.