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Replacing Gas Tax with a Mileage Tax?

Don Rush

There is a proposal backed by the Delaware Department of Transportation to substitute a mileage tax for the current gas tax to fund road construction and repair.

Delaware along with four other states on the East Coast have suggested that motorist pay a fee based on the distance that they drive.

The Wilmington News Journal reports that the proposal is a response to a request by federal transportation authorities to come up with alternative ways to pay for road construction.

The request comes in the wake of stagnant funding form the current gas and diesel tax.

The News Journal reports that Delaware, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New Hampshire and Vermont have asked for $1.5 million for the project that would use drivers who would volunteer for the program.

Delaware’s Transportation Secretary Jennifer Cohan suggested that two state legislators could be part of a pilot program.

Don Rush is the News Director at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.