With crumbling transit systems and low gas and oil prices, the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) joined a growing bipartisan chorus calling for an increase in the federal gas tax to support public transit and rebuild our nation’s crumbling transportation infrastructure.
“In referendums all over the country, Americans have shown a willingness to increase their own taxes as long as they are assured that the resulting revenue will actually go toward improving transportation in their communities,” says ATU International President Larry Hanley. “Given the recent dramatic drop in gas prices, now is the best time to eliminate the funding shortfalls that have plagued the federal transportation fund for years with an increase in the gas tax."
Every penny added to the gas tax would generate approximately $1.5 billion dollars for transportation infrastructure.
“A few additional pennies on the gas tax would have a minimal impact on the average car owner and if they knew it was going toward new reliable and convenient transit services and keeping fares down, they would buy into it,” Hanley continued.
An increase in the gas tax is urgently needed, not only to maintain and improve transportation infrastructure, but also to provide operational support for our nation’s cash-strapped public transit agencies that have been forced to cut service and raise fares despite more riders crowding their transit systems.
“This ‘perfect storm’ of record public transit ridership, diminishing funding, increased fares, and cut service has reduced many Americans’ access to good jobs, and slowed the pace of economic development,” Hanley said.
America has fallen woefully behind international competitors such as China who are currently strengthening their economies with huge investments in transportation.
“The question America must ask is not ‘Can we afford to increase the gas tax?’ but rather, ‘How can we afford not to?’" Hanley continued.
Hanley also called on Congress to get a long-term transportation bill passed. “We should not wait until another bridge falls down (like it did in MN a few years ago). We should not wait for another passenger to be stranded because their bus went out of service because the system didn’t have the money to fix it or buy a new one,” Hanley said. “Let’s not wait for another tragedy to occur. Let’s be proactive and pass a strong, multi-year surface transportation bill this year.”
