Gas tax for mass transit? (Atlanta: flat fee, luxury, construction)

[netdragon]

With gas prices so low, what do you think about funding mass transit by a gas tax?

[atlantagreg30127]

Keep in mind the low prices on gas are probably only temporary. My guess is that in a few months (or less) they'll be hovering around $2.50 a gallon for regular (just a guess).

That being said, I've got no problem with an extra cent per gallon used for transit. But I also think the State should contribute money to it as well (which they don't - if you're talking about MARTA, CCT, etc). I think fares should be switched to a zone fare system, and I think there needs to be more toll roads in place on certain "super clogged" routes, with some of that money going to transit projects.

Just a personal opinion.

[neil0311]

I agree with most of what Greg mentioned. Once the economy around the world starts to recover, and the supply cuts announced by OPEC have some effect, we may see oil rally in a year or two, although it may sink lower in the short term. Gas prices will increase long term.

The state needs a comprehensive plan for funding transportation. I mentioned tolls a while back and agree with that to a point, but I think that riders of mass transit need to pay for most of the actual operating cost of the service. Funding capital programs from the state and general population is one thing, but riders only pay $1.75/ride or $3.75 round trip, which a few weeks ago was just a bit more than a single gallon of gas. Busses use fuel and trains use electricity, so MARTA is not immune from high energy costs. Soaking drivers with new taxes to pay for operating costs while keeping fares artifically low and relatively low compared to other transit systems isn't the best way to do it.

[gt6974a]

Y'all are joking right?!? The damn feds already tax the Hell out of gas. They make more off a gallon than the oil companies.

That being said, you leftist will get your wish. Obama's new Energy Secretary or whatever already said she wants to inflate gas prices, Obama said not right now but I'm sure it'll happen once the economy cools down.

Y'all are still missing the boat on the fact that Atlanta is not condensed enough to support Mass Rail. The BRT can be done cheap enough where you don't even have to tax people.

Shiot, if your going to enforce your tax on people, why don't you hit them where it really hurts, their property tax, we're already funding our crappy schools that way, might as well expand that program rather than create a new one.

In Cobb with have a SPLOST, if you can get people to vote for it as a SPLOST, then okay, otherwise, HELL NO!

My round trip cost on CCT cost me roughly $4.70/day. It was $3 last year.

[blondandfun]

Originally Posted by gt6974a

My round trip cost on CCT cost me roughly $4.70/day. It was $3 last year.

For a bunch of socialists they sure did hike the hell out of fares. They must be dumb socialists

[south-to-west]

Gas tax should be raised for the simple fact that it's necessary in order to keep up with the maintenance and operations costs of existing infrastructure, as well as to implement new capital improvements. Right now Georgia has one of the lowest gas tax rates in the nation, which does us no good as we're one of the fastest growing states in the country.

Another problem with transportation funding in the state of Georgia is that state and federal transportation revenue must be spent equally among each congressional district--or [i]congressional balancing[/I. This is a major obstacle to the development of major infrastructure improvements in Metro Atlanta as the same amount of money has to be spent in a rural South Georgia district. This makes no sense as the need for major transportation projects is the greatest in Metro Atlanta. Also the projects that we need in Metro Atlanta are usually more expensive than projects in other parts of the state given the high land costs of the Atlanta region, as well as higher construction costs.

Finally, the paradigm needs to shift from roads vs. rail/transit and instead must be multimodal. All forms of surface transportation improvements, be it transit or roads, needs to be seen as part of a bigger picture in increasing mobility and ensuring the efficient movement of goods and services.

[wxjay]

Originally Posted by gt6974a

Y'all are joking right?!? The damn feds already tax the Hell out of gas. They make more off a gallon than the oil companies.

That being said, you leftist will get your wish. Obama's new Energy Secretary or whatever already said she wants to inflate gas prices, Obama said not right now but I'm sure it'll happen once the economy cools down.

Y'all are still missing the boat on the fact that Atlanta is not condensed enough to support Mass Rail. The BRT can be done cheap enough where you don't even have to tax people.

Taxes need to go up to fund road projects anyways. The problem with the far "rightists" is that they claim that they don't need to raise taxes but instead just cut spending - what happens is the spending is not cut from pay checks or lobbyist contributions but from actual services that help people. It's a sad state of affairs really.

I think that in any way, shape, or form, taxes are going up. Whether it be on gas (which makes sense - gasoline is NOT a right people - it's a luxury, and if you have a vehicle that goes through gasoline quickly because it's large or you have a long commute, then you pay that price. There is NO reason why I have to subsidize someone else's SUV or 1 hour commute that is the CAUSE of the problem, and not a solution). Remove subsidies from the oil companies. Cut our stupid expansion projects like expanding Cobb Parkway to 8 lanes. It's really outrageous.

[BobKovacs]

"Gas taxes" should be used to fund projects related to those using the "gas"- ie, road improvements. If they want to raise money for rail, let 'em tax the tickets of those who use the rail system.

[wxjay]

Originally Posted by BobKovacs

"Gas taxes" should be used to fund projects related to those using the "gas"- ie, road improvements. If they want to raise money for rail, let 'em tax the tickets of those who use the rail system.

So funding for buses that use gas to fuel themselves to drive people on the roads and reduce wear and tear by reducing congestion shouldn't get the money?

Secondly, if we're going down this road (pun unintended), then we should have a "road tax", not a "gas tax" - you pay everytime you use the road. A toll or a flat fee per month or something like that. We'll tag how many miles you drive on the highway and then you pay a fee for that. That money would go toward maintenance of the road. Set 'em up and let people pay for what they use!

[BobKovacs]

See my notes in bold below.

Originally Posted by wxjay

So funding for buses that use gas to fuel themselves to drive people on the roads and reduce wear and tear by reducing congestion shouldn't get the money?

Note, I said "rail", not buses......

Secondly, if we're going down this road (pun unintended), then we should have a "road tax", not a "gas tax" - you pay everytime you use the road. A toll or a flat fee per month or something like that. We'll tag how many miles you drive on the highway and then you pay a fee for that. That money would go toward maintenance of the road. Set 'em up and let people pay for what they use!

Sounds like a plan to me- provided the money actually goes to road maintenance, and not into some black hole at the state, where it's pissed away on whatever absurd program they feel like funding at the time. When I lived in NJ, I loved driving the GS Parkway, and never complained about the tolls- the money from those tolls was used to maintain the road, and it was the most immaculate road (both in cleanliness and pavement quality) in the state. The rest of the roads in the state were pothole-ridden messes, funded by the gas taxes.