[Stepfordct]

Lowering the gas tax enough so that the price is notably cheaper than surrounding states will have the added benefit of capturing out of staters
Imagine that, making more money with less taxes.....crazy eh!

[East of the River]

Originally Posted by JayCT

That $2,000 is for someone who travels 20,000 miles per year on tolled expressways. That is a LOT of miles and very uncommon for most people. I used information from past posts and the data given RunD1987 to come up with that amount. Also note that they could see a reduction in other taxes they pay as a result of tolls so it is no where near the $2,000 being quoted.

Grocery taxes are entirely different. People can't survive without buying food so tax groceries, in my mind, is just obscene. People can live without a car and without driving on an expressway. They can't live without buying food. Jay

Most people need a car to make a living. I drive 20,000 miles a year and about 17-18,000 a year is I-84 the Mass pike and I 95. Tolls are a big deal. Many sales people travel 25-30,000 miles a year with much on toll roads.

There is no way we will see a reduction in taxes thanks to tolls. Just not going to happen. Even if it did it might be a bad idea given our debt load.

Toll amounts vary greatly. The last proposal had cheap tolls (like 4 cents a mile with a 25% congestion tag on at peak for commuters with instate plates and trasmitters.) Other older studies had crazy high toll rates like $4.00 one way from Waterbury to Hartford. The newest estimate was based on every highway in the state getting tolls not just 84 and 95. So Rt9 Rt 11 Rt2 would all be tolled, thats what allowed them to lower the rate and still make the revenue. If they really go with a low per mile rate and only on 84 and 95 the collection will be so low as to be pointless. A 2016 estimate stated tolls on 84 only would only produce 50 million a year in revenue.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by Stepfordct

Lowering the gas tax enough so that the price is notably cheaper than surrounding states will have the added benefit of capturing out of staters
Imagine that, making more money with less taxes.....crazy eh!

You could lower the gas tax to zero and it would not make a significant difference. People from adjacent states are not going to suddenly start buying gas here in any great numbers just because the price here is lower. We are talking pennies, not hundreds of dollars. Any savings would be wasted by the travel miles they would have to go to get here.

Also note that another part of the problem is that gas usage is down because of vehicle fuel efficiency. Plus it is likely that we will be seeing more and more electric vehicles which pay nothing in gas taxes. These all will add up in the coming years and likely mean even less money in the Transportation Fund. Jay

[Stepfordct]

Originally Posted by JayCT

You could lower the gas tax to zero and it would not make a significant difference. People from adjacent states are not going to suddenly start buying gas here in any great numbers just because the price here is lower. We are talking pennies, not hundreds of dollars. Any savings would be wasted by the travel miles they would have to go to get here.

Also note that another part of the problem is that gas usage is down because of vehicle fuel efficiency. Plus it is likely that we will be seeing more and more electric vehicles which pay nothing in gas taxes. These all will add up in the coming years and likely mean even less money in the Transportation Fund. Jay

So those long lines at Costco to save money on gas are just my imagination.

Not sure about you but if im driving thru states on a trip i try to fill up where its cheaper. Radical i know

[clutchrider]

I make sure to fillup in NJ before I head home from vaca every year. I also go to BJ's/Costco to fillup, even just adding a gallon if needed to get me there from another station.

Lowering the tax would entice more people to stop and fillup here thus creating more revenue. However what really needs to end is the stupid cost hike for using a card vs. cash.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by East of the River

Most people need a car to make a living. I drive 20,000 miles a year and about 17-18,000 a year is I-84 the Mass pike and I 95. Tolls are a big deal. Many sales people travel 25-30,000 miles a year with much on toll roads.

There is no way we will see a reduction in taxes thanks to tolls. Just not going to happen. Even if it did it might be a bad idea given our debt load.

Toll amounts vary greatly. The last proposal had cheap tolls (like 4 cents a mile with a 25% congestion tag on at peak for commuters with instate plates and trasmitters.) Other older studies had crazy high toll rates like $4.00 one way from Waterbury to Hartford. The newest estimate was based on every highway in the state getting tolls not just 84 and 95. So Rt9 Rt 11 Rt2 would all be tolled, thats what allowed them to lower the rate and still make the revenue. If they really go with a low per mile rate and only on 84 and 95 the collection will be so low as to be pointless. A 2016 estimate stated tolls on 84 only would only produce 50 million a year in revenue.

Most people choose to use a car to travel to work. They do not HAVE to. People could live close to their jobs like they did before there were cars. They could also use mass transit. Again they just choose not to. You can't choose to not eat. Big difference.

The only study of tolling in our state has been the I-95 and I-84 Congestion Relief Study prepared in 2016. It offered some options for tolling both I-95 from New Haven to New York and I-84 west of Hartford. The study really did not look at using tolls throughout the state to collect revenue. Below is a link. Jay

https://www.dotdata.ct.gov/ct_conges...ite/index.html

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by Stepfordct

So those long lines at Costco to save money on gas are just my imagination.

Not sure about you but if im driving thru states on a trip i try to fill up where its cheaper. Radical i know

Costco charges gas taxes just like any other retailer. Their gas is cheaper because they are a membership wholesale warehouse club. That does not mean they are exempt from paying gas taxes.

It is radical that you go out of your way to save a few pennies on the price of gas. But do you drive an extra 15 to 20 miles to save on gas? IT may make sense for drivers living near the state line but that is not that many people. If I need gas and am somewhere that has lower gas prices I will stop but I certainly do not go out of my way to save money. I doubt others do too. Jay

[GeoffD]

Originally Posted by JayCT

Costco charges gas taxes just like any other retailer. Their gas is cheaper because they are a membership wholesale warehouse club.

More like price gouging at the regular gas stations. Costco pays the same wholesale gasoline price as anyone else who sells at high volumes. Their labor costs are higher.

[MrGompers]

Originally Posted by JayCT

Most people choose to use a car to travel to work. They do not HAVE to. People could live close to their jobs like they did before there were cars. They could also use mass transit. Again they just choose not to. You can't choose to not eat. Big difference.

The only study of tolling in our state has been the I-95 and I-84 Congestion Relief Study prepared in 2016. It offered some options for tolling both I-95 from New Haven to New York and I-84 west of Hartford. The study really did not look at using tolls throughout the state to collect revenue. Below is a link. Jay

https://www.dotdata.ct.gov/ct_conges...ite/index.html

I didn't read that article, but I know a state rep from the Enfield area was floating the idea of making the HOV lane from Windsor <-> Hartford a "Lexus Lane" similar to what Virginia has now where single occupied cars can use the lane. Don't think it got much traction though.

[BeyondtheHorizon]

4)None. No increased taxes.

Except we should increase income tax on people making over 500k/year.