Make I-70 a toll road? (Columbia: hotels, maintenance, live)

[kcmo]

Traffic volumes are not going down. Over time, they are only going up, especially in large metros and interstates like I-70 and any change in the gas tax barely impacts the price of gas compared to basic fluxuations in overall gas prices.

The main reason states are having trouble with gas tax revenue is due to cars getting better gas mileage while the population and traffic continues to increase and interstates are getting older and need to be rebuilt. AT the same time, inflation makes everything more expensive while the states are actually getting the same or less revenue then they were in past years.

Nobody likes taxes, but MO needs to raise its gas tax and they need to turn over much of their secondary roadway system to counties and cities. Most state highway departments do not maintain near the percentage of secondary highways as MoDOT does.

They have to take care of lot more with a lot less.

[pdm_ad]

Originally Posted by Bluff_Dweller

So Missouri has been getting more tax revenue than its neighbor states all these years. That's why we enjoy cheaper gas until Obamahope.

This is not true. IL enjoys 3x as much revenue from gas taxes as does MO.

[mike0421]

Originally Posted by pdm_ad

This is not true. IL enjoys 3x as much revenue from gas taxes as does MO.

But how much of that revenue is absorbed by overhead and salaries as a percentage of the whole? Is MDOT somehow being run more efficiently than Illinois?

[aragx6]

^But that's not really the point. The argument is that we can't raise our gas taxes or we'll lose all our gas tax revenues. Illinois having both a higher gas tax and higher revenues (while also directly abutting Missouri) should show that to be an inacurrate thought process.

[westender]

Originally Posted by mike0421

If necessary, the federal government should install a gasoline tax to pay for interstate highway upgrades, as these roads fall under the perview of the feds.

The feds do have a gasoline tax, and it is intended for exactly this sort of project.

I suspect something else is at play here.

[Bluff_Dweller]

Originally Posted by aragx6

^But that's not really the point. The argument is that we can't raise our gas taxes or we'll lose all our gas tax revenues. Illinois having both a higher gas tax and higher revenues (while also directly abutting Missouri) should show that to be an inacurrate thought process.

I was surprised that all the states around Missouri was getting less fed tax revenue with the exception of Illinois. The only reason I could come up with was that we had been selling more fuel. I suspected Ill. of having some extra fuel tax added to their state which allows them more revenue.

If you can explain why arag, I will submit to the "inacurrate thought process".

[aragx6]

Oh they do have a higher gas tax -- a significantly higher one -- yet their revenues are still higher than ours. Correct me if I'm but I feel as though one of your key arguments was that raising the gas tax would negatively affect revenues, and I think Illinois helps to show that is not the case. Raising the gas tax is an effective means of raising necessary revenues without the expense, infrastructure and annoyance of a toll.

I would be all in favor to raising the MO gas tax to the average of our neighbors -- it would be an almost 50% jump.

41.2: Illinois
22.0: Iowa
21.8: Arkansas
27.8: Kentucky
21.4: Tennessee
27.2: Nebraska
17.0: Oklahoma

That'd be 25.49 instead of the current 17.3. Even if you left out Illinois, the average would still be 22.87, a significant increase.

[Bluff_Dweller]

Originally Posted by aragx6

Oh they do have a higher gas tax -- a significantly higher one -- yet their revenues are still higher than ours. Correct me if I'm but I feel as though one of your key arguments was that raising the gas tax would negatively affect revenues, and I think Illinois helps to show that is not the case. Raising the gas tax is an effective means of raising necessary revenues without the expense, infrastructure and annoyance of a toll.

I would be all in favor to raising the MO gas tax to the average of our neighbors -- it would be an almost 50% jump.

41.2: Illinois
22.0: Iowa
21.8: Arkansas
27.8: Kentucky
21.4: Tennessee
27.2: Nebraska
17.0: Oklahoma

That'd be 25.49 instead of the current 17.3. Even if you left out Illinois, the average would still be 22.87, a significant increase.

You remember the old saying, "Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it", and it might be NOT to your liking?

Consider this, you raise the gas tax and whats the businesses going to do? They will raise the price of their goods & services to pay for the added cost. So you not only pay at the pump but also a higher price for your goods & services. The only one that wins is the government.

[Bluff_Dweller]

Originally Posted by westender

The feds do have a gasoline tax, and it is intended for exactly this sort of project.

I suspect something else is at play here.

Very preceptive westender. Don't listen to what they say, determine what they are not saying.

It seems the fed fuel tax is up in Sept. 30 for renewal. They might have told their birddogs to talk up a raise in tax so they can get more money out of the reported of keeping ABOUT 15% and returning the balance to the states.

Hmmmm!

[aragx6]

Originally Posted by aragx6

Oh they do have a higher gas tax -- a significantly higher one -- yet their revenues are still higher than ours. Correct me if I'm but I feel as though one of your key arguments was that raising the gas tax would negatively affect revenues, and I think Illinois helps to show that is not the case. Raising the gas tax is an effective means of raising necessary revenues without the expense, infrastructure and annoyance of a toll.

I would be all in favor to raising the MO gas tax to the average of our neighbors -- it would be an almost 50% jump.

41.2: Illinois
22.0: Iowa
21.8: Arkansas
27.8: Kentucky
21.4: Tennessee
27.2: Nebraska
17.0: Oklahoma

That'd be 25.49 instead of the current 17.3. Even if you left out Illinois, the average would still be 22.87, a significant increase.

Anyone notice which state I missed? Yep, I am sitting a half mile from it right now: Kansas! Oops. Theirs is 25, so the numbers don't change significantly: 25.43 instead of 25.49 or 23.17 without Illinois.