Reason 10: Reduce spending or increase taxes.
Departments of transportation across the country have recognized that the gas-tax is no longer sufficient to fund transportation programs. Due to cars becoming more efficient and using less gas (or in the case of electric vehicles, no gas) revenues into state transportation funds have steadily declined over the decades.
In-spite of this, the state’s transportation budget keeps increasing, with a majority of transportation dollars going towards the state highway system. Instead of facing the revenue source problem head-on, the state is kicking the can down the road through increased borrowing to pay for new highway infrastructure and roadway capacity.
At this rate, the transportation fund will be broke in a few years. The state has to face up to realities and either increase the gas-tax or stop spending as much as it does on expensive highway upgrades.
Demographic information which shows that automobile use is on the decline means that tax-payers will be saddled with the bills for the maintenance and repair of underutilized roads. Wisconsin’s economy is dependent on a strong and vibrant transportation network – it’s important to ensure that we have the money to keep it that way.