We need your help to pass new sustainable transportation funding for Washington State!
Washington State relies on the gas tax to fund around half of its transportation budget. However, due to the increase in EVs and vehicle efficiency, gas tax revenue is projected to decline by over 70 percent by 2050. We desperately need a new generational funding source for transportation that doesn’t rely on the continued use of fossil fuels.
A Road Usage Charge is an innovative way to capture the true cost of driving and generate transportation revenue. It charges people by the miles they drive rather than the gallons of gas they purchase. Legislators have been studying a Road Usage Charge since 2012 and now they’re hoping to make it a reality.
Representative Jake Fey has introduced a Road Usage Charge in HB 1921 to provide new, long-term funding for Washington’s transportation needs.
Critically, this bill commits to using Road Usage Charge revenue to fix the infrastructure we have — and not to build new freeways. It also creates a new long-term funding source for transit, walking, and biking.
The House Transportation Committee will hear HB 1921 tomorrow, Thursday, Feb. 13, at 4 PM, and we need your help to pass this bill!
Here are two quick and easy actions to take right now:
TCC has worked on a road usage charge for many years, and we have maintained that new revenue must address our most pressing transportation needs. If you’ve been following this conversation for a while, you know that we had hoped to ensure any Road Usage Charge bill would be free from 18th Amendment restrictions limiting it to roadway use.
But ensuring this revenue is used for preservation and maintenance, not new highways, is an enormous win. After years of advocacy with all of you, we have a bill that could help end the era of highway expansion.
This is HUGE. It will fundamentally change how we do business.
Preservation and maintenance work currently faces a shortfall of $1 billion annually, so having a dedicated revenue source for this work will allow Washington to finally tackle a growing backlog of repairs and redesigns. And Washington’s Complete Streets mandate ensures that as the state conducts repair work on roads and bridges, it invests in things like safe crosswalks, bike lanes, and transit access to create a transportation system that is comfortable and convenient for all people.
At the same time, an additional Road Usage Charge assessment will generate a new long-term funding source for transit, walking, and biking that is not 18th Amendment protected. This is brand-new funding for sidewalks, bike lanes, and public transit that wouldn’t otherwise exist — a vast improvement over the gas tax.
Help us transform the future of our transportation system by signing in PRO and emailing your legislators today. Ask them to pass new, sustainable transportation funding!
