OLYMPIA, Wash. – A proposed bill in the legislature could charge drivers for how much they drive in order to fund transportation projects. Supporters of the idea point to declining gas tax revenues, while opponents are skeptical of the system’s potential.
House Bill 1921 would implement a “road usage charge” or “RUC” for all passenger vehicles under 10,000 pounds, with funds raised solely going to road maintenance and preservation.
At a rate of $0.026 per mile driven, the charge would be calculated based on self-reported odometer readings. The RUC would be included as part of a driver’s annual vehicle registration fee.
Prime sponsor State Representative Jake Fey (D-Tacoma) said state transportation funding has faced shortfalls due in part to gas tax revenues declining as people use less gasoline.
“For over a century, the state has relied on the gas tax as the main source of revenue for maintaining our roads and bridges,” Fey told reporters Tuesday afternoon. “But as we move to a system where there are a lot more electric vehicles – but probably even more importantly, more fuel efficient vehicles – gas tax revenues now are projected to decline 45% by 2040.”
Fey, chair of the House Transportation Committee, said the state’s “roads, ferries and bridges would deteriorate” without a new transportation funding source.
He said the gas tax would remain under his proposal, but drivers would get credits based on an estimation of how much they paid. There would also be a deduction for off-road or out-of-state driving.
The road usage charge would be phased in over eight years starting in 2027, with initial periods of voluntary participation beginning with electric and hybrid vehicle drivers.
Fey argued the current gas tax is not equitable considering how different cars use different amounts of gasoline.
“If you’re driving a vehicle that is older and gets 15 miles per gallon, you’re paying $33 per every thousand miles you drive in state gas tax,” Fey said. “If you’re fortunate to have a newer vehicle that gets 40 miles per gallon, you’re paying $12 per thousand miles.”
He also pointed to other states like Oregon and Utah who are in varied phases of implementing their own road usage charges.
Legislative Republicans criticized the RUC as “regressive” during a media availability Tuesday morning.
They believe the system would be difficult to implement, and existing funds could instead be used to fund road maintenance and preservation.
Ultimately, they said the proposal has bipartisan opposition.
“There’s a number of challenges standing in the way on this proposal,” said Senate Minority Leader John Braun (R-Centralia) “Not the least of which is I don’t believe there’s anywhere close to 50 votes in the house and 25 votes in the senate to pass it.”
For their part, Democratic leaders in the legislature acknowledged gas tax revenues are not sustainable, and a new funding source has to be identified to fix roads.
They told reporters Tuesday that while a road usage charge is an option for transportation funding, it has already been proposed for many years and serious work would have to be done to get it implemented.
The bill is slated for a hearing in the House Transportation Committee Thursday afternoon.
Albert James is a television reporter covering state government as part of the Murrow News Fellowship program – a collaborative effort between news outlets statewide and Washington State University.
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