Saturday, November 5, 2011

Snyder considering allowing counties to charge vehicle registration fees to raise money for roads

Gongwer News Service said that Gov. Rick Snyder's vehicle transportation plan is allowing counties and regions to charge auto registration fees as a way to raise money for roads and public transit. On Wednesday, Governor Snyder is supposed to talk about his infrastructure plan as well as talk about the daring changes on how the state funds and maintains its road network and public transit. Some people in Snyder’s group are saying that Michigan isn’t investing enough in its roads. Keith Ledbetter the legislative affairs director for the Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association agrees and thinks that the state needs to double its $1.5 billion annual investment in order to provide the minimum level of maintenance. The plan would let counties or groups of counties to ask voters to support registration fees. It is projected to increase revenue without increasing the state's 19 cents per gallon gasoline tax or basing a tax on mileage. The vehicle registration fees are based on a percentage of the manufacturer's suggested retail price and vehicles produced prior to 1984 are based on weight. However, the problem with a gas tax is that revenue will decrease as cars become more fuel efficient. Car carriers would benefit because they would have better roads to drive on and less traffic to deal with in certain areas, thus reducing the time it takes to deliver a vehicle. For all of your auto moving needs, call N-Motion Auto Transport and get a FREE QUOTE.

N-Motion Auto Transport
www.NMotionAutoTransport.com
1-855-407-4160

In Virginia, GOP double talk on transportation funding

Any major attempt to improve the car transportation network involves new funding and this has been addressed by many GOP candidates. One idea is for the state to get new income for transportation from offshore oil and gas drilling. However there are quite a few problems with this idea. First problem is the federal suspension on offshore drilling on the Atlantic seaboard. Another is that almost no exploration has been done in the area in 20 years. Even if Virginia tried this idea it would be at least five years before they saw any money from it. Another idea to come up with money is for Virginia to find money for transportation is to “reprioritizing” state spending. Some Republicans are saying that if the state won’t help that northern Virginia is going to have to figure out its transportation problem on its own. The plan is that northern Virginia will have to tax itself. The good thing is that the need for new taxes is known. This, however, would kind of shift the political risk for raising taxes from lawmakers in Richmond to local boards of supervisors. The major funding for transportation is gas taxes and the last time they were raised was in 1986. Auto carriers would be would then have to increase the cost of each item transported in order to compensate for the extra costs incurred. For all of your car shipping needs, call N-Motion Auto Transport and get a FREE QUOTE.

N-Motion Auto Transport
www.NMotionAutoTransport.com
1-855-407-4160