Tax-per-mile is getting closer | WA State
 

Link to the pilot program - ROAD USAGE CHARGE (RUC)
https://waroadusagecharge.org/

A 2.4 cent tax-per-mile driven will replace the $.49/gallon gasoline tax.

As called out on the website: The net result is that the more fuel efficient your vehicle is, the more tax you will pay to drive it.

4 Ways of mileage tracking/taxing

1. GPS tracking via automated mileage meter - Can deduct mileage driven out of state
2. Smartphone App - Can deduct mileage driven out of state
3. Mileage permit - Pre-pay
4. Odometer reading - post-pay

Here's how replacing $.49 gas tax with 2.4 cents/mile tax with me and my 2 cars

Ford Expedition and Scion FRS.

• 2003 Expedition = ~15 MPG x 5000 miles per year * $.49/gal gas tax = $163.3/year in gas tax. Usage tax would be 5000*2.4 cents = $120. $43.3/yr decrease in taxes
  

• 2013 FRS = ~28mpg x 12,000 miles per year (in state) * $.49/gal gas tax = $210. Usage tax would be 12,000*2.4cents = 288. $78/yr increase.

Recently folks in the Pugest Sound also got hit with with the new ST3 RTA tax. My FRS went from ~$90 to $290. $200 increase. (I don't even want to mention my Motorhome).

Since WA is now looking to get another $278/yr additional from just for my FRS, it's only logical to downsize my fleet and since I have needs that require a suv/4x4, I would have to say goodbye to the sports car.

The math of daily driving the SUV and selling the FRS was already pretty good all things considered but the RUC makes it even better. I may not be able to resist the financial benefit of selling the FRS and putting that money into something that bares interest while at the same time saving almost $2k/yr in expense.

If this is the way things must go long term, I think the spirit of it is missing something huge here... weight classes.

The tax should be scaled against the GVWR of the vehicle being driven. A light sports car does far less damage to the roads than an expedition. Similarly a motorcycle does far less damage to the roads than a sports car.

A flat number across all vehicles is laughable. How is the electorate in Washington allowing this to happen?

I know Oregon has been piloting the same thing since 2015, it's a mess here too.

So, move out of town for cheaper cost of living, then get penalized for commuting to work. Awesome plan.

commiefornia lite

I'm in exactly the same camp, but I added a caveat to your statement (in bold) which is most often true as well.

Taxing by weight can also be more equitable as people downline on the economic ladder often buying used cars (a 2008 Civic is lighter than a 2018 Civic) or they are buying low-priced new cars which arc toward the small/light. It creates an incentive to "buy lightness" and avoid weight.

Instead this RUC does the opposite - penalizes the poor that can't afford to live near their place of work (or work remotely), it creates some financial disincentive to purchase more efficient or electric vehicles and it could result a net-add for CO2 emissions.

All that and we haven't even broached the topic of government intrusion into privacy with GPS tracking - which is a whole other can of worms. Could they instant ticket/charge us every-time we exceed the speed limit, slow-roll a right-on-red or share driving behavior and location history data to our insurers or employers?

Yeah, agreed on all points.

I didn't touch on the gov intrusion part because Social Media has brainwashed the populace into forfeiting their privacy. And for those of us who actually give a damn about our rights, they allow the post pay option based on odometer...

Reality is, the GPS or smartphone app is a very flawed approach anyways - how do they know if you're actually driving? They'd still have to take an odometer reading. Also this gets complicated with the "crossing state lines" issue.

As much as I don't like toll roads, I think that can be a superior option when executed with discretion. You make people pay to use the good roads when they actually use them. Tying an Ez-pass to a weight class could be complicated though, so that too is not without its challenges.

I keep hearing this, is there a bill being presented? anyone know the details?

Man don't get me started on the people who argue "why do you care if you got nothing to hide" :(

sounds like it is time to leave the state, or execute the idiots thinking of doing this.

I think your math is a little off, 12000 * .024 = $288 dollars, so only a $78 increased on your FRS. (unless I am missing something).

But doing the math if you have better than 20.41666 MPG you will be paying more, anything under you are paying less in tax.

It is complete crap that they keep on raising taxes for roads when every year my commute gets worse and worse. Then on top of that, they are starting to Toll the roads that our tax payer dollars have already paid for and that get federal funding... Talk about triple dipping..

For me, I travel on highway 2 and 522 all the time (I live in Monroe). The bottle neck between the snohomish river bridge and paradise lake road on 522 is complete crap. It is one of the deadliest stretches of roads in Washington, they said it would cost about 25 million to widen it to two lanes in both directions (for the ~5 mile stretch) and another 95 million to add a new interchange at Paradise lake road (right now it is a stop light in the middle of a 60 MPH highway). But they have only funded 10 million of it that will go to "Planning", but those funds wont be released until 2025... SO they cannot even plan anything until 2025.... Oh and they have no money for the construction earmarked....

Meanwhile the cost of living is going through the roof in Seattle and neighboring urban centers that are forcing more people out this way.

This is just another tax on the less fortunate in our communities that must travel further for work because they can't afford to live where the jobs are.

/soapbox

Faulty math corrected. Instead of 12,000*.024, I wad doing 12,000*2.4/60 which is wrong.

Once corrected it means my Expedition will pay less in tax vs the gas tax while the lighter, more economic car pays more. Expedition is more damaging to the roads would be taxed less for it.

Wow, just wow.

Everyday they take your freedom away.

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Given the current situation where road work is paid out of gas taxes, how do you propose a better system where we can pay for road maintenance while not paying excessive taxes?

Everyone loves the US, until there's more taxes involved.