Gas Tax

The budget diverts $16 million in operations funding from the CTA. It also raises the city gas tax by three cents and drops the speed camera ticket threshold to 6 mph.

Raising the city gas tax a few cents a gallon would help deter unnecessary car trips while addressing the budget shortfall, without causing undue fiscal pain for residents.

The Tribune columnist, who famously wished a New Orleans-style storm would assault Chicago, argued that raising the state gas tax would be unfair to drivers. Here's why she's wrong again.

Today Emanuel spoke in favor of a for a 20 to 30 cent increase in the Illinois gas tax, which has been stuck at 19 cents since 1991, to fund transit, roads, and bridges.

A new report by the Metropolitan Planning Council finds that Illinois needs to invest $43 billion over the next decade to get its roads, bridges, and transit lines in a state of good repair. This is a daunting number, especially for a state that has gone over nine months without a budget plan. However, the nonprofit argues that this goal is achievable if leaders recognize the importance of facing the problem head-on by creating a new funding stream, rather than dealing with the costly consequences of continuing to neglect our transportation network.

It may be "seven years too late," as tactical urbanist Mike Lydon put it, but President Obama has released a transportation proposal that calls for big shifts in the country's spending priorities.

They've done it. Representatives from the House and Senate have emerged from conference committee with a five-year transportation bill, which is expected to be quickly approved and become first "long-term" bill in more than a decade.

Local leaders agree that Chicago region’s public transit system, and Illinois transportation infrastructure in general, are sorely underfunded. However, it’s clear that the traditional strategy of relying on gas tax revenue to fund projects is no longer working. The state gas tax has been stuck at 19 cents a gallon since 1990, and due to inflation, the buying power of the revenue it generates has fallen over the past few decades.

Once upon a time in America, the road system was largely funded by the gas tax. But that was many Highway Trust Fund bailouts ago.