Illinois Business Journal Illinois Business Journal
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User fees not enough to keep pace with state's highway system
By KERRY L. SMITH

   Because Illinois' vast highway system is funded largely by revenue sources that don't keep pace with inflation, transportation experts say it's a continual battle to fund not even expansion activity but merely necessary maintenance of the state's existing roads and bridges.
   Illinois' highway system alone includes more than 16,000 miles of roadways. State, municipal, county and township roads together account for more than 139,000 miles of roads. According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, Illinois' highway system is the third-largest in the nation. Dick Smith, director of planning and programming for IDOT, says the state maintains its expansive network of roads and bridges through [continue]

 Although the Illinois Department of Transportation has a budget of $1.975 billion to cover maintenance of roads and bridges this fiscal year, transportation experts say maintenance-related needs alone top $3 billion. Highway user fee revenues - from motor fuel taxes, drivers' license fees and more - aren't increasing nearly as fast as inflation and construction costs
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According to the Illinois Comptroller's Office, a total of $3.352 billion has been diverted the past six fiscal years from roads and bridges into the state's general fund.		 . Road fund diversions to general fund top $3 billion, lawmakers concerned
By KERRY L. SMITH

   Multi-year diversions of Illinois road and bridge fund revenues have some lawmakers worried that an already well-worn state highway system will fall into disrepair.
   Republican legislators say that highway user fees being channeled away from the highway trust fund - coupled with the three-year absence of a capital projects budget - will lead to a state roads infrastructure that is neither [continue]

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Planners watch as Oregon experiments with mileage taxation
By ALAN J. ORTBALS

   With gas prices skyrocketing and manufacturers scurrying to produce hybrid vehicles and experiment with alternative fuel automobiles, transportation planners are worrying about the long-term viability of the motor fuel tax. Rather than sit and fret about declining revenues and rising costs, the Oregon Department of Transportation has decided to try to do something about it.
   Oregon, the first state in the nation to tax gasoline, is experimenting with replacing a tax on gas with a tax on mileage. Technology is making it possible.
   Jill Pearson is the project manager for ODOT's road user fee pilot [continue]

 A select number of Portland, Ore. motorists are participating in an Oregon Department of Transportation pilot program to tax mileage driven rather than gasoline used.