The conditions of roads in some states in the US, Massachusetts not being an exception has been reduced due to the problem of funds for maintenance. In the article “Pump It Up,” Gabrielle Gurley gives an elaboration of what neglect to the roads in Massachusetts has led to. Due to the lack of proper funds for maintaining the roads and bridges in the state, they have slowly but steadily run to dilapidation. The bridges need maintenance services so as to continue giving services, but there are no funds for this.
The roads and bridges were initially built by the state. This has been done and is still done by the Massachusetts Highway Department which is charged, under the statutory laws, with the responsibility of constructing, maintaining, and operating the roads and bridges belonging to the state.
For the maintenance of the roads and bridges, the state has been charging a gas tax for the maintenance of the roads and there is also the federal fuel tax which also has not been adjusted with the financial changes which have occurred since 1993. the gas tax for roads maintenance has also not been increased since 1991. with increasing inflation, the roads maintenance department has gradually crept into huge debts and the budget is running into deficits. The Transport Finance Commission in Massachusetts also presented a report detailing the extent of the financial crisis that the department has been plunged into and that there is a $20 billion deficit for the Massachusetts commonwealth for the continuation of the maintenance of the roads.
Since it has been found that the current system of roads maintenance system is not effective enough to ensure that the roads are well maintained and also the fact that the burden that has been put on the state is too strenuous for its budget and cannot continue supporting it, it is of utmost importance for the state to look for other solutions for maintaining the roads for the safety of everyone.
One of the most viable options is to sell out the major highways to private companies to charge tolls and to do the maintenance of these roads. Some other proposals which have been presented as possible solutions include the introduction of electronic tolling and congestion pricing whereby vehicle owners would be required to pay more if they are to drive at peak hours. This option is already being done by other states across the nation. (Giglio J.M. 2008) The other is the increase in the gas tax. Since the gas tax in Massachusetts is not the highest, the increase would not be necessarily resisted by many. The collection mechanism needed for the gas revenues is very simple and it is already in place therefore implementing it will not be costly.
Apart from this, the increase is popular among many people. The other thing is that the tax is “broad-based,” (Gurley, 2008). This implies that the amount paid by all the road users will be dependent on how frequently they use them. For this reason, I am fully for the increase of gas tax for funding the roads maintenance.
This aspect can be justified in the sense that the amount of tax paid by anyone for roads maintenance is in direct proportion to how they use the roads and bridges. This is better than the situation where the state generally uses its funds from taxes where the frequency of the use of the roads by the motorist citizens is not given any consideration. Those who use the roads more frequently will therefore pay more for the maintenance of the roads. The heavy commercial vehicles which consume loads of gas will also be made to pay more through this system. I support it because it is considered equitable.
References
- Gabrielle Gurley. 2008. Pump It up: The Bay State’s Debt-Ridden Transportation Agencies Preside Over Networks that are Literally Falling Apart. New gas tax revenues may be the only way out.
- Giglio J.M. 2008. Telegram and Gazette. Pay For Transportation Repairs By Extending Tolls beyond Pike. As I See It.