Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski wants the state to consider charging drivers for the amount of miles they drive, in order to support transportation projects.
That would be a change from the current gasoline tax-backed approach to transit funding. Kulongoski is trying to increase the amount that Oregon spends on transportation infrastructure, and he is looking for ways to maintain spending even as the state pushes drivers into greener and greener vehicles.
The governor’s proposal — which has already been tested in a Portland-area pilot study with 300 vehicles — would rely on global positioning satellite technology to track the amount of mileage drivers log on Oregon roads. His proposal is to go forward with preparations for implementing the tax, but he has not yet proposed the actual switch to a mileage tax. The change would be introduced gradually as new vehicles are sold with the GPS technology.
Opponents say the idea would punish drivers for buying more fuel-efficient vehicles, be impossible to implement, and would invade drivers’ privacy.
