The way we finance new highways and roads is no longer working

Those who use the roads should pay for the roads.

[Source Image: urfinguss/iStock/Getty Images Plus]

Taxpayers who don’t or can’t drive are increasingly subsidizing those who do, and it’s not sustainable. For decades, the main way we paid for highways, bridges, and major roads was through dedicated user fees. The biggest one is the federal gas tax. States have their own gas taxes too, plus vehicle registration fees and tolls in some places.

The idea was simple: The more you drive and the more gas you burn, the more you pay. That money went into the Highway Trust Fund and state road funds. It was supposed to cover building and........

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