12-16-2016, 10:11 AM
I don't think introducing road tolls have significantly more political will than raising the gas tax.
I think discriminating based on fuel efficiency* is better than discriminating on the roads you need to drive on. And yes, we can do better than coin baskets, but its still a non trivial undertaking to install and maintain the technology, have a way to notify and collect from drivers, and enforce non-compliance.
* I also think due to the fact that we're not paying for all of the externalities of driving, and thats correlated to the fuel efficiency of your vehicle, its actually pretty fair to charge more to less fuel efficient vehicles. But I own a hybrid, so, maybe I'm baised.
I think discriminating based on fuel efficiency* is better than discriminating on the roads you need to drive on. And yes, we can do better than coin baskets, but its still a non trivial undertaking to install and maintain the technology, have a way to notify and collect from drivers, and enforce non-compliance.
* I also think due to the fact that we're not paying for all of the externalities of driving, and thats correlated to the fuel efficiency of your vehicle, its actually pretty fair to charge more to less fuel efficient vehicles. But I own a hybrid, so, maybe I'm baised.