Funding roads (taxes, user fees etc)

[tomh009]

Indeed. Today everyone (driving an ICE vehicle) has to pay gasoline taxes -- and pay the annual licence renewal fee. I would expect that the fee/tax could be scaled to the level of wear and tear on the roads, based on mileage, weight and possibly other factors.

My one issue, though, is that people will find a way.

(...) There are always consequences. Some good, some bad. For me personally, a pay as your drive model, I am not going to the beach and driving through small town anymore. I am not going to St. Jacobs anymore. I'll give more business to businesses closer to my house. I'll keep my costs static. I used to drive 60-70K per year. Last year was 14K. I am sure I can get 'er done to 10K. 

Except that what we have today (gasoline taxes) are already a pay-as-you-drive model.

For future funding of roads, there are not many options.

• Do nothing: continue to fund from gasoline taxes (and increase those to compensate for EV adoption)
  
• Charge based on usage (both ICE vehicles and EVs)
  
• Fund from general revenues (eliminate gasoline tax and increase income tax or HST)
  

There is no free lunch, whether people drive more or less ...