blue ribbon committee on highway finance report
Transcription
blue ribbon committee on highway finance report
A RE N A ’S COMPAN R IO DE TO THE BLUE RIBBON COMMITTEE ON HIGHWAY FINANCE REPORT by Jim McKenzie A READER’S COMPANION TO THE BLUE RIBBON COMMITTEE ON HIGHWAY FINANCE REPORT by Jim McKenzie February, 2011 Contents The Purpose of the Reader’s Companion .......................................................1 About the Author ........................................................................................1 Chapter 1 How Did We Do?...................................................................................3 Chapter 2 Who Are Those Guys? Members of the Blue Ribbon Committee................................................5 Chapter 3 A Little Mood Music Things You Should Know Before You Read the Blue Ribbon Report ........8 Chapter 4 From Dirt Roads to Freeways The Modern Era — The First Fifty Years .................................................13 Chapter 5 The Future Ain’t What It Used to Be The Next Fifty Years..............................................................................15 Chapter 6 Ready, Fire, Aim How Can You Tell It’s “Adequate” Without a Target?..............................18 Chapter 7 The Recommendations From a Different Angle... With Extras.........................................................................................23 Chapter 8 Let’s Do the Math Addition, Subtraction and the Impact on Arkansans..............................29 Chapter 9 How to Think About All of This Big Picture, Small Steps, Long-Term......................................................35 AppendixA Recommendations of the Blue Ribbon Committee on Highway Finance ......................................39 AppendixB Case Studies ......................................................................................52 AppendixC County Turnback Factors.......................................................................55 AppendixD City Turnback Factors............................................................................57 A R e a d e r ’s C o m p a n i o n To the Blue R i bbon C ommi t t e e on Hi g hw ay F ina n c e Re po r t Purpose of The Readers Companion The Reader’s Companion is meant for the elected officials in central Arkansas. It is written to provide important insights into the work of the Blue Ribbon Committee on Highway Finance in order to allow the reader to more fully understand and appreciate the full deliberations of the Committee. This work is written solely from the vantage point of the author and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Blue Ribbon Committee or any other of its members. About the Author Jim McKenzie is the Executive Director of Metroplan, the council of governments in central Arkansas and the designated metropolitan planning organization for the Little Rock/North Little Rock/Conway metropolitan area. He has served in that position since 1988. During that time he has served as vice president and chair of the policy committee for the national Association of MPOs, served on the Eno Transportation Foundation’s Board of Advisors, has spoken before conferences of the Transportation Research Board and the Institute of Transportation Engineers, and been invited to give testimony to the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission. Mr. McKenzie was appointed to the Blue Ribbon Committee by Arkansas Speaker of the House, Rep. Robbie Wills. While on the Blue Ribbon Committee, Mr. McKenzie chaired the New Revenue Subcommittee and was co-chair of the Working Group that made the final recommendations to the full Committee. A R e a d e r ’s C o m p a n i o n To the B lue Ri bbon C om m i ttee on High way F inance Re po r t Chapter 1 How Did We Do? The Enabling Legislation The Blue Ribbon Committee on Highway Finance was created by Act 374 of 2009, the full text of which can be found in the Appendix of the Blue Ribbon Committee’s Final Report. For the purposes of this paper, we want to emphasize the key parts of the legislative charge to the Committee: SECTION 2 (1) …[Determine] adequate financing of the present and future needs of the state highways, county roads and city streets within the state; (2) Define an equitable and adequate system to properly finance improvements to the systems of state highways, county roads and city streets within the state; How did the Committee do in fulfilling its charge? Although the Committee worked diligently, the limited time and information available made it impossible to completely fulfill the legislative charge. In most cases where information was lacking, future study was recommended. A Subjective Report Card of the Committee’s Work State Highways Determine Funding Adequacy Define Adequate Financing System Define Path Forward Partially Partially Yes County Roads No Partially No City Streets No Partially No It should be noted that compared to similar efforts in other states, the work of the Arkansas Blue Ribbon Committee on Highway Finance was completed in half the time and was seriously under-resourced. Nevertheless, the work forms a solid foundation for future study. The section that follows explains the “grades” on this subjective report card: State Highways Of all the road systems, the needs of state highways are best documented, but information on license fees and heavy truck damage were not complete enough to draw firm conclusions without further study. It is clear that we have built and promised more state highways than will ever be adequately supported, hence the conclusion that funding adequacy was only partially A R e a d e r ’s C o m p a n i o n To the Blue R i bbon C ommi t t e e on Hi g hw ay F ina n c e Re po r t 2 A R e a d e r ’s C o m p a n i o n To the B lue Ri bbon C om m i ttee on High way F inance Re po r t 3 addressed (see Chapter 6 for more detail) and the recommendation to study the reduction of the state system to its strategic core. In the end, when one does the math, adopting all of the funding recommendations is not enough for the current and promised state system. See Chapter 7, Doing the Math. County Roads and City Streets No comprehensive and accurate information exists on the roadway needs for Arkansas cities and counties. It is a virtual black hole. Therefore, it was impossible to reasonably determine the current and future needs of our local governments quantitatively. Funding for cities and counties was partially addressed by recommending (1) the traditional 70/15/15 split for all new revenues, (2) a constitutional amendment allowing more than 3 mills to be levied for the county road fund, (3) establishing a minimum local tax effort by cities and counties, and (4) indexing the County Aid 1¢ and establishing a new City Aid program with 1¢ levied and indexed to the Arkansas Highway Construction Cost Index 3-year trailing average. The path forward for cities and counties would involve determining to some uniform and professional standard what their needs truly were. Unfortunately, a recommendation to that effect was rejected by the full Blue Ribbon Committee (see Unadopted Recommendation p.27). Like public schools, city and county roads represent a massive public investment, are some of our most ubiquitous public capital assets, are in a state of ill repair, lack uniform standards and accountability, and represent a massive and routinely ignored unfunded liability on the public accounts. Also like public schools, good roads are critical to the economic success of the state, and to get them in good shape will require some state oversight, significant investment and years of committed effort. Unlike public schools, however, there is not a Lakeview case lurking around the curve that will force action. If the General Assembly really wants answers to the questions posed in the charge to the Blue Ribbon Committee, it will have to determine to make that investment on its own. Chapter 2 WHO ARE THESE GUYS? Members of the Blue Ribbon Committee On Highway Finance The Blue Ribbon Committee consisted initially of nineteen members: Six Legislative members designated in the Act • Sen. Gilbert Baker – Conway (Co-Chair of Joint Budget) • Rep. Bruce Maloch – Magnolia (Co-chair of Joint Budget) • Sen. Paul Miller – Melbourne (Chair of Senate Revenue and Tax) • Rep. John Lowery – El Dorado (Chair of House Revenue and Tax) • Sen. John Paul Capps – Searcy (Chair of Senate Transportation) • Rep. Bill Sample – Hot Springs (Chair of House Transportation) One representative from the Association of Arkansas Counties • Judge Wes Fowler – Madison County One representative from the Arkansas Municipal League • Mayor Tab Townsell - Conway One member of the Highway Commission • Madison Murphy – El Dorado Two members appointed by Governor Beebe • David Malone – Fayetteville – Attorney • Allen Maxwell – Monticello – State Representative Two from the general public appointed by Senate Pres. Pro Tem Bob Johnson • Bill Lynch – Heber Springs – Banker • Charles Dain – Conway – Accountant Two from the general public appointed by Speaker of the House Robbie Wills • Mark Lamberth – Batesville – Contractor • Jim McKenzie – Little Rock – Metroplan Executive Director Two from the general public appointed by Senate Transportation Committee Chair John Paul Capps • Wayne Hartsfield – Searcy – Banker • Mike Wilson – Jacksonville – Attorney A R e a d e r ’s C o m p a n i o n To the Blue R i bbon C ommi t t e e on Hi g hw ay F ina n c e Re po r t 4 A R e a d e r ’s C o m p a n i o n To the B lue Ri bbon C om m i ttee on High way F inance Re po r t 5 Two from the general public appointed by House Transportation Committee Chair Bill Sample • Mark McBryde – Little Rock - Investments • Bill Fletcher – Hot Springs – Consulting Engineer Senator John Paul Capps was elected chairman and Representative Allen Maxwell was elected co-chairman. Sadly, Mr. Wayne Hartsfield passed away not long after the Committee started its work and was not replaced. After several meetings for general background testimony, Senator Capps established two subcommittees – the Revenue Transfer Subcommittee chaired by Rep. John Lowery and the New Revenue Subcommittee chaired by Jim McKenzie. Most of the work of the Committee was done in the two Subcommittees. The charge was to define an adequate A close look at the membership of the Blue Ribbon Committee financing system for reveals two things: first, the group is not geographically current and future representative of the entire state and, two, several key interest groups needs for state did not have a seat at the table. Since the group was to focus on finances and not highway projects, the geographic issue was not highways, county considered critical. The fact that key interest groups were missing roads and city streets. from the conversation, however, was considered a serious oversight. set of recommendations as objectively as possible, recognizing that the next step was for the Legislature and the political process to act on all, some, or none of them. The Final Report – Some Clarifications The inclusion of a map of the Four Lane Grid System in Chapter 1 Highway Needs – Historic Information gives some who read it the impression that the Blue Ribbon Committee identified that network to “facilitate the movement of people and goods and economic development among all areas of the state.” That is not the case. As stated earlier, the Blue Ribbon Committee on Highway Finance did not consider nor endorse any specific highway project or network. Chapter 3 Link Between Transportation Investments and the Economy was added to the Final Report after the Blue Ribbon Committee finished its deliberations and was not presented to, nor approved by the Committee. Had the material been presented to the full Committee, there is no reason to think it would not have been approved, but it was not. To remedy that situation, Chairman Capps appointed a Transportation Stakeholders Task Force whose members sat in on and participated fully in all of the deliberations of the Blue Ribbon Committee. The members of the Task Force are listed below: • Al Heringer IV – Jonesboro, representing oil marketers • Greg Carman – Ft. Smith, representing the trucking industry • Steve Williams – North Little Rock, representing national transportation research initiatives • Paul Benham – Little Rock, representing the rail/intermodal industry • Dennis Teague – Sheridan, representing automobile dealers/manufacturers • Johnnie Bolin – Crossett, representing the Arkansas Good Roads/Transportation Council Rules of the Road From the very beginning of its deliberations, there was temptation within the Committee to design a new state highway program and to politically handicap our recommendations based on what members thought could be passed by the next Legislature. However, the charge of the legislation was narrow and specific. The charge was to define an adequate financing system for current and future needs. For the most part, under the adept leadership of Chairman Capps, the Committee attempted to do just that -- develop a A R e a d e r ’s C o m p a n i o n To the Blue R i bbon C ommi t t e e on Hi g hw ay F ina n c e Re po r t 6 A R e a d e r ’s C o m p a n i o n To the B lue Ri bbon C om m i ttee on High way F inance Re po r t 7 Chapter 3 A LITTLE MOOD MUSIC Things You Should Know Before You Read the Blue RibbonReport This chapter contains a potpourri of information on laws, agreements, philosophical constructs and basic facts that are useful to the reader in understanding some of the constraints within which the Blue Ribbon Committee worked and some of the conceptual deliberations that framed the recommendations. 1. Arkansas Constitution: Amendment 19 Familiarity with Amendment 19 to the Arkansas Constitution and the consequences that follow from its limitations is necessary to understand how the system of financing our roads and highways evolved. Familiarity with Amendment 19 to the Amendment 19 was referred to the people by the 1934 General Arkansas Constitution Assembly and adopted in 1935. In short, it provides that any and the consequences property, excise, privilege or personal tax increase (in other words, that follow from its all the state taxes that existed in 1934) must be referred to the limitations is necessary people or, in the case of an emergency, passed by three quarters to understand how the of the members of each house of the General Assembly. To pass a motor fuels excise tax requires an affirmative vote of 75 of the 100 system of financing our members of the House and 27 of the 35 members of the Senate. roads and highways evolved. The consequence of this requirement is that any general highway improvement program must show a “line on the map” (highway project) in 75 districts in order to garner enough votes for passage. The last general highway program was the 1991 Highway Improvement Program (HIP), originally proposed as a ten-year program, that was passed as a fifteen year program in order to add enough projects to get the needed support in both houses. Generally, the 1991 HIP is viewed as a relative failure because the fifteen-year timeframe allowed cost inflation to reduce the program too much and frustrated the public in the long delay in getting promised projects delivered. Some promised projects from that program still have not been started. By contrast the 1999 Interstate Reconstruction Program, a phased tax increase over three years, combined with GARVEE (Grant Anticipation Revenue Vehicles) bonds and a strict five-year construction window, was widely viewed as a success and a model for future programs. 2. The 70/15/15 Split The 70/15/15 split is the Holy Grail of passing a transportation program in the Arkansas A R e a d e r ’s C o m p a n i o n To the Blue R i bbon C ommi t t e e on Hi g hw ay F ina n c e Re po r t 8 The 70/15/15 split is the Holy Grail of passing a transportation program in the Arkansas General Assembly. General Assembly. It was first instituted into law by Act 182 of 1957, allocating 70% of most non-federal highway revenue to AHTD, 15% to the cities of the state and 15% to the counties. Over the years, the state has occasionally tried to push highway programs without the split, but without 15% success. Two things are important to know about the 70/15/15 split. First, the percentages are calculated after 3% of the gross revenue is deducted for the Constitutional and Fiscal Agencies Fund. The second is that the 15% for cities and the 15% for counties is the result of a political deal. It is not based on any assessment of infrastructure needs whatsoever. 15% 70% As a result of this Faustian bargain, cities and counties have linked their fate to the ability of the Highway Department to get a road tax/program passed. But they have likewise limited themselves in terms of addressing their own needs. 3. Our Common Wealth In this context the term commonwealth has to do with the public’s capital assets that we own in common, literally, our common wealth. Roadways are the most ubiquitous capital asset that Arkansans own together, over 100,000 miles of them. We have built these assets up over the decades, adding to them and improving them with each generation. We have bought them with our tax dollars, but before that, built them with the sweat of our brows. “I’m 94 years old. I remember when I was a boy in Ashley County, every able-bodied man in the county had to give four days to the county road crew. But if you brought a team [of horses or mules], you only had to give two days.“ — Member of the Founder’s Lions Club, Little Rock, 2010 My grandfather told me similar stories of Yell County, and I suspect the practice was common around the state. If our state is to continue to progress and to build our common wealth, we have a stewardship responsibility to pass these public capital assets on to our children in better shape than when we got them. Roadways are the most ubiquitous capital asset that Arkansans own together, over 100,000 miles of them. Four U.S. States are officially called “Commonwealth” in their state constitutions. Can you Name Them? Commonwealth of Virginia Commonwealth of Massachusetts Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Commonwealth of Kentucky Commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. 4. User Fee System (US) vs. General Tax System (EU) There are two general models for financing transportation improvements – user fees or general A R e a d e r ’s C o m p a n i o n To the B lue Ri bbon C om m i ttee on High way F inance Re po r t 9 e•qui•ta•ble adjective. 1. characterized by equity or fairness; just and right; fair; reasonable revenues. User fees are generally considered motor fuel taxes, tolls, vehicle license and registration fees, or weight distance taxes and are related to the amount the payer uses the road system. At least since the establishment of the Highway Trust Fund in 1956, the United States has predominantly, but not exclusively, followed the user fee model. The countries of the European Union have generally viewed gas taxes as another form of general revenue. European gas taxes are so much higher than in the U.S. because they fund not only the highway system, but Europe’s enviable public transit system and other government services as well. Arkansas has a history of being a pure user fee state, at least at the state level. Motor fuel taxes, license and registration fees and certain specialty fees are dedicated to roadways. Some of those fees are shared with local governments, as we will discuss later. Some states divert road user fees to fund other state government services, such as the State Police or in the case of Texas, education. Arkansas has not done that. The situation is different regarding city and county roadways. Local governments use property taxes and some local option sales tax revenue to subsidize roadway investments. Most new local roadways are built by land developers Direct user fees are and then turned over to the city or county for public maintenance. considered the most equitable or fair way Direct user fees are considered the most equitable or fair way of of financing roadway financing roadway improvements. Yet only a fraction of our 100,000 miles of public roads actually generate enough traffic to pay for their improvements. routine maintenance at current tax rates (on state highways, about 2200 trips per day). As this roadway chart illustrates, roadways vary between two primary purposes – mobility (carrying large numbers of vehicles from one point to another) and providing access to property. The more a roadway does the former, the less it can safely do the latter. For those low volume roadways the primary purpose of which is to provide access to property and thereby add value to that property, the property tax is an equitable funding source. 5. IFTA The International Fuel Tax Agreement is an agreement between the fifty states and the Canadian provinces. It governs the distribution of diesel tax revenue among the participants based on the miles driven in each state reconciled against the tax collected in each state. It does place some restrictions on how diesel fuel can be taxed. Because retail sales tax is collected at the pump as a percent of the purchase price, it runs afoul of IFTA, which specifies that fuel taxes must be applied on a per gallon basis. A R e a d e r ’s C o m p a n i o n To the Blue R i bbon C ommi t t e e on Hi g hw ay F ina n c e Re po r t 10 6. Streamlined Sales Tax Agreement The Streamlined Sales Tax Agreement (SSTA) currently has 20 states as full members, 5 states as associate members and several other states as participating members. Arkansas is a full signatory. It seeks to streamline and make uniform how sales taxes are collected, with the intent of successfully petitioning the Congress to allow state and local sales taxes to be collected on internet sales. The impact of the SSTA on the Blue Ribbon Committee deliberations is primarily that if the sales tax exemption on the sale of fuel were removed, the resulting tax could not be phased in, but rather the full state and local sales tax rates must be applied all at once. 7. Miles of Road – The Known and the Unknown Arkansas has over 100,032 miles of public roads owned and maintained by the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department, 75 counties and hundreds of cities and towns in the state. Here are the numbers: The Knowns Vehicle Miles Miles Traveled (millions) State Highways • Primary Highway Network • Secondary Highway Network 16,443 (16%) 7,719 8,724 68.2m (77%) 89% 11% 12th Largest State Highway Network in the Nation County Roads • County Aid Road System 68,811 (69%) 8.0m (9%) 9,339 out 15,000 miles authorized 10th Largest County Road system in the Nation City Streets 14,778 (15%) 12.7m (14%) Current Roadway Conditions State Highway Conditions Without New Revenue 1999 2006 Good 21% Poor 63% Fair 16% 2016 Poor 14% Poor 37% Fair 14% Good 72% Good 52% Fair 11% A R e a d e r ’s C o m p a n i o n To the B lue Ri bbon C om m i ttee on High way F inance Re po r t 11 Chapter 4 The Great Unknown -- County Roads and City Streets There is virtually no Maintaining the existing extensive local road network is by far the credible data on the largest element of determining the present and future needs of the roadway conditions city and county systems. And yet, there is virtually no credible on local streets. data on the roadway conditions on local streets. There is plenty of anecdotal evidence that it is pretty bad out there, but nothing with the same level of professional assessment AHTD uses for the state routes. FROM DIRT ROADS TO FREEWAYS The Modern Era – The First 50 Years The modern era in highways dates to 1956 with the passage of the Interstate Highway Act and the establishment of the Highway Trust Fund by the U.S. Congress. The great post-war roadbuilding boom began in earnest. Let’s look at how that era of growth affected Arkansas. State Population Miles of State Highway Interstate Miles Annual Vehicle Miles Traveled US Gas Tax AR Gas Tax 1955 2010 % Change 1,909,511 2,926,229 +53% 10,033 0 16,428 655 +64% 5.8 Billion 32.5 Billion +460% 2¢/gal 6.5¢/gal 18.4¢/gal 21.5¢/gal During this time, the state’s population increased 53%, state highway mileage increased 64% (including 655 miles of new interstate highway), and vehicle miles traveled increased an amazing 460%. Meanwhile, the combined state and federal gas tax has decreased 40% in constant dollars. If it had been routinely adjusted for inflation over the years, the state gas tax alone would be 52¢ per gallon today. The Closest Thing to Free Money We’ll Ever See The explosive growth of Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) after World War II generated increasingly larger amounts of revenue for each 1¢ of existing federal or state motor fuels tax. VMT growth was fueled by the movement of families to suburbia, and the movement of women into the workforce. At the same time, the increasing household wealth of American families resulted in over one registered motor vehicle for every licensed driver in the country. This automatic revenue growth without the necessity of a tax increase is the closest thing to free money Americans will ever see. A R e a d e r ’s C o m p a n i o n To the Blue R i bbon C ommi t t e e on Hi g hw ay F ina n c e Re po r t 12 This automatic revenue growth without the necessity of a tax increase is the closest thing to free money Americans will ever see. A R e a d e r ’s C o m p a n i o n To the B lue Ri bbon C om m i ttee on High way F inance Re po r t 13 CHAPTER 5 The 3 Pillars The first 50 years of the modern highway era were built on three pillars (below). And because our transport system was based on these pillars, our entire post-war urban form was built on them as well. 1. Petroleum will always be plentiful and cheap, resulting in cheap gasoline and diesel prices. THE FUTURE AIN’T WHAT IT USED TO BE The Next Fifty Years 2. Annual average vehicle miles traveled will always increase. 3. Average fleet fuel efficiency will never increase substantially. From 1950 forward, with one brief exception during the oil shocks of the 1970s, these pillars of our transportation system and our economy have been constant. Federal Partnership Another key element supporting the modern era of road building has been a strong federal partnership with the states in funding the national highway system. The Interstate Highway Act ushered in an era where the feds paid 90% of the cost to build and maintain the interstate highway system, less for other federal aid roadways, and did so through a series of focused six-year highway bills until 1991 when the Interstate System was declared complete. The passage of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 was the first postinterstate federal transportation bill. Except for interstate maintenance, federal match ratios were standardized at 80/20, and the clear federal role began to blur. The last federal fuel tax increase was 4.3¢ per gallon passed in 1993 by President Clinton for deficit reduction, but the revenue was returned to the Highway Trust Fund by 1997. That tax increase passed by one vote in the House of Representatives and one vote in the U.S. Senate. “ You can never plan the future by the past” — Edmund Burke The Pillars Broken Starting in about 2005, each of the three pillars on which the United States built our transportation system, our economy and our urban regions was shattered. The destruction of the pillars was not temporary as it was in the 1970’s. It is permanent, and it is changing everything. 1. Petroleum will never be cheap again. On the supply side, U.S. oil production peaked in 1970. Many observers believe that global oil production peaked in 2006. On the demand side, the over 1 billion people in China and over 1 billion people in India who had been living in rural poverty, walking, biking or driving ox carts are now moving into cities, gaining wealth and buying cars. Inelastic supply and growing demand equal rising prices. “The oil boom is over and will not return. All of us must get used to a different lifestyle.” -- King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, 2007 This is not to say that the world is running out of oil. It is just that most of the reserves that are cheap and safe to recover have been found already. The oil that is left requires extracting from tar sands, expensive deep water drilling or is in otherwise hostile and remote environments in hostile and remote countries. In other words, it is increasingly costly to recover and refine. Either way, the industrial world arrives at the same place – much higher costs for driving and for moving freight around the globe. 2. Annual average vehicle miles traveled has flattened and won’t grow faster than the population ever again. VMT began to flatten nationally in the early part of the 21st century. It actually decreased recently in the wake of the Great Recession. It is the end of the free ride. As a country, we have more registered vehicles than licensed drivers, and we cannot drive more than one car at once. The entry of women into the workforce has peaked. The flight to ever more distant suburbs has leveled off. VMT will grow in the future only as population grows. The free money machine has run dry. A R e a d e r ’s C o m p a n i o n To the Blue R i bbon C ommi t t e e on Hi g hw ay F ina n c e Re po r t 14 A R e a d e r ’s C o m p a n i o n To the B lue Ri bbon C om m i ttee on High way F inance Re po r t 15 Figure 1a. U.S. Vehicle Miles Traveled, Annualized, December 1956–September 2008 Faltering Feds Figure 1a. U.S. Vehicle Miles Traveled, Annualized, December 1956–September 2008 3,500 VMT (Billions) 3,000 2,500 2,000 1,500 1,000 07 20 01 04 20 20 98 19 95 19 92 19 89 19 86 19 83 19 80 19 77 19 74 19 71 19 19 68 65 19 62 19 19 59 500 56 SAFETEA-LU also established the National Surface Transportation Study and Revenue Commission to recommend refocused federal priorities and to determine the revenue needed to fund them. The Blue Ribbon Committee had access to the Commission’s report to study. The Commission, in addition to program recommendations, suggested a 40¢ per gallon increase in the Since the last federal fuel federal motor fuels tax be phased in tax increase in 1993, the over a period of years. Neither the Administration nor the last purchasing power of the Congress proposed raising the federal fuel tax at all. tax has decreased 35%. What happens next with Uncle Sam? The most likely scenario is that the Congress will pass a new federal highway bill using only existing federal fuel tax revenue. That bill will either (a) more narrowly focus the federal program on the national highway system and a few key ports of entry, or (b) continue the existing program structure at lower funding levels. It will almost certainly trumpet toll roads and public/private partnerships as the preferred solution to funding shortfalls. The National Surface Transportation Study and Revenue Commission suggested a 40¢ per gallon increase in the federal motor fuels tax . . . Annualized VMT 19 To add insult to injury, our traditional partner in funding infrastructure improvements is faltering badly. Each transportation bill since ISTEA in 1991 has taken longer to reauthorize, had more earmarks added to it, and wandered further from a clear federal purpose. The last bill, SAFETEA-LU spent down the surpluses in the Highway Trust Fund, intentionally emptying it. SAFETEALU expired September 30, 2009. Money coming into the Trust Fund is approximately 20% less than what SAFETEALU authorized. Source: 1956–1982: Highway Statistics, Table VM-201; 1983–September, 2008: Traffic Volume Trends Source: 1956–1982: Highway Statistics, Table VM-201; 1983–September, 2008: Traffic Volume Trends 2000 the growth VMT per capita began to plateau. Moreover, after 2005 capita rate 3. Average fleetrate fuelinefficiency will increase substantially and constantly inthe theper face of rising actually began to slide. The per capita rate has continued to drop for over three straight years, to fuel prices, in order to reduce national dependence on foreign oil, and to reduce green the point where the September 2008 VMT persector. capita rate (9,564 miles) is now less than what it house gas emissions from the transport was a decade ago (9,603 miles). What this means is that amid the total growth in VMT over this ten year average American still driving the same distances perAverage year as they The period, federal the government adoptedis new CAFÉ standards (Corporate Fleetwere Fuelin 1998. Efficiency) inthese 2009years and of 2010 thatand (1) decrease raised thedid new duty fleet average 35.5 mpg byAs Interestingly, plateau notlight always coincide with gas to price increases. 2016 and (2) included medium and heavy-duty trucks for the first time. The EPA and US2005, Figure 1b shows, inflationary-adjusted gas prices remained relatively stable between 2000 and Department of Energy have just released a preliminary finding proposing increasing CAFÉ is followed by a period of volatility after 2006. Thus, only the most recent drop in per capita driving standards to between 47 and 62 mpg by 2025. In plug-in hybrid mode, the just released coupled with gas price spikes. Chevy Volt is rated at over 60 mpg (93 mpg equivalent in all-electric mode). The new Nissan Leaf does use gasoline all. indicate a significant decline in national driving, one of the While thesenot national changes at clearly An outside possibility, is the formal devolution of the bulk of the federal program to the states by repealing most of the federal fuel tax to make room for increased state taxes. Even if de jure devolution does not come to pass, de facto devolution has been in place for quite some time. As federal funding continues to decrease as a proportion of needs, the responsibility for making up the difference will increasingly devolve onto state and local governments. primary stories regarding national vMt is how much it diverges across the country depending on the unit of analysis. The next four findings divide these numbers by road type, vehicle category, state, and metropolitan area, thereby helping to uncover the intricacies within our national driving patterns. A R e a d e r ’s C o m p a n i o n To the Blue R i bbon C ommi t t e e on Hi g hw ay F ina n c e Re po r t 16 A R e a d e r ’s C o m p a n i o n To the B lue Ri bbon C om m i ttee on High way F inance Re po r t 17 CHAPTER 6 LEVEL 2 Maintain Existing Relative Road Conditions on the State Primary and Secondary Highway Systems Ready, Fire, Aim AHTD’s initial request to the Blue Ribbon Committee was for an additional $200 million per year in new revenue in order to maintain the existing highway system in the same relative state of repair as it is currently and to address a comparable number of miles for congestion relief. Some roads would age and get a bit worse others would improved the overall and be but percentage of roadways in each category (Good, Fair, Poor) would remain as it is today and levels of congestion would not been adjusted maintain worsen. The $200 million has to its purchasing power as well. Maintain Current Condition (millions) How can you tell if it’s “adequate” without a target? The enabling legislation clearly requires the Committee to determine what an adequate amount of resources is to meet the current and future needs of state highways, city streets and county roads. Consequently, a reasonably firm revenue target must be established against which to measure revenues. As mentioned in Chapter 3, state highway needs are the only documented needs of the three systems. Consequently, the revenue targets below were generated for state highways. Since the money is to be shared with cities and counties as recommended, 30% has been added to the state highway target to reflect the dollars that would actually need to be raised. All of these estimates of new revenue needs are made independent of the presumed source. If the federal government passes a new highway bill with a substantial increase in funding, then Arkansas will have to raise less money. (See Faltering Feds in Chapter 5). REVENUE TARGETS LEVEL 1 Maintain Existing Purchasing Power in Face of Low VMT Growth, Increasing Fleet Fuel Efficiency and Increasing Construction Costs To maintain the purchasing power of existing highway revenue, income will have to grow to compensate for higher fleet fuel efficiency and for projected construction cost increases. Maintain Purchasing Power (millions) A R e a d e r ’s C o m p a n i o n To the Blue R i bbon C ommi t t e e on Hi g hw ay F ina n c e Re po r t 18 LEVEL 3 Meet 100% of State Highway System Preservation and Congestion Relief Needs The 2009 State Highway Needs Assessment places these figures at $10.8 billion for System Preservation and $3.7 billion for Congestion Relief over the next ten years. When known state and federal revenues are subtracted, that leaves a combined total of $10.4 billion, or $1.04 billion a year, in new revenue “needs.” This is where we launch off into fantasy a bit. The $10.8 billion of projected needs for System Preservation assumes that every mile of state primary and secondary highway is brought into a state of good repair and is brought up to current highway design standards. The fantasy in that assumption is that no government in the world has 100% of its roadways in a state of good repair. In fact, it is not a fiscally responsible way to manage long-term infrastructure investments. At any point in time, some portion of roadways will be in state of Good repair and some, by virtue of use and age, will be rated Fair or Poor. At some point in the pavement’s life cycle, its condition will begin to deteriorate rapidly A R e a d e r ’s C o m p a n i o n To the B lue Ri bbon C om m i ttee on High way F inance Re po r t 19 " ! " ! The key to fiscally responsible management of the asset is to intervene just before it reaches the point of rapid deterioration and return the pavement to a state of good repair. In that way, you get the maximum return on the original pavement, but you save the more costly reconstruction that will be needed if the pavement is left to deteriorate further. The trick is how to come up with a reasonable estimate for the purposes of developing a needs target. For the purposes of this document, the following method was used to arrive at an “informed guesstimate”. Highway officials confirmed that a reasonable estimate for a well, but not perfectly, maintained state system over the next ten years would be approximately $5.8 billion. About 60% of the $200 million a year from Level 2 would be invested in System Preservation, so that amount is subtracted from Level 3 needs. Finally, the estimated construction inflation was applied to the remainder. #! System Preservation (millions) !- ,*++ ,*+, ,*+- ,*+. ,*+/ ,*+0 ,*+1 ,*+2 ,*+3 ,*,* " ! ',2+ '-+3 '-.+ '-.3 '-/+ '-/0 '-0- '-03 '-10 '-2, " #! ! '.+. '.03 '/*, '/+. '/+2 '/,/ '/,. '/.- '//- '/0!- ,*++ ,*+, ,*+- ,*+. ,*+/ ,*+0 ,*+1 ,*+2 ,*+3 ,*,* #! " Next, the congestion relief needs are based on demonstrated congestion on existing highways !- ,*+, ,*+,*+. ,*+/ ,*+0 ,*+3 ,*,* ! ',2+ '-+3 '-.+ '-.3 '-/+ '-/0 '-0- '-03 '-10 '-2, – approximately $227,*++ million per year. Forty per cent of the $200,*+1 million,*+2 in Level 2 funding " " was going to go to Congestion Relief, so this,*+. amount was subtracted the Level !- ,*++ ,*+, ,*+,*+/ ,*+0 ,*+1from,*+2 ,*+33 needs. ,*,* ',2+ '-+3 '-.+ '-.3 '-/+ '-/0 '-0- '-03 '-10 ! '.+. '.03 '/*, '/+. '/+2 '/,/ '/,. '/.'//'/0And, as with the other needs, estimated construction cost increases over the decade are '-2, " " factored ! in. '+.1 '+01 '+12 '+2, '+2. '+20 '+3* '+3- '+30 ',** ! '.+. '.03 '/*, '/+. '/+2 '/,/ '/,. '/.- '//- '/0 " Congestion Relief (millions) ! ',+0 ',.0 ',0- ',03 ',1+ ',1/ ',13 ',2. ',23 ',3/ !- ,*++ ,*+, ,*+- ,*+. ,*+/ ,*+0 ,*+1 ,*+2 ,*+3 ,*,* " !-4 ,*++ ,*+, ,*+- ,*+. ,*+/ ,*+0 ,*+1 ,*+2 ,*+3 ,*,* !- ! ,*++ '+.1 ,*+, '+01 ,*+'+12 ,*+. '+2, ,*+/ '+2. ,*+0 '+20 ,*+1 '+3* ,*+2 '+3- ,*+3 '+30 ,*,* ',** " " " ! '.,2 '.20 '/+3 '/-+ '/-/ '/., '//- '/0, '/1, '/2, '+.1 ',.0 '+01 ',0- '+12 ',03 '+2, ',1+ '+2. ',1/ '+20 ',13 '+3* ',2. '+3- ',23 '+30 ',3/ ',** ! ',+0 " " ! '0-* '1+/ '10/ '12- '123 '2** '2+- '231 '2., '2/2 ! ,*++ ',+0 ,*+, ',.0 ,*+',0- ,*+. ',03 ,*+/ ',1+ ,*+0 ',1/ ,*+1 ',13 ,*+2 ',2. ,*+3 ',23 ,*,* ',3/ !-4 Total System Preservation and Congestion Relief (millions) " "#% # !-4 ! ,*++ '.,2 ,*+, '.20 ,*+'/+3 ,*+. '/-+ ,*+/ '/-/ ,*+0 '/., ,*+1 '//- ,*+2 '/0, ,*+3 '/1, ,*,* '/2, " !. ,*++ ,*+, ,*+- ,*+. ,*+/ ,*+0 ,*+1 ,*+2 ,*+3 ,*,* " '.,2 '1+/ '.20 '10/ '/+3 '12- '/-+ '123 '/-/ '2** '/., '2+- '//- '231 '/0, '2., '/1, '2/2 '/2, " ! '0-* " ! ',12 '-+/ '--1 '-./ '-.2 '-/- '-/3 '-0/ '-1, '-12 ! '0-* '1+/ '10/ '12- '123 '2** '2+- '231 '2., '2/2 " "#% # ! '.*3 '.0. '.3+ '/*2 '/+, '/+3 '/,2 '/12 '/.1 '//1 !. ,*++ ,*+, ,*+- ,*+. ,*+/ ,*+0 ,*+1 ,*+2 ,*+3 ,*,* "#% # " !. ,*++ ! ',12 ,*+, '-+/ ,*+'--1 ,*+. '-./ ,*+/ '-.2 ,*+0 '-/- ,*+1 '-/3 ,*+2 '-0/ ,*+3 '-1, ,*,* '-12 " " ',12 '.0. '-+/ '.3+ '--1 '/*2 '-./ '/+, '-.2 '/+3 '-/- '/,2 '-/3 '/12 '-0/ '/.1 '-1, '//1 '-12 ! '.*3 " A R e a d e r ’s C o m p a n i o n To ! the Blue R i bbon C ommi t t e e on '.0. Hi g hw ay'.3+ F ina n c e'/*2 Re po r t '/+, '/+3 '/,2 '/12 '/.1 '//1 '.*3 20 ',2+ '-+3 '-.+ '-.3 '-/+ '-/0 '-0- '-03 '-10 '-2, '.+. '.03 '/*, '/+. '/+2 '/,/ '/,. '/.- '//- '/0- LEVEL 4 New Capacity – Four Lane Grid System, Regional Connectors and Economic !-Development Corridors ,*++ ,*+, ,*+- ,*+. ,*+/ ,*+0 ,*+1 ,*+2 ,*+3 ,*,* " AHTD has estimated that the '+01 2009 cost of these would '+3* be $10.4 billion. If ',** ! '+.1 '+12 '+2,elements '+2. '+20 '+3- '+30 constructed over a ten-year period that would be $1.04 billion per year, in new revenue, " without It is ',03 more probable that these !construction cost ',+0adjustments. ',.0 ',0- ',1+ ',1/ ',13improvements ',2. ',23would ',3/be constructed over a 30-year period. Consequently, the first 10 years of that 30-year period are shown in the target charts !-4 ,*++ below. ,*+, ,*+- ,*+. ,*+/ ,*+0 ,*+1 ,*+2 ,*+3 ,*,* " Since millions of dollars were'.20 spent '/+3 under Level for new capacity congestion, ! '.,2 '/-+ 3B'/-/ '/., '//-to relieve '/0, '/1, '/2,we will " subtract that amount from Level 4 needs and adjust the remainder for construction cost inflation. ! '0-* '1+/ '10/ '12- '123 '2** '2+- '231 '2., '2/2 "#% # New Capacity — Four Lane Grid System (1st 10 of 30 years, millions) !. " ! " ! ,*++ ,*+, ,*+- ,*+. ,*+/ ,*+0 ,*+1 ,*+2 ,*+3 ,*,* ',12 '-+/ '--1 '-./ '-.2 '-/- '-/3 '-0/ '-1, '-12 '.*3 '.0. '.3+ '/*2 '/+, '/+3 '/,2 '/12 '/.1 '//1 The table below shows the revenue needed to fund each level of service, indexed to cover projected construction cost inflation. Total Revenue Needed (millions) *$ ! + , " , - " &.12 &//1 &0*. &0,* &0,0 &0-0 &0/) &00- &010 &1)+ &+2. &,,- &,.0 &,// &,.1 &,0- &,1) &,10 &,2- &-)* &-*- &-/1 &.)+ &.*- &.*1 &.+. &.,- &.-, &.., &./, &+*/ &+-/ &+/, &+/2 &+0* &+0. &+02 &+1- &+12 &+2. &-)2 &-/- &-2* &.)1 &.*+ &.*2 &.+1 &.,1 &.-0 &..0 *This chart includes existing AHTD state revenue for Level 1. The graph below shows how much total revenue needs to be raised to meet each of the revenue target levels discussed above, assuming the 70/15/15 split. It clearly illustrates the powerful effect that construction cost inflation will have on highway needs if purchasing power is to be maintained. A R e a d e r ’s C o m p a n i o n To the B lue Ri bbon C om m i ttee on High way F inance Re po r t 21 CHAPTER 7 The Recommendations From a Different Angle… With Extras… The Recommendations of the Final Report of the Blue Ribbon Committee on Highway Finance are arranged in four functional categories: Revenue Proposals Other Recommended Legislation Recommended Studies Other Recommendations That is a useful arrangement, but it obscures some of the reasoning the Committee used in coming to its conclusions. The recommendations are rearranged below, grouping those directed at the state system and those directed at city and county roads. The recommendations as listed below are not worded as they were passed by the Committee, but are boiled down to the nub of what the author (not necessarily the Committee) thinks they really mean. The full text of the recommendations are found in Appendix B with some useful comments. State Highway Recommendations The Blue Ribbon Committee did not prioritize its recommendations, but they are listed here in what the author believes is a logical sequence. 1. Call a GARVEE Bond election as soon as possible This is a no-brainer. The authority already exists. It requires no new taxes, and it allows the Highway Department to finish the work it started on rebuilding Arkansas interstates but did not get to finish. Unfortunately, as soon as possible is when the existing GARVEE bonds are paid off in 2014. 2. Index Motor Fuel Excise Taxes This proposal would let the fuel tax automatically rise with construction cost inflation. The maximum increase per gallon is capped at 2¢ a year. This proposal will not make the roads better but should keep the pothole we are in from getting deeper. 3. Increase License Fees to the Regional Average A R e a d e r ’s C o m p a n i o n To the Blue R i bbon C ommi t t e e on Hi g hw ay F ina n c e Re po r t 22 The actual recommendation calls for a study to determine how to simplify the license fee structure, treat all vehicles equally and raise the fees gradually to the regional A R e a d e r ’s C o m p a n i o n To the B lue Ri bbon C om m i ttee on High way F inance Re po r t 23 average. But since registration and license fees make up 20% of Highway Department revenue and are extremely low, they should be increased simply to maintain the status quo. Goes with #2 above. that will be shared with cities and counties. Second, the tax sunsets when the bonds are paid off (maybe before ten years), and, finally, because it is a referral to the people, as in “Hey, I didn’t vote to raise your taxes, you did”, it is an easier vote for members of the General Assembly to cast. 4. Adjust Heavy Duty Truck Taxes to Reflect the Damage Done to Roadways 8. Reduce the State Highway System to Its Strategic Core Although truckers say they pay their fair share, highway officials say they do not come close to paying their way. Absent common agreement on the right way to calculate the damage done by heavy trucks, the recommendation is to use a new federal cost allocation study when it becomes available. The principle is that all road users should pay their fair share. 5. Phase-in a New Excise Tax on the Wholesale Motor Fuel Price Instead of Repealing the Sales Tax Exemption on Motor Fuels Everybody thought that the low hanging fruit would be to repeal the sales tax exemption on motor fuels. But there are lots of very serious problems with that option. The alternative is to use the existing, very efficient tax system to collect a new excise tax on the wholesale price of motor fuels. It can be phased in, it is not limited to the general sales tax rate, it is elastic and it can generate a lot of revenue. 6. Transfer the Sales Tax Revenue from New and Used Vehicles, Tires Batteries, and Auto Parts and Services from the General Fund to the Highway Fund. Many people like this recommendation because the transfer can provide big money without a new tax. Everybody, that is, except higher education, prisons, Medicaid recipients and the Governor. The Committee tried to protect the general fund agencies by setting a high trigger for sales tax collections before starting the transfer and to pace the transfer over a ten-year period to allow natural growth in the general fund to more than cover the amount transferred. A Couple of Alternatives: Some folks are just philosophically opposed to using general revenue (even the part generated by highway users) for highways. Although the Committee did not discuss it, there are two alternatives to this proposal that will raise about the same amount of money. A. Raise the current motor fuel excise tax 2¢ per year for ten years and index it thereafter for the construction cost inflation. B. Phase-in the new excise tax on the wholesale price at twice the rate recommended (2% per year for six years instead of 1%). 7. Refer a Ten-Year Sun-setting ½¢ Statewide General Sales Tax and Bond Issue (to Fund a Five Year Construction Program) to the Public At the first public hearing, Dan Flowers (Director of the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department) said, “The state highway system is too big.” He later added, “Too big for the resources we are given to operate it.” Some would also add, “And it always will be.” Long-term, the state highway system needs to be reduced to its strategic core. Excess mileage should be returned to the cities and the counties with adequate new revenue to maintain them, and sub-state regional capacity should simultaneously be developed to help the state shoulder this financing burden. See Recommendation #9. The formal recommendation is to conduct a study to identify which existing and proposed state routes serve a strategic purpose of connecting Arkansas market areas with each other and the global economy. For those low volume rural routes and urban arterials that do not meet that purpose, the study should calculate what it would take to raise those routes to a state of good repair and to properly maintain them over time. 9. Build Sub-state Regional Partners to Shoulder Some of the Burden Multi-county, sub-state market areas are more likely to support tax increases for roads if all of the funds raised stay in the region. Two formal committee recommendations address this objective. The first is to provide increased financial capacity to the existing Regional Mobility Authority Act, including allowing multi-county taxing capacity, which would require a constitutional amendment. The second is to conduct a study to determine if the approach the State of Georgia took in creating twelve multi-county special taxing districts with ten-year sales tax authority might be appropriate for Arkansas to consider. 10. Be Aggressive in Planning the Transition to a VMT tax VMT stands for Vehicle Miles Traveled and a VMT tax is a direct user fee based on the number of miles a vehicle travels in a year versus the number of gallons of fuel consumed. It will eventually replace fuel taxes as the United States moves to an electric and hybrid/electric fleet. There are no national standards for a VMT tax and the U.S. Department of Transportation is not working on any. However, a consortium of states, including major market states such as Texas and California, are working on their own standards. Arkansas should participate in that group rather than waiting for national leadership in this environment. This recommendation is appealing in a number of ways. First, it raises a lot of money A R e a d e r ’s C o m p a n i o n To the Blue R i bbon C ommi t t e e on Hi g hw ay F ina n c e Re po r t 24 A R e a d e r ’s C o m p a n i o n To the B lue Ri bbon C om m i ttee on High way F inance Re po r t 25 with no accountability. At the very least, minimum reporting standards should be established to document how and where that money is being spent. 11. Use Tolls Anywhere You Can The prevailing wisdom is that, except for I-30 and I-40, almost no roads in Arkansas would generate the volume required to make tolls feasible. It is not currently legal to toll an existing interstate, but it is possible to toll new capacity added to existing freeways. In urban areas in particular, widening major freeways could be done with managed toll lanes that could utilize time of day pricing to help regulate congestion. City/County Recommendations Since city and county needs cannot be determined, most of the Committee recommendations were aimed at gaining incremental improvements, establishing some accountability, and beginning the collection of reliable information on needs. 1. Create a City Aid Program Comparable to the Existing County Aid Program Funded With a 1¢ cent Increase in the Motor Fuels Excise Tax and Index Both the City Aid and County Aid Taxes to the Construction Cost Index. State taxes are not really divided 70/15/15 because of the existence of the 1¢ County Aid Program. A similar City Aid program funded by Revenue Sharing was discontinued when its funding disappeared. The balance needs to be restored by passing a 1¢ motor fuel tax for a City Aid program and indexing both City and County Aid pennies to the Construction Cost Index three year trailing average. The Recommendation Not Adopted – Statewide Pavement Analysis Both the New Revenue Subcommittee and the Work Group that compiled the final list of recommendations proposed it, but the full Blue Ribbon Committee did not approve of the recommendation to require a statewide pavement analysis of city streets and county roads in order to establish a baseline estimate of their needs using common standards equal to those used by the Highway Department. The New Revenue Subcommittee/Work Group proposal reads: Proposal: The General Assembly should commission a professional pavement assessment of all public roads in Arkansas owned and maintained by cities and counties for the purpose of establishing a factual baseline for system preservation needs for local governments. The initial study should be conducted by private consultants as expeditiously as possible, ideally within a two year period. It is estimated that such an effort would cost $8-10 million over that period. Thereafter, every five years, each local government in the state should conduct a professional and comprehensive condition assessment of all of its roadways and bridges according to standards set by the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department in consultation with the Arkansas Municipal League and the Arkansas Association of Counties. An analysis of the initial assessment should be prepared that clearly spells out the system preservation needs for each local government jurisdiction in the state. Subsequent assessments can be phased over a three to five year cycle. The results should be reported to the citizens of each jurisdiction and to the General Assembly. They can be conducted by properly trained local government staff, consultants or by AHTD under contract (noting that the Department would require additional staff to do so). Training programs at the Arkansas Municipal League and the Arkansas Association of Counties should be established to train local public works officials in the productive use of asset management information in order to reduce the long-term cost to the public. 2. Allow Counties to Raise the Road Tax Beyond 3 Mills With a Public Vote Schools and public libraries can raise property taxes without limit if approved by a public vote. Local roads should have the same taxing authority. A constitutional amendment is required that will allow the county quorum court to levy up to 3 mills of county road tax by majority vote and to refer an unlimited amount of additional county road tax to the public. 3. Require Minimum Local Tax Effort By Counties For Increased State Turnback Thirty-three (33) counties levy their full 3 mills in county road tax, and forty (40) levy over 2.4 mills. Nineteen (19) counties levy a local sales tax dedicated to roads in lieu of the full county road tax; eighteen (18) levy a sales tax in addition to a high road millage. But ten (10) counties levy a road tax below 2.5 mills and have not dedicated sales tax in lieu. The Committee felt that, like with public schools, a minimum local tax effort with either the county road tax or a dedicated sales tax should be required before counties and the cities therein can receive an increase in state turnback over 2010 levels. 4. Require Reporting on State Road Turnback Expenditures. The State of Arkansas turns over 30% of motor fuel taxes to its cities and counties A R e a d e r ’s C o m p a n i o n To the Blue R i bbon C ommi t t e e on Hi g hw ay F ina n c e Re po r t 26 4. Pavement Condition Assessment of Local Roadways Study Rationale: Unlike the state highway system, there is no reliable and comprehensive data on the needs of cities and counties for either the preservation of their existing A R e a d e r ’s C o m p a n i o n To the B lue Ri bbon C om m i ttee on High way F inance Re po r t 27 Chapter 8 roadway systems or the demands for new capacity. Without a measure of need, it is impossible to define an “adequate” financing system. The fact is that no one knows for sure because there is no requirement that cities and counties routinely assess the condition of their roadways based on accepted professional standards, and it is not general practice among local governments in Arkansas. In far too many instances, local governments are driven to a maintenance policy of “maintain on failure, fix the worst first and wait until next year for the rest”. This is the most expensive way to deal with the public’s capital assets. The proposal was not adopted because of concern for the cost of the study, the wide range of road surfaces on county roads, and the limited staff capacity at the local level to do anything with the information. An Alternative Proposal As an alternative to a full scale, statewide pavement analysis, a representative subset of 10-15 cities and 10-15 counties should be chosen for a demonstration project. The size, topography and population of the demo jurisdictions should be varied – urban to rural, flat to hilly, growing to stagnant—so that the results of the demonstration project can be extrapolated to the rest of the state. While not as good as a complete inventory, it still is a measured, credible way to establish a realistic estimate of the true needs of cities and counties. Let’s Do the Math Addition, Subtraction and the Impact on Arkansans The Final Report of the Blue Ribbon Committee indicated the expected revenue from each of the proposed Revenue Recommendations but did not add them together nor did it compare them to a Needs Target. This chapter of the Reader’s Companion corrects that oversight and will attempt to show how the increased levels of motor fuel tax would impact typical Arkansas drivers over the next decade. The table below shows the gross new revenue generated by the Blue Ribbon Committee Revenue Proposals. ! "" "" " % !" " *$+& " ) *. 0- *)2 *+* *+. *,* *-) *-2 *.1 ) ) ) ,, /0 *)+ *-) *1) ++* +/. ) .2 **1 *01 +-* ,)0 ,1) ,1/ ,12 ,2- ) ++0 ++0 ++2 +,* +,+ +,, +,, +,- +,. ) ,)* -*2 .-2 //) 0// 11- 2,2 22, *).+ Note: The Transfer of auto related general sales tax dollars from the general fund to the Highway Fund is projected to begin in 2014 and would not be complete until 2024 even though this chart stops at 2020. Everything Is Not Enough Although it is tempting to treat the recommendations as a buffet (pick the chicken, skip the roast beef), the fact is that if all were adopted they would not be adequate to fund the needs of state roads without significant changes to the system, and they would provide even less for cities and counties. As the chart on the following page clearly indicates when we compare the total revenues recommended with the revenue targets established in Chapter 6, everything is not enough. A R e a d e r ’s C o m p a n i o n To the Blue R i bbon C ommi t t e e on Hi g hw ay F ina n c e Re po r t 28 Although it is tempting to treat the recommendations as a buffet . . ., the fact is that if all were adopted they would not be adequate to fund the needs of state roads without significant changes to the system . . . A R e a d e r ’s C o m p a n i o n To the B lue Ri bbon C om m i ttee on High way F inance Re po r t 29 The Breakdown The following tables show how much new money each suggested revenue source would provide to the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department, cities and counties. Allocation factors for city and county turnback are found in Appendices C and D. AHTD New Revenue by Source (millions) ! ! " " # # $ $ % % ! " # $ % ( )) -( /+ 0* 0, 01 1)() ( )) -( /+ 0* 0, 01 1- )() )(/ )(/ ( )) -( /+ 0* 0, 01 1)() )(/ ,) 0* ,) 0* )*, )*, ).1 ).1 *)*)- *.* *.* *.. *.. */( */( */+ */+ ,) 0* )*, ).1 *)*.* *.. */( */+ $ $ $ *+ ,/ /* 10 *+ ,/ /* 10 )*. )*. )-)-- )0)0 *+ ,/ /* 10 )*. )-)0)#*% )-1 )#*% )-1 )-1 )-1 ).) ).) ).) ).) ).* ).* ).+ ).+ ).+ ).+ )., )., ).).)#*% )-1 )-1 ).) ).) ).* ).+ ).+ )., ). Cities New Revenue by Source (millions) ! ! " " # # $ $ % % ! " # $ % (( -** +) ++. +0 ,) ,+ ,. ** +) ++. +0 ,) ,+ ,. ( ** +) ++. +0 ,) ,+ ,. 11 )0 */ +. ,. -. -/ -0 -0 )0 */ +. ,. -. -/ -0 -0 1 )0 */ +. ,. -. -/ -0 -0 $ $ $ -)( )*) */ ++ ,( )( )*) */ ++ ,( )( )*) */ ++ ,( )#*% +, +, +, ++++++)#*% +, +, +, ++++++)#*% +, +, +, ++++++ )% )% )% *( *+ *, *****. *. *( *+ *, *****. *. *( *+ *, *****. *. Counties New Revenue by Source (millions) ! ! " " # # $ $ % % ! " # $ % ( ** +) ++. +0 ,) ,+ ,. ( ** +) ++. +0 ,) ,+ ,. ( ** +) ++. +0 ,) ,+ ,. 11 )0 */ +. ,. -. -/ -0 -0 )0 */ +. ,. -. -/ -0 -0 1 )0 */ +. ,. -. -/ -0 -0 $ $ $ -)( )*) */ ++ ,( )( )*) */ ++ ,( )( )*) */ ++ ,( )#*% +, +, +, ++++++)#*% +, +, +, ++++++)#*% +, +, +, ++++++! ! ! ++ ,, ----.. .. + , . . A R e a d e r ’s C o m p a n i o n To the Blue R i bbon C ommi t t e e on Hi g hw ay F ina n c e Re po r t 30 A R e a d e r ’s C o m p a n i o n To the B lue Ri bbon C om m i ttee on High way F inance Re po r t 31 Impact on Average Arkansans The Blue Ribbon Committee did not conduct any study of the impact of its recommendations on the average Arkansas family or small business. The table below shows how much the price of gasoline would go up if all of the Blue Ribbon revenue proposals were adopted and phased in as suggested. To calculate the impact of raising existing excise taxes in lieu of transferring sales tax revenue on highway related items, simply add 2¢ per year to the total for each year. Case Study 2. BILL FARMER Bill lives in rural Arkansas where he runs a small cattle operation on the weekend, but he works for the state government in Little Rock for his day job. He drives a Ford F-150 pick-up truck the 60 miles to work and back each day. He puts 20,000 miles a year on the truck and uses 1,333 gallons of gasoline a year. In year 5, Bill trades in the old truck for a new F-150 that gets 18 miles per gallon. Bill’s fuel savings with the new truck is substantial and he ends the decade with an operating cost savings of $4288. New fuel taxes eat into that, but he still nets $1188 to the good for the entire decade. Case Study 3. MARY STEWARD Mary is a single mom who has a full-time job as a kindergarten assistant and moonlights part-time as a waitress in West Memphis. She drives a used 1992 Buick Regal that gets 16 miles to the gallon, and only drives 10,000 miles per year. The increasing gas prices really put a pinch on her budget in years 1, 2 and 3, and the gas taxes cost her an additional $93 in those years. By year 4, her old Buick gives up the ghost, and she is able to get a good deal on Joe White’s used 2006 Taurus (21 mpg). Joe’s car was priced to sell because there is a glut of mid-mileage used cars on the market as folks sell for new high mileage models. The new (old) car reduces Mary’s fuel usage to 429 gallons a year. Her net savings for the decade is less because she drives fewer miles, but is still $2146. Case Study 4. BOB HUMMER Bob is a bond trader who made it big in packaging sub-prime loans before the crash. He and his wife drive Chevy Suburbans so they have plenty of room to haul their daughters’ soccer team around. Bob thinks of himself as a responsible citizen but is not about to give up the sense of safety the big cars provide his family, besides he can afford the gas prices. Bob drives his 2007 rig 15,000 miles a year, and, at 15 miles per gallon, it uses 1067 gallons of gas a year. In year 3, Joe trades his 2007 for a new Suburban that gets 18 miles a gallon. Again in year 6, Bob trades for a new Suburban that, because of drive train improvements and a little weight loss, now gets 20 MPG. In year 9, both Bob’s daughters have left for college, and in a fit of mid-life rebellion, he buys a Mazda MX sports car that gets 35 miles per gallon. Over the decade Bob pays $1482 in new fuel taxes. With the gradual operating improvements of his new Suburbans and the last year operating cost savings with the Mazda, he wound up the decade with net savings of $2357 after the increase in new fuel taxes are deducted. If the savings are calculated from his 2007 Suburban, they would be even greater ($4969). Additional Cents Per Gallon Fuel Tax (millions) ! ! ! " #) #* %& %' &" &# &$ && &( &* '# '$ '' '* (# (% ! $# '$ ! $# '% *' *' "$! "$" "'' "'( #!# #!& #!' #!) #"" #"$ #"% #"( " " " " !) !* " " "# "# "$ "$ "$ "$ "$ "$ "$ "$ "$ "$ "% "% "% "% &! &" "!$ "!& "&% "&& "*% "*' #$# #$& #(# #(( #)" #)% #*" #*' $!! $!& Before the reader is tempted to break out the tar and feathers, case studies developed by Metroplan indicate that if all of the Revenue Proposals are adopted and phased-in over the coming decade as shown above, the impact of the increased taxes will be more than offset by even quite small increases in fuel efficiency from a new car or truck bought during the decade. See the detailed analysis for each case study in Appendix B. Case Study 1. JOE WHITE Joe White is the average Arkansan. Joe is a white-collar worker living in Cabot and working in Little Rock. He drives a 2006 Ford Taurus that gets 21 miles per gallon. His daily commute is about 45 minutes each way, and he drives 15,000 miles per year, consuming 714 gallons of gas. In years 1 through 3, Joe paid a total of $118 in new gas taxes. In year four, Joe traded for a new Toyota Camry that gets 34 miles per gallon. Although, he still drives 15,000 miles per year, he only uses 441 gallons of fuel a year. Because he uses substantially less fuel and because gas prices continue to rise, in years 4-10 Joe saves a total of $6092 in operating costs, but pays a total of $889 in new gas taxes for a net savings of $5204. A R e a d e r ’s C o m p a n i o n To the Blue R i bbon C ommi t t e e on Hi g hw ay F ina n c e Re po r t 32 A R e a d e r ’s C o m p a n i o n To the B lue Ri bbon C om m i ttee on High way F inance Re po r t 33 Chapter 9 Conclusion For the driver of any vehicle who buys a new car at least once a decade that gets at least 2-5 miles per gallon better mileage than the old car, the savings in gasoline purchases will more than offset the increase in all of the proposed Blue Ribbon motor fuel tax increases. The more miles driven, the more dollars are saved. The higher the fuel efficiency differential, the bigger the savings will be. And the higher gasoline and diesel prices are above the projections used in these case studies, the greater the net savings. However, the longer one waits into the decade to traqde, the less savings will be idealized. State incentives to trade for more fuel efficient vehicles would greatly benefit the average Arkansan. And because of the investments in highway maintenance, new roadway capacity to reduce congestion and improved highway safety made possible by these new fuel taxes, Joe, Bill, Mary and Bob will enjoy more mobility and a better economic environment. How to Think About All of This Big Picture, Small Steps, Long-Term The System Is Broken and It Needs to Be Fixed The important message to take from the Final Report of the Blue Ribbon Committee on Highway Finance is that the method of financing our transportation infrastructure is fundamentally broken, and it needs to be fixed. This is not a temporary problem. It is a systemic failure in slow motion. Motor fuel taxes are inelastic in a time of highly volatile construction costs. Motor fuel taxes are a slowly disappearing resource in a time of rapidly increasing fuel efficiency. And the 75% requirement to raise motor fuel taxes must be overcome or worked around if a workable solution is to be found. “The men the American people Finally, and this may be the most difficult, the public will have admire most extravagantly are to start paying the real costs of maintaining too many miles of the most daring liars; the men public roadway unaided by the historic rise in vehicle miles they detest most violently are traveled. The public has literally gotten something for nothing those who try to tell them the for fifty years and cannot have it anymore. And it is dangerous truth” to tell them that. Nevertheless, it is a new reality that the public must be brought to understand. – H.L. Menken Phase in the Fixes Nearly all of the revenue recommendations made by the Blue Ribbon Committee are constructed to allow them to be phased-in to reduce the sticker shock for the public and to allow small businesses time to adapt to the changes. The Committee recognized that the system cannot be fixed all at once, but that it is critical that the General Assembly start fixing it as soon as possible. Take the Long View If all of the recommendations are adopted and phased-in over the next decade, by 2020 Arkansas will have in place a robust and equitable system for financing its state highways. The roadways of the state are an economic asset that has been built up patiently since Arkansas was admitted to the Union. It should be our goal to leave it our children and our grandchildren in better shape than our fathers left it to us. Under our current financing system, we will not be able to do that. A R e a d e r ’s C o m p a n i o n To the Blue R i bbon C ommi t t e e on Hi g hw ay F ina n c e Re po r t 34 A R e a d e r ’s C o m p a n i o n To the B lue Ri bbon C om m i ttee on High way F inance Re po r t 35 This Old House B.C. McKenzie, my grandfather, was a home builder in Dardanelle, one of the two county seats of Yell County. So in seeking a way to organize this whole mess in a way that makes sense, it is not surprising that a home building analogy comes to mind. Any house must start with a strong foundation. The foundation of our roadway financing system is our existing motor fuel excise tax base. The first thing that ought to be done is to protect that foundation from further erosion. The way the Blue Ribbon Committee recommended to do that is to (1) index the existing motor fuels taxes to the Arkansas Highway Construction Cost Index three-year trailing average, and (2) to raise vehicle license and registration fees to the regional average after appropriate study. Time to build the first floor. Even if the purchasing power of the existing tax base is protected, an additional $200 million per year will be needed to maintain the status quo in our state highway system. That means roughly the same number of miles in a state of Good, Fair and Poor repair and roughly the same number of miles of new capacity to relieve existing congestion as are being provided now. The Blue Ribbon Committee recommended levying a new 6% excise tax on the wholesale value of motor fuels (phased in at 1% per year) and to adjust heavy truck taxes to equitably compensate for the actual damage big rigs are doing to our roads. The second floor is still dealing with our existing road system, but with significant improvements in raising the level of maintenance on all state routes, improving safety on rural roads and relieving congestion on urban roadways. The Blue Ribbon Committee recommended transferring the general sales tax revenue from the sale of new and used cars, tires, batteries and auto related services from the General Fund to the Highway Fund. A roughly equal amount of revenue could be raised by increasing the existing motor fuels excise taxes 2¢ per year for ten years or by adding an additional 1% per year for the six years the new excise tax on the wholesale price of motor fuels levied to build the first floor. Finally, it’s time to put on the roof – adding new capacity not otherwise warranted by existing traffic. Mainly this will cover much of the Highway Commission’s designated Four-Lane Grid System and Economic Development Corridors. The Blue Ribbon Committee recommended a non-user fee revenue source here – a bond program funded with a ½¢ state sales tax that would sunset at the end of ten years or whenever the bonds were paid off, whichever comes first. A R e a d e r ’s C o m p a n i o n To the Blue R i bbon C ommi t t e e on Hi g hw ay F ina n c e Re po r t 36 Add new roadway capacity for economic development Meet system preservation, safety, and congestion relief needs on existing roads Maintain existing highway conditions Protect existing tax base from further erosion •Bond issue funded by 1/2¢ general sales tax sunset with bonds, approved by the electorate • 10 part transfer of the sales tax on new and used cars, tires & batteries and auto services with triggers to minimize impact on general fund agencies • New excise tax on the wholesale price of motor fuels at a rate of 6% phased in at 1% per year • Index motor fuel excise tax to the Construct Cost Index • Adjust motor vehicle license fees to average of surrounding states •Adjust taxes and fees for heavy truck damage A R e a d e r ’s C o m p a n i o n To the B lue Ri bbon C om m i ttee on High way F inance Re po r t 37 APPENDIX A Recommendations of the Blue Ribbon Committee on Highway Finance These Recommendations appear nearly like they appeared in the Blue Ribbon Committee’s Final Report except (1) they are rearranged in the order they appear in Chapter 5 of the Reader’s Companion for easy reference, (2) they are slightly reformatted or truncated so the recommendations and the Committee rationale are clearly delineated, (3) they are corrected where correction is warranted and (4) additional information, rationale and alternatives analysis has been added where warranted. Any corrections or additions from the original text will be shown in italics. Beside each recommendation it will be noted in which section each can be found in the Blue Ribbon Committee’s Final Report (Revenue Proposals, Other Recommended Legislation, Recommended Studies, or Other Recommendations). Obviously, the full text can be found in the Final Report of the Blue Ribbon Committee on Highway Finance in its original, unedited version. All revenue projections are made assuming a 1.7% annual VMT growth over the coming decade, increased average fleet fuel efficiency averaging approximately 2.8% per year over the same period based on Cambridge Systematics’ average absorption projections done for TXDOT in 20081, and gasoline and diesel prices based on the Moody’s Econometrics projections. In addition, all revenue projections, unless otherwise noted, assume that 70% of net revenues will go to AHTD, 15% to the counties and 15% to the cities. 1 This is slightly revised but more accurate statement on the source of average fleet fuel efficiency figures than in the published Final Report. State Highway Recommendations 1. Reissue GARVEE Bonds for Interstate Rehabilitation (Revenue Proposals) Committee Recommendation: The Committee recommends that the proposed Interstate Rehabilitation Bond program be forwarded to a vote of the people as soon as possible. Rationale: Act 511 of 2007, the “Arkansas Interstate Highway Financing Act of 2007”, provided the mechanism to allow the AHTD to reissue bonds for Interstate rehabilitation. Act 153 of 2009 extended the time period for the issuance of the bonds. The maximum amount of bonds that can be reissued remains at $575 million (similar to the 1999 program). The last series of bonds must be reissued by December 31, 2015 and the proposed bond program must be passed by a vote of the people. A R e a d e r ’s C o m p a n i o n To the Blue R i bbon C ommi t t e e on Hi g hw ay F ina n c e Re po r t 38 A R e a d e r ’s C o m p a n i o n To the B lue Ri bbon C om m i ttee on High way F inance Re po r t 39 In the 1999 Interstate Rehabilitation Program (IRP), AHTD issued $575 million in bonds. Using this bonding revenue in addition to other revenue sources allowed over 50% (356 miles) of the Interstate System in Arkansas to be improved with a total cost of $1.6 billion. Upon completion of the 1999 IRP, Arkansas Interstates went from being some of the worst roads in the country to some of the best. Needs on the Interstate System still exist and are continuing to increase. As a financing tool, issuing bonds would allow for accelerated improvements. This would also serve as a hedge against anticipated cost inflation. Reissuance of the bonds would not require any additional taxes or fees as they will continue to be funded by the Federal-Aid Interstate Maintenance funds and the existing diesel tax revenues approved in 1999. 2. Index Motor Fuel Excise Taxes (Revenue Proposals) Committee Recommendation: The Committee recommends indexing the existing gas and diesel excise taxes to the Arkansas Highway Construction Cost Index three-year trailing average using 2010 as the base year. The indexing should be an annual and automatic administrative function of the Department of Finance and Administration conducted as soon as practicable after the end of the fiscal year or calendar year, whichever is most advantageous. A cap of 2¢ per gallon per year should be set beyond which an automatic adjustment could not go. Also, a hard floor should be set at the previous year’s indexed rate so that the excise taxes cannot be automatically reduced by administrative action, but only be reduced by action of the General Assembly. Rationale: Indexing the motor fuel taxes is a way to protect the purchasing power of the main highway revenue base from erosion by construction cost inflation. This option provides elasticity to the base, utilizes the existing and highly efficient tax collection system, and is highway-user based. The Arkansas Highway Construction Cost Index is directly related to the costs of building and maintaining roadways in Arkansas, and the three-year trailing average smoothes the volatility of any sudden price moves due to international events or weather related disaster. &$%& &$%' &$%' &$%( &$%( &$%) &$%) &$%* &$%* &$%+ &$%+ &$%, &$%, &$%&$%- &$&$ &$&$ &$%& $ " ! !" " "! # # $ " ! !" " "! # # ! ! " " "! "! "# "# "$ "$ "$ "$ # # # # # # ! ! " " "! "! "# "# "$ "$ "$ "$ # # # # # # ! ! 3. Vehicle Registration and License Fees Study (Recommended Studies) &$%& &$%' &$%' &$%( &$%( &$%) &$%) &$%* &$%* &$%+ &$%+ &$%, &$%, &$%&$%- &$&$ &$&$ &$%& Committee Recommendation: " " "" "" # # # ## ## $ $ $# $# # ! # $ $ $! " of Finance ! # should $ $ $! The Department and Administration be instructed by the " General Assembly to conduct a study on modernizing and simplifying Arkansas’ license fee classification system. The study should also recommend a method of gradually raising Arkansas’ light duty vehicle license fees to the regional average. Finally, the study should coordinate with the Heavy Truck Study that could be conducted by AHTD to recommend adjustments in license fees for heavy trucks. Rationale: Vehicle registration fees comprise nearly 20% of the revenue to AHTD yet trail the national and regional averages by considerable amounts. Arkansas’ system of charging for registering motor vehicles and issuing license fees has grown more complex over the years and could benefit from simplification. In several instances, the same type of vehicle is charged different fees based on its use rather than its damage to the roadways, a situation that should be corrected. Because of the complexity of this structure, a definitive revenue projection could not be made. 4. Heavy Truck Study (Recommended Studies) Revenue Projections: Committee Recommendation: The following table shows a projection of the revenue that would be generated for AHTD and cities and counties annually from 2012 through 2020 under this recommendation. It should be noted that the revenue shown includes the existing revenue from the current motor fuel taxes. When the FHWA cost allocation study is published, the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department, in consultation with the Arkansas Trucking Association, should analyze diesel taxes and license fees for heavy trucks using Arkansas roads against the methods and standards put forth in the national study to determine if those trucks are fairly compensating the state for the damage they are estimated to be doing. AHTD should then recommend any corrective measures and tax or fee adjustments over and above those otherwise recommended in this report to the General Assembly. Three important things should be noted. First, if construction costs do not go up, neither does the indexed excise tax. Second, this increased revenue does not advance the ball from where we are; it just keeps the pothole from getting any deeper. And finally, even if motor fuels are indexed, by the end of the decade, AHTD will be approximately $162 million short of breaking even unless license and registration fees are raised commensurately or other taxes are levied. Rationale: The preferred method for determining the cost of the damage heavy trucks do to the public highways is a cost allocation study. Arkansas has never conducted a state specific cost A R e a d e r ’s C o m p a n i o n To the Blue R i bbon C ommi t t e e on Hi g hw ay F ina n c e Re po r t 40 A R e a d e r ’s C o m p a n i o n To the B lue Ri bbon C om m i ttee on High way F inance Re po r t 41 allocation study, but a new national cost allocation study was due from the Federal Highway Administration this year but has not been released by the time the Blue Ribbon Committee completed its work. Consequently, it has been impossible to independently determine whether Arkansas is being adequately compensated for the damage that heavy trucks do to our roadways. 6. Transfer Sales Tax Revenue on New and Used Cars, Tires, Batteries and Auto Parts and Services from the General Fund to a New Highway Trust Fund (Revenue Proposals) Committee Recommendation: The Committee believes that it is important that the industry and the custodian of the public’s roads agree upon a fair and impartial method for accurately determining the answer to this question. The Committee recommends that beginning the first day of September following the issuance of the Treasurer of the State’s annual report in which the gross collection of general revenue for sales and use tax exceeds $2.2 billion, a ten-year phase-in of the sales and use tax estimated to represent auto related sales (tires, batteries, auto parts and services) and the actual sales and use tax on new and used motor vehicles, trailers or semi-trailers required to be licensed in this state, will begin. 5. Levy a New Excise Tax on the Wholesale Price of Motor Fuels (Revenue Proposals) Rationale: Committee Recommendation: Arkansas’ highway system has traditionally been highway-user fee based. In 14 states, general sales taxes on new and used cars, tires and batteries and/or auto parts and services are considered highway-user related revenues and are used to support the highway program. Arkansas has historically used those highway-user related taxes to support General Fund agencies while relying primarily on excise taxes on motor fuels and license fees to support its highway program. The Committee recommends levying a new excise tax on the wholesale price of motor fuels as a method for raising new revenue over and above protecting the current tax base. Rationale: This option has most of the strengths of removing the sales tax exemption on motor fuels without the fatal flaws. It is a user fee. It provides a new revenue source with elasticity. It can be phased-in and has the potential to raise substantial revenue. It can be levied at the same point in the supply chain as the current excise tax on fuel volume, and it is expected that the administrative and collection costs will be comparably low. Since it is levied at a uniform rate statewide, it avoids some of the locational disruptions that removing the sales tax exemption would cause, and it does not force oil retailers to make expensive and disruptive changes to their method of operation. However, as traditional user fees wane at an accelerating rate due to higher average fleet fuel efficiency in the future, more of the tax burden for maintaining roads will have to fall on taxing the vehicle through sales taxes and license fees or come from direct mileage charges such as tolls or VMT taxes. The attractive thing about this concept is that it does not require a new tax. For illustrative purposes it is assumed the tax would be phased in 1% per year up to the 6% state general sales tax rate beginning in FY 2012. The ultimate tax rate and the phase-in period are variables the General Assembly can adjust based on economic and budgetary considerations. The top rate can ultimately be greater or lesser than the general sales tax rate. The $2.2 billion trigger represents a slightly higher number than the high point in the gross general sales and use tax receipts that occurred in 2007. Rather than require retailers to keep differentiated tax reports for these sales, the estimated percent of gross sales tax revenue attributed to tires, batteries and auto parts and services would be transferred to the highway fund phased over a ten-year period. The sales of motor vehicles and trailers are already recorded separately, therefore the actual tax receipts would be transferred in phases over ten years. Once triggered, the phased-in transfer could only be stopped or delayed by legislative action. Revenues will vary from projections based on actual wholesale motor fuel prices, and therefore, have built-in elasticity so that revenues should rise automatically with an increase in construction costs. The trigger date under current conditions is expected to be state fiscal year 2014. To the extent the General Assembly reduces sales and use tax revenue by further reducing or removing the tax from groceries, the trigger date would be pushed further into the future. The chart below reflects all new revenue. Protecting General Revenue Agencies Revenue Projections: Revenue from New Excise Tax on Wholesale Price of Motor Fuels (in millions) ! ! ! " ! # ! $ ! % ! & ! ' ! ( !! A R e a d e r ’s C o m p a n i o n To the Blue R i bbon C ommi t t e e on Hi g hw ay F ina n c e Re po r t 42 Great concern was expressed by some members of the Committee over the potential impact such a revenue transfer could have on the General Fund agencies that rely on these revenues. In order to protect those agencies and the important services they provide to the state, the Committee recommended that the transfer be phased in over a decade and that it not be started until state general sales tax revenues had regained their high water mark set in 2007. Over the decade, state General Revenues are projected to grow at a rate that should minimize or negate the impact on the General Fund left by the transfer. In addition, increasing revenues from the full implementation Streamlined Sales Tax Agreement to allow collection of internet A R e a d e r ’s C o m p a n i o n To the B lue Ri bbon C om m i ttee on High way F inance Re po r t 43 sales can be reasonably expected to replace at least a portion of the transferred revenues. 7. Temporary Ten-Year One-half Cent Sales Tax to Fund a Bonded Five-Year Construction Program Committing to the Concept, Then Figuring Out How to Do It It may help to think of this proposal like the sales taxes on groceries. While most citizens believed its repeal was the right thing to do, finding the precise time and mustering the political will took a while. The first step in assessing this proposal is to determine if it is the right thing to do or whether philosophically, Arkansas is committed to supporting its highways with pure user fees. If one believes that it is appropriate that the general sales tax on highway user related items be used for highways, then the question becomes how and when to begin the transfer. The Committee attempted to buffer the impact of the transfer, but the reality is that it may have to be a session by session call based on economic conditions and revenue projections, and the demands of the general fund agencies . . . assuming, of course, that one is committed to the concept. What’s the Alternative? The Committee did not directly consider alternatives to this option, but some commentary since the Report’s release suggests a preference for only user fees. If user fees are preferred, there are two ready alternatives to the transfer that would provide an equivalent amount of revenue for the immediate future. First, the existing volume based excise tax could be raised approximately 2¢ per year for each of the next ten years. If it is also indexed for construction cost increases, it will provide some elasticity as well. The second option is to double the rate of taxation on a new excise tax on the wholesale price of motor fuels over that proposed above. So instead of phasing in a six percent tax over as many years, one would phase in a twelve percent tax over six years. Both alternatives are, of course, new taxes and are shown below in revenue projections. The table below compares revenue from the sales tax transfer with that raised from increasing the wholesale excise tax. The 2011 General Assembly should refer a constitutional amendment to the voters at the 2012 general election that would (1) levy a one-half cent general sales tax for ten years and (2) authorize the issuance of general obligation bonds in five series to be retired from the proceeds of the ½¢ sales tax to fund a five-year construction program. The primary purpose of the construction program would be to build new state highway capacity on the Four-Lane Grid System – including capacity improvements on existing freeways. Fifteen percent of the sales tax revenue would go to cities and fifteen percent would go to counties for local roadway improvements and would not be bonded unless acted upon separately by individual cities and/ or counties. Cities and counties should be allowed to use their allocations of this revenue for any surface transportation improvement. Rationale: Like the GARVEE bonds, a bond issue is a way of expediting improvements to preempt projected construction cost increases. The statewide sales tax would allow investment in strategic connectors that highway-user fees alone might not be able to fund in a timely manner. The issue is presented as a self-repealing constitutional amendment because it is the only way under Arkansas’ outdated constitution that a sun-setting sales tax could be paired with a general obligation bond issue that requires voter approval. Revenue Projections: AHTD estimates the projected revenue will support a $1.794 billion construction program with bonds issued in five equal series beginning in 2012. Construction projects would be let to contract over the first five years, with the bonds being retired in ten years. It was the intent of the Committee that the sales tax would expire after ten years or when the bonds were paid off, whichever came first. Since tax revenue often exceeds projections, it is possible the bonds could be paid off early, in which case the out-year funds to cities and counties would cease on bond retirement. Alternatives to Revenue Transfer (in millions) "# ( )$!! ) (3 (3! - A R e a d e r ’s C o m p a n i o n ** -. (') (+' (/' ))( )-, " !" " !# " !$ " !% " !& " !' " !( " !) " " (0 ,0 ,. ((/ 0- (./ To the Blue R i bbon C ommi t t e e on Hi g hw ay F ina n c e Re po r t 44 - Revenue from the Levy of a 1/2 cent General Sales Tax to fund a Bond Issuance to be sunset ! at the end of 10 years (in millions) (*+ )+( (.) *'. )'0 *.+ )+- */' )/) */- *(. */0 #% #% #% #% #% #% #% #% #% " " # $ $ % & !" !" !" !# !# !# !# !# !# !" !" !" !# !# !# !# !# !# " "! #% & !# !# A R e a d e r ’s C o m p a n i o n To the B lue Ri bbon C om m i ttee on High way F inance Re po r t 45 8. State Highway System Reduction Study (Recommended Studies) Committee Recommendation: It is recommended that AHTD conduct a study to identify those current and planned new state highway routes that meet defined state strategic objectives. A target cap on state mileage should be proposed by the study that would reduce the state highway mileage to its strategic core. Rationale: The AHTD System Reduction Study should identify the specific roadways recommended to be transferred to city and county governments, the cost required to improve those roadways to a state of good repair prior to transfer, legal issues that may be raised by the transfer, and the amount of funds necessary to be provided the individual receiving jurisdictions in order to adequately maintain the roads over time. Because of their long design life and high costs, bridges on routes proposed to be transferred may need special consideration, which should be addressed in the study. The study should also consider whether and under what circumstances a local jurisdiction might refuse to accept a road proposed for transfer. The study should specifically consider urban arterial mileage and low volume rural state highways that could be gradually transferred to the appropriate cities and counties over the period of a decade. Roadways that met the criteria would be included in the State Aid System that would be expanded to include urban arterial roadways. The roadways should be assumed to be in a state of good repair when transferred and the costs for that should be included in the study. The purpose of the state highway network is to connect the state – both destinations within the state and the state with the nation. It is not to move people around within those destinations. However, the gradual accretion of old state highways within cities that now function as urban arterial roadways and low volume rural highways burden the state highway system to such a degree that it does not have the resources to make needed strategic investments. Shrinking the state highway system to its strategic core will require a commensurate investment in local road systems to make any transfer a win-win proposition between AHTD and local governments. 9. Build Sub-State Capacity 9.1 Regional Mobility Authority (RMA) Tax Capacity and Multi-County Taxing Authority (Other Recommended Legislation) Committee Recommendation: Regional mobility authorities currently authorized by law should be strengthened by providing additional local option taxing authority for the organizations, by providing start-up funding to incentivize their creation, by establishing an infrastructure bank to provide loan financing to RMAs, by establishing multi-county taxing authorities for the purpose of improving surface A R e a d e r ’s C o m p a n i o n To the Blue R i bbon C ommi t t e e on Hi g hw ay F ina n c e Re po r t 46 transportation facilities and services within the designated RMA region and by providing matching funds to RMAs for any regional funds raised during the first five years after RMAs are established. If multi-county special taxing districts cannot be accomplished legislatively, a constitutional amendment allowing their establishment should be proposed. Rationale: Arkansas’ RMA legislation is in line with a national trend to create regional funding structures to provide specific transportation improvements to support the regional economy. It is robust legislation except in two areas. The first area involves the financing provisions. RMAs must rely on borrowing unused local sales tax capacity from their member local governments. Second, while RMAs may be composed of several counties, any taxes levied for the benefit of RMAs must be voted on and spent within the individual counties. Truly regional improvements, that may be primarily located in one county, cannot be financed by the entire region. RMAs are voluntary associations, whereas the Regional Transportation Districts discussed below would be established statewide by legislative action. Both are an attempt to bring more resources to the table. Several comments at [the Committee’s] public hearings suggested that locally defined projects, referred to the voters, and funded with a sunsetting tax have had and can have a high rate of success. 9.2 Multi-County Regional Transportation Districts Study (Recommended Studies) Committee Recommendation: An interim study should be undertaken on the desirability and methods for the establishment of special districts--Regional Transportation Districts--throughout the State of Arkansas with broad local option taxing capacity to provide sub-State transportation facilities and revenues. The RTDs should have powers similar to the Regional Mobility authorities, be established generally along commute sheds within the State to capture sub-State market areas, and should have multi-county taxing authority subject to popular vote within each district. Rationale: The concept of regional transportation authorities is spreading internationally and in the United States and is currently focused mainly on metropolitan economic regions. In Arkansas, the Regional Mobility Authority Act establishes a framework for the voluntary establishment of such mobility authorities. To date, only Washington and Benton counties have formed an RMA. However, if the State divests itself of local and sub-regional roadways, some mechanism should be available to step into the gap. Indeed, it was suggested in at least two of the public hearings that the State concentrate on its strategic investments while more sub-State priorities could be dealt with better at the local or regional level since there would not be an issue of transferring locally levied taxes to other parts of the State. A R e a d e r ’s C o m p a n i o n To the B lue Ri bbon C om m i ttee on High way F inance Re po r t 47 The State of Georgia recently established multi-county special taxing districts for roadway improvements with special local (regional) option tax authority. This legislation might prove a beneficial model for developing other institutions to share the burden of roadway improvement with AHTD. 10. Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) Tax (Other Recommendations) The VMT tax is not recommended for consideration at this time because of uncertainties over collection methods and technologies, privacy issues and absence of federal standards. However, it is the consensus of opinion in the transportation profession and among the committee that because of shifts to hybrid, electric and alternative fueled vehicles in the future, a direct mileage charge for the light duty fleet will be necessary to maintain the transportation system. Average fleet fuel efficiency is projected to accelerate rapidly after 2020 and a national policy on VMT taxes is expected prior to that time. From a long-term revenue perspective, it is recommended that AHTD begin planning for transitioning to a VMT tax by 2020 in order to be prepared to move quickly once national standards are established. Absent federal preparation for a VMT tax, the committee recommends that AHTD work with the Texas DOT and other states that are actively working on VMT tax standards independent of federal action. 11. Public Private Partnership/Tolling (Other Recommendations) Based on extensive analysis by AHTD, tolling existing and certain proposed new roadways is not currently viable. It is noted that future changes in federal policy regarding tolling existing freeways could make tolling a useful tool for some improvements to major facilities. Tolling and the use of public private partnerships to finance improvements should be regularly assessed by AHTD as to their usefulness as a partial funding mechanism for appropriate projects, including major roadways on new location and capacity additions to existing freeways. City and County Recommendations 1. State Aid Programs for Counties and Cities (Revenue Proposals) Committee Recommendation: The Committee recommends levying 1¢ per gallon of new motor fuel excise tax to fund the County Aid program, directing the revenue generated by the existing 1¢ per gallon funding into the Highway Fund and indexing the County Aid 1¢ per gallon to the Arkansas Highway Construction Cost Index three-year trailing average. The Committee further recommends levying 1¢ per gallon new motor fuel excise taxes to fund a new State Aid to Cities Program and indexing it to the Arkansas State Highway Construction Cost Index three-year trailing average. The Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department, in consultation with the A R e a d e r ’s C o m p a n i o n To the Blue R i bbon C ommi t t e e on Hi g hw ay F ina n c e Re po r t 48 Arkansas Municipal League, should be tasked with developing the criteria for fund allocation, project eligibility and project selection. Special Comment: This recommendation got convoluted in a last minute restructuring. The original recommendation from the New Revenue Subcommittee was to increase the County Aid program gradually to 3¢ per gallon to compensate for the ravages of inflation since it was created in 1973, then to create a City Aid program equal to the County Aid Program (gradually going to 3¢ per gallon) to try to return to the 70/15/15 division of myth, and then to index them both. There was some objection to raising the County Aid dedicated tax to 3¢ and both recommendations were tabled. In combining the two proposals for reconsideration, the drafters mistakenly assumed that the current County Aid funding came from AHTD’s 70% rather from an already dedicated 1¢ per gallon. The intent of this recommendation therefore can be more easily satisfied by (1) indexing the existing County Aid 1¢ to the Arkansas Highway Construction Cost Index three year trailing average (CCI-3) and (2) levying a new 1¢ per gallon motor fuels tax to fund a new City Aid Program, likewise indexed to the CCI-3. Some Thoughts on How to Structure a New City Aid Program Like the County Aid program, a new City Aid Program would be administered by AHTD. Eligible roadways would be all the non-freeway state highways within the city limits of Arkansas municipalities. Those roadways serve as urban arterials in virtually every community in the state. Program funds should be allocated by county by the relative number of lane-miles of state highway (non-freeway) within all incorporated municipalities within each county. Annually, the City Aid projects within each county are to be recommended to AHTD by the already existing Intergovernmental Cooperation Councils. Rationale: The State Aid to Counties Program was begun in 1973 with a $9 million appropriation that has grown to a full 1¢ motor fuels tax generating approximately $20 million per year today. However, adjusted for inflation, the original appropriation would require 2.25¢ of motor fuel tax to retain the same purchasing power. There are currently 15,000 miles authorized for the County Aid system, yet only 9,339 miles are currently designated due, in large part to the inadequate revenue available for it and the large amount of mileage not meeting the established criteria for the system. The State Aid for Cities program was authorized in 1973 using funds received by the State from Federal Revenue Sharing. However, the Revenue Sharing Program ended in 1981, ending the funding source for the State Aid to Cities Program. From 1973 through 1981, the State Aid for Cities Program received almost $7.2 million. Directing the existing revenue for the State Aid for Counties Program into the Highway Fund A R e a d e r ’s C o m p a n i o n To the B lue Ri bbon C om m i ttee on High way F inance Re po r t 49 would result in all existing highway revenue being distributed at 70% to AHTD, 15% to counties and 15% to cities. Indexing these taxes would protect the purchasing power of this revenue source in the future. The following table shows a projection of the revenue that would be generated for the State Aid Programs for Counties and Cities annually from 2012 through 2020 based on the simplified intent of this recommendation, which was to create a new City Aid Program commensurate with the County Aid Program. New Revenue to Cities (New 1¢ indexed) and Counties (from indexing) ! " # $ % & 2. Constitutional Amendment to Raise 3.0 Mill Limit for County Road Tax (Other Recommended Legislation) Rationale: Only 47% of the 16,443 mile State Highway System nominally pays for itself based on the volume of traffic and the current tax rate. The clear purpose of the State primary highway system is relatively long-distance travel to get from place to place. User fees are clearly the most equitable way to pay for those roadways. The sole purpose of a great many of the other state, county and city routes is to provide access to property. Whether it is commercial property or simply the road that leads to your house, that property is increased in value by having adequate, safe and well-maintained access. Property tax, in the form of the county road tax, is therefore an equitable means of paying for local roads, the primary purpose of which is access to property. Unfortunately, unlike the property tax levy for schools or libraries, the property tax millage for roads is capped by the Constitution at three mills. While 40 of the Arkansas’ 75 counties levy 2.5 mills or greater for county road tax (33 levy the full 3.0 mills), 25 levy under 2.0 mills and 27 of those levy under 1.5 mills. In some cases, a local sales tax has been substituted for the county road millage. Of the 40 counties with a 2.5+ road millage, 45% also have a county sales tax dedicated to roads, and it is still inadequate. On the other hand, 71% of the counties with road taxes of less than 2.5 mills levy a dedicated sales tax for roadways. Committee Recommendation: 4. City and County Reporting on Turnback Expenditures (Other Recommended Legislation) A constitutional amendment should be offered to allow county quorum courts to remove the limitation on the amount of the county road tax provided any such tax levied over 3.0 mills must be approved by the voters of the county. Committee Recommendation: Rationale: County quorum courts should still be allowed to levy up to 3.0 mills directly. However, the county road millage above 3.0 mills should be allowed if referred to and approved by the electorate without limitation. It is true that local governments have significant local sales tax capacity. However, Arkansas roads have been primarily user fee supported. Low volume roadways benefit property, and property taxes are the most equitable means of supporting those roads. Adequate property tax capacity should be available to local governments if their citizens deem it preferable. Cities and counties should be required to annually report turnback expenditures by location, amount and type of expenditure. AHTD, the Arkansas Municipal League, and the Arkansas Association of Counties should jointly develop and recommend reporting formats and standards. Rationale: Unlike reporting of expenditures on the State Highway System and the existing State Aid Program for Counties, there is no reliable and comprehensive reporting of expenditures of highway turnback funds by counties and cities. Reporting on existing state aid expenditures (turnback and county/city aid programs) is the first step in establishing accountability for these funds. 3. Required County Minimum Tax Effort (Other Recommended Legislation) Committee Recommendation: There should be a minimum local tax effort required in order to receive highway turnback funds. In order for a county or the cities within that county to receive any turnback funds above that received in 2010, counties should be required to levy and maintain a county road tax millage of 2.5 mills or higher . If a county has a county sales tax dedicated by ballot language to roads and that tax generates an annual amount of funding equal to or greater than what would have been generated by the difference between 2.5 mills and the county road millage, it would be deemed to have met this requirement. A R e a d e r ’s C o m p a n i o n To the Blue R i bbon C ommi t t e e on Hi g hw ay F ina n c e Re po r t 50 A R e a d e r ’s C o m p a n i o n To the B lue Ri bbon C om m i ttee on High way F inance Re po r t 51 APPENDIX B APPENDIX B Case Studies Case Studies, cont’d Arkansas Scenario 2 - Lower Fuel Cost Estimates CASE STUDY #3 - MARY STEWARD 1992 Buick Regal ASSUMPTIONS 1. Fuel cost estimates from the June Energy Information Administration assume mild and flat economic recovery 2. New gas taxes based on complete adoption of all Blue Ribbon Committee recommendations phased in 3. New gas revenues adjusted downward by lower returns from new excise tax on wholesale price 4. $ Saved does not include incremental cost of purchasing a new auto AVMT AMPG Gal/Yr CASE STUDY #1 - JOE WHITE 2006 Ford Taurus AVMT AMPG//Gal/Yr Gal/Yr 2011 Cost 2012 Cost 2013 Cost 2014 Cost 2015 Cost 2016 Cost 2017 Cost 2018 Cost 2019 Cost 2020 Cost Totals Phased-in New Taxes $/Gal 0.010 0.050 0.105 0.157 0.197 0.235 0.275 0.284 0.295 0.304 15,000 21 714 Total New Tax Per Year $7 $36 $75 $69 $87 $104 $121 $125 $130 $134 $889 Avg. Annual Total Fuel Cost Annual Fuel $/Gal. Costs $2.53 $1,805 $2.67 $1,904 $2.91 $2,076 $3.01 $1,329 $3.07 $1,354 $3.14 $1,385 $3.20 $1,413 $3.25 $1,436 $3.29 $1,452 $3.34 $1,473 $15,626 New Car Purchased CAMRY Hybrid MPG Gal/yr 34 441 Net $ Saved (Fuel Savings Fuel Cost Less New Savings Taxes) $0 -$7 $0 -$36 $0 -$75 $823 $754 $838 $751 $857 $754 $875 $753 $889 $763 $899 $769 $912 $778 $6,092 $5,204 CASE STUDY #2 - BILL FARMER 2000 Ford F-150 AVMT AMPG Gal/Yr 2011 Cost 2012 Cost 2013 Cost 2014 Cost 2015 Cost 2016 Cost 2017 Cost 2018 Cost 2019 Cost 2020 Cost Totals 20,000 15 1333 Phased-in New Taxes $/Gal 0.010 0.050 0.105 0.157 0.197 0.235 0.275 0.284 0.295 0.304 Total New Tax Per Year $133 $267 $400 $533 $219 $261 $306 $316 $328 $338 $3,100 A R e a d e r ’s C o m p a n i o n Avg. Annual Total Fuel Cost Annual Fuel $/Gal. Costs $2.53 $3,369 $2.67 $3,555 $2.91 $3,875 $3.01 $4,017 $3.07 $3,410 $3.14 $3,488 $3.20 $3,559 $3.25 $3,616 $3.29 $3,657 $3.34 $3,709 $36,254 To the Blue R i bbon C ommi t t e e on Hi g hw ay F ina n c e Re po r t 52 New Car Purchased New F-150 MPG Gal/Yr. 18 1111 Net $ Saved (Fuel Savings Fuel Cost Less New Savings Taxes) $0 -$133 $0 -$267 $0 -$400 $0 -$533 $682 $463 $698 $436 $712 $406 $723 $408 $731 $404 $742 $404 $4,288 $1,188 2011 Cost 2012 Cost 2013 Cost 2014 Cost 2015 Cost 2016 Cost 2017 Cost 2018 Cost 2019 Cost 2020 Cost Totals 9,000 16 563 Phased-in New Taxes $/Gal 0.010 0.050 0.105 0.157 0.197 0.235 0.275 0.284 0.295 0.304 Total New Tax Per Year $6 $28 $59 $67 $84 $101 $118 $122 $126 $130 $842 Avg. Annual Total Fuel Cost Annual Fuel $/Gal. Costs $2.53 $1,421 $2.67 $1,500 $2.91 $1,635 $3.01 $1,291 $3.07 $1,315 $3.14 $1,345 $3.20 $1,373 $3.25 $1,395 $3.29 $1,410 $3.34 $1,431 $14,116 New Car Purchased FORD TAURUS (Used) MPG 21 Gal./Yr 429 Net $ Saved (Fuel Savings Fuel Cost Less New Savings Taxes) $0 -$6 $0 -$28 $0 -$59 $404 $336 $411 $327 $420 $320 $429 $311 $436 $314 $441 $314 $447 $317 $2,988 $2,146 CASE STUDY #4 - BOB HUMMER 2007 Chevy Suburban AVMT AMPG Gal/Yr 2011 Cost 2012 Cost 2013 Cost 2014 Cost 2015 Cost 2016 Cost 2017 Cost 2018 Cost 2019 Cost 2020 Cost Totals 16,000 15 1067 Phased-in New Taxes $/Gal 0.010 0.050 0.105 0.157 0.197 0.235 0.275 0.284 0.295 0.304 Total New Tax Per Year $11 $53 $93 $140 $175 $188 $220 $227 $236 $139 $1,482 Avg. Annual Total Fuel Cost Annual Fuel $/Gal. Costs $2.53 $2,695 $2.67 $2,844 $2.91 $2,583 $3.01 $2,678 $3.07 $2,728 $3.14 $2,511 $3.20 $2,562 $3.25 $2,603 $3.29 $2,633 $3.34 $1,526 $25,364 New Car Purchased CHEVY SUBURBAN MPG 18 Gal/Yr 889 CHEVY SUBURBAN MPG 20 Gal/Yr 800 MAZDA MX-5 MPG Gal./Yr. 35 457 Fuel Cost Net $ Saved Savings (Fuel Over Savings Previous Less New Car Taxes) $0 -$11 $0 -$53 $517 $423 $536 $396 $546 $370 $279 $91 $285 $69 $289 $65 $293 $57 $1,144 $948.95 $3,888 $2,357 A R e a d e r ’s C o m p a n i o n To the B lue Ri bbon C om m i ttee on High way F inance Re po r t 53 APPENDIX B APPENDIX C Case Studies, cont’d County Turnback Factors* CASE STUDY #4.1 - BOB HUMMER 2007 Chevy Suburban AVMT AMPG Gal/Yr +,++ +-++ +.++ +/++ +0++ +1++ +2++ +3++ +4++ ,+++ ,,++ ,-++ ,.++ ,/++ ,0++ ,1++ ,2++ ,3++ ,4++ -+++ -,++ --++ -.++ -/++ -0++ -1++ -2++ -3++ -4++ .+++ .,++ .-++ ..++ ./++ .0++ .1++ .2++ .3++ 2011 Cost 2012 Cost 2013 Cost 2014 Cost 2015 Cost 2016 Cost 2017 Cost 2018 Cost 2019 Cost 2020 Cost Totals 16,000 15 1067 Phased-in New Taxes $/Gal 0.010 0.050 0.105 0.157 0.197 0.235 0.275 0.284 0.295 0.304 Total New Tax Per Year $11 $53 $93 $140 $175 $188 $220 $227 $236 $139 $1,482 Avg. Annual Total Fuel Cost Annual Fuel $/Gal. Costs $2.53 $2,695 $2.67 $2,844 $2.91 $2,583 $3.01 $2,678 $3.07 $2,728 $3.14 $2,511 $3.20 $2,562 $3.25 $2,603 $3.29 $2,633 $3.34 $1,526 $25,364 New Car Purchased CHEVY SUBURBAN MPG 18 Gal/Yr 889 CHEVY SUBURBAN MPG 20 Gal/Yr 800 MAZDA MX-5 MPG Gal./Yr. 35 457 Fuel Cost Savings Over 2007 Car $0 $0 $517 $536 $546 $837 $854 $868 $878 $2,035 $7,069 Net $ Saved (Fuel Savings Less New Taxes) -$11 -$53 $423 $396 $370 $649 $648 $650 $642 $1,254.02 $4,969 !% %!% $!% !% !% %!% !!% !% !% !% %!% !!% "!% !!% #%!% !% #!% !% !% !% !% #!% !!% !% !!% !% !% !% !% !% #!% !% &!% !% !% !% % !% #!% ,4'+,4 -,'30. /,'0,. --,'..4 .1'4+. ,,'0+3 0'.13 -2'//1 ,,'3++ --'440 ,1'+3. -0'42+ 3'134 -/'00-,'-2. 41'//. 1,'4/3 0+'4+,2'32+ 3',,1 ,.'++3 ,3'0+4 ,,.'-.2 ,3',-0 ,-'-/0 41'+-/ ,2'30. /-'+4+ --'1+4 .-'4-. ,.'234 .1'1/2 ,.'141 ,2'442 22'/.0 -0'0/+ 2'1/0 ,2'/,0 /'4/3 ,,'2+. -.'420 //'/+-,'++0 /'00, .'.-4 ,1'13/ /'1/+ 3'.00'-2. ,1'1.0 1'343 ,+',0. ,-'042 ,3'+-3 -3'++, 1'4.. 2'/20 .'+/1 -'43/ 3',-, /+'/14 ,+'/2+ 3'./04'/1/ ,,'2+1 ,.'/+. ,,',-2 -+'2.3 1'03, -.'-+0 1'0.3 /'3-2 ,4'343 ,-'/40 .'214 0'4,4 ,'+/4./ 023 331 1+/ 101.1./ 13. 323 1/+ 040 1+, 213 014 2,2 1+2 1/3 1-1 123+0 3.1 11+ 1-. 1,, 2.0 1., 024 2/1-. 1++ 21+ 022 1.2 4+2 13, 00, 04- ,'+01'-1.(+0 4,2'.+2(32 ,'2/+'-.3(03 2'/00'3+-(1. ,'024'4,+(34 0,,'21-(00 -30'2+3(+3 ,',12'-.3(+ //1'.-,(14 23+'2.1(+2 2/+',/0(+. ,'-21'3,2(., .-1'0/2(2/ 4/3'32-(22 ,',-3',.+(3, .'2+-'-4-(1 -',34'/3.(3/ ,'23+'32/(3 230'/,1(40 .-.'-3,(2/ 0,0'2.0(44 2..'/,1(/+ /'-.,'+./(42 221'42.(41 0.2'/.2(.1 .'1-1'233(,4 132'-3/(/2 ,'032'4/,(/+ 234',3.(04 ,',/,',-0(31 1,1',/2(34 ,'2-0'0,,(+3 0.-'24/(34 2,3',.2(/, -'14/'.2+(30 31-'44.(44 .+2'/44(30 24+'0.+(12 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , +(+,--.2-100 +(+,-//+43.+(+,//,//.,0 +(+.30,/.21+(+,.10/12-1 +(++31,/42.+ +(++21-+1,,+ +(+,-+1+20+1 +(++32-.2,+2 +(+,,0./4/.+ +(++4-12,-41 +(+,,4+23,++(++3,1121+0 +(+,,/3,+//3 +(+,+2,3-3/+ +(+-+2312+43 +(+,2+-43002 +(+,.-.,,30/ +(++41/4.3,. +(++3+/+.3// +(++4/++..-+ +(+,+4,2,4+. +(+-0-+,140+(+,++-.4/0/ +(++340.+3+. +(+-1,/.-231 +(+,++21.-+. +(+,-3/-4/03 +(+,,+4-,00+(+,-3,-/434 +(++332/,4.4 +(+,0+1,3+1+(++30441202 +(++4-2-.0-2 +(+,4/.214.+ +(+,,-+/..,0 +(++2.20/.31 +(++4--3421- *Numbers reflect 2010 census data. A R e a d e r ’s C o m p a n i o n To the Blue R i bbon C ommi t t e e on Hi g hw ay F ina n c e Re po r t 54 A R e a d e r ’s C o m p a n i o n To the B lue Ri bbon C om m i ttee on High way F inance Re po r t 55 APPENDIX C APPENDIX D County Turnback Factors, cont’d 17.. 2... 2/.. 20.. 21.. 22.. 23.. 24.. 25.. 26.. 27.. 3... 3/.. 30.. 31.. 32.. 33.. 34.. 35.. 36.. 37.. 4... 4/.. 40.. 41.. 42.. 43.. 44.. 45.. 46.. 47.. 5... 5/.. 50.. 51.. 52.. 53.. %!( %!( $ &%!( %!( %!( %!( %!( %!( %!( %!( !(%!( &%!( '!%!( %!%!( (%!( %!( %!( $%!( %!( %!( %!( % %!( %!( %!( $%!( (%!( "%!( &%!( %!( !+ %!( !%!( %!( %%!( !%!( !%!( %%!( %!( /.*202 /2*/12 /1*/5/ 00*131 46*134 /3*5/5 /4*431 21*240 24*26. 6*/27 7*265 6*775 6*11. 04*/0. /.*223 0/*535 //*07/ 02*361 0.*440 4/*532 6*5/3 160*526 /5*747 /.5*//6 //*011 6*/73 /03*522 /5*.36 /5*042 06*036 /0*172 2/*417 /5*073 0.1*.43 55*.54 5*04. 00*/63 0*7/3*7/6 3*264 41. /.*352 35. 4*47/ 34/ /0*363 510 06*22. 6./ /1*/75 610 //*1/7 415 /0*220 420 7*072 710 0*261 4/5 5*44. 6./ 2*250 4/4 5*26. 600 /.*476 517 5*563 34/ 4*702 506 4*731 4/3 6*61/ 540 /0*513 64. 03*//1 600 2*156 46/ 26*530 6.3 7*60. 425 26*724 507 5*/77 676 4*/04 442 /7*21/ 315 6*154 363 6*/71 376 6*213 416 7*251 4/0 /5*444 /*.31 //*775 5/2 16*/20 741 13*7.3 /*.21 0*/04 371 /0*104 726 /*.15*/15 31*/.2 123*72.+1. 244*/1/+04 3.2*001+41 7..*011+/2 0*20/*627+72 5/.*.13+5. 433*15.+15 /*350*1/6+64 /*416*06.+5. 223*7.6+.5 234*63/+76 117*715+/7 142*2.4+/6 777*261+07 23.*012+/. 541*.4.+/1 274*.7/+2/ /*.23*.30+21 634*2.6+66 0*15.*33/+/6 234*.52+25 /3*303*54/+74 514*7.1+7. 1*6.6*6.2+6/ 172*233+40 137*.50+/. 2*061*.05+4/ 4.1*037+.5 460*143+/2 77.*.02+11 355*55/+64 /*724*412+70 717*147+51 5*035*70.+3. 1*2.0*360+35 145*/42+54 636*44.+.3 //1*./.*062+.0 City Turnback Factors* / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / 53 .+..60642/11 .+..7..50/64 .+..623.2157 .+.//16./4/. .+./67416761 .+.//13.5716 .+..7717311/ .+./1/215521 .+./25/./645 .+..56157.2/ .+..7461/177 .+..575554.3 .+..73475.44 .+.//333/5/. .+..6123411. .+./.15/5326 .+..64521277 .+.//2025152 .+.//7553274 .+./6/55544/ .+..63.56647 .+.4.57/1443 .+./...6.056 .+.03464614/ .+././753227 .+..62325365 .+.003541401 .+..7/743.73 .+..71612171 .+./.5624507 .+..7/553150 .+./4471026/ .+./.7333707 .+.14523662. .+.0117.1/5/ .+..5254.200 .+./03107/.0 .+7777777771 % & " & &# & $ "& "" " # ! # "% & # # # # &# $ .,5 .(5,-.0 --1 1(0-5 .4/ /5. 540 314 54 3./ -2--3 -,(3-0 /22 -(,4. 0(3./ /(,-2 -3, .(-55 .(,/4 044 .(453 -.0 0(205 -3/ -,(.04 043 -(4,522 -,, 3(/-1 -,3 .2(02010 00-01 /,(24/1(/,0/5 1(/12 .(/3. -,1 /-1 /03 0/2/ .2. 22. 55 ,),,,---.0./ ,),,-100,42/ ,),,,,22,,,. ,),,,,2-.,55 ,),,.440/-3, ,),,,-1,2.52 ,),,,.,42015 ,),,,1./30/5 ,),,,0,/01/,),,,,1.-2-1 ,),,,/404.0, ,),,,,4125/5 ,),,,,2..300 ,),,13,.2//4 ,),,,-504,3. ,),,,1315,1/ ,),,.1-/420, ,),,-2,1.52. ,),,,,5,040. ,),,--3,0/54 ,),,-,403015 ,),,,.1530.5 ,),,-10-513/ ,),,,,22,,,. ,),,.0300324 ,),,,,5.,4-, ,),,10102,,2 ,),,,.15.-,2 ,),,,5142,,/ ,),,,1-0-2/. ,),,,,1/..2, ,),,/45/04., ,),,,,1251-4 ,),-0,40-/.. ,),,,.0-202, ,),,,./03.23 ,),,,,33-333 ,),-2//,.251 ,),-4345/-,3 ,),,,.//22.,),,.41,3402 ,),,-.2.1.,4 ,),,,,11443/ ,),,,-2322-5 ,),,,-40250. ,),,,,.-4..3 ,),,,-5/.-,0 ,),,,-/501.,),,,/1./12,),,,,1.25/3 ! # # #! " $ ! # # # # " " # ! !# ! ! # # # ! # -+/ -* +,. +,. +/&0,* +-2 /1/ ,&+-+ -&33* 1/3 0,2 -01 ,-0 -&+22 +&0., +0&022 ,1/ +&3/* +3+ ,-&110 0-/ /// 13 +&/./ .3. +,&+2102 ,// +&,13 ,&,+. -.+1+ -., ,++&3*. +&1,3 +&-3. 3&/+/ /*, ,&.3. .&01+ 0/+ +/3 ,21 +&00. -1+ 3&+12 ,&0*, +&*+, .// *'***+0100+3 *'****+/3012 *'****00***, *'****00***, *'**2-+-3*+. *'****1-./+3 *'***-*0*.3/ *'**++-.,.0+ *'**,+,-1+1/ *'***.*-32/. *'***--.,/3*'***+3/--3. *'***+,/0+-. *'**+0302..3 *'***21-31*3 *'**222,-//+ *'***+.0-1+/ *'**+*-13*1* *'***+*+00+1 *'*+,0//*+.+ *'***--132/+ *'***,3/.*.*'****.,*.2/ *'***2,,-.+1 *'***,0,3-0. *'**0.2./,-1 *'***.*211/1 *'***+-/1,0*'***02*10*0 *'**++12.,-1 *'***+2,/0/, *'****3+*+0/ *'***+2,*-,3 *'***++--1+. *'**+*+-.,-+ *'***3,*,110 *'***1.+31*/ *'**/*0../.* *'***,01+3./ *'**+-,1./0/ *'**,.20+20/ *'***-.0/*+*'****2.0,3*'***+/,1/20 *'***22/02*1 *'***+31.02/ *'**.22/*2,. *'**+-2.3.*0 *'***/-20.1+ *'***,.,+12- *Numbers reflect 2010 census data. A R e a d e r ’s C o m p a n i o n To the Blue R i bbon C ommi t t e e on Hi g hw ay F ina n c e Re po r t 56 A R e a d e r ’s C o m p a n i o n To the B lue Ri bbon C om m i ttee on High way F inance Re po r t 57 APPENDIX D APPENDIX D City Turnback Factors, cont’d !" " ! " " # " " " ! +/0 *,, -0$1(0 +$+// 1/( .,1 +0* 1. ,/1 -$-(/ ,-* ))+0* *$,(1 ,$/,)(( )$.11 )). */1 **+ +), .$-1, *$+). )$/)/ .)1 +$*1* /0* )$+)0 )$)++ +() )$+/0 ,$/(. 0/. ,)( *$,), 1+) ,*/ ))* )0$00, .+. *$.,0 )$-++.0 -)0 *$0*++0 +-) *$*.1 *$(/+ ,+* A R e a d e r ’s C o m p a n i o n (%(((*())1,+ (%((()*10/), (%(+)+-,+/*1 (%(()/1/,,*) (%(((-).*1** (%(((+,-,+./ (%(((*(++*++ (%((((-)(1/( (%(((*-,1-*(%((*1+))--1 (%(((*,(-0)(%((((.)*(11 (%(((*(++*++ (%(()*0**),, (%((*-*--/+0 (%((((-+**.( (%(((1(,+(10 (%((((.)/,** (%(((),0-(((%((())0.1,( (%((()./)*1. (%((+-(1/**(%(()*+*/),* (%(((1)+01(, (%(((+*1,.01 (%(()/-**((( (%(((,).**/+ (%(((/()-)0/ (%(((.(+(-(. (%((().(*)(+ (%(((/++,-,+ (%((*-(,0)-. (%(((,..*-10 (%(((*)0**.. (%(()*0,0/-/ (%(((,1--+,) (%(((**/*/-( (%((((-1.)+) (%()((-))10) (%(((++0-)/, (%((),(1,*,(%(((0)/()1) (%((()1-0/)/ (%(((*/-/)(/ (%(()-(+.+,(%((()/11(+1 (%((()0.0*++ (%(()*(/.10( (%(())(++/-( (%(((**11+.+ # # #" # # ! # # ! ! # ! # ! # # To the Blue R i bbon C ommi t t e e on Hi g hw ay F ina n c e Re po r t 58 City Turnback Factors, cont’d )++ *$++0 10 -$1/, /+$-0( )-( )/+ **+ )$+-,$+(( )$()) )-$+/) 0.$*(1 0-1 )/-(+ .* )10 )/. *() -(* *,* *0, *$(/0 ,(+$)-0 )*, *0 .1) ).( )00 *$**0 )$(/) +$-,0 0+/ ,,1 --, *$+**$/.) ,$/(. )$*-1 *(1 0$1-* 01) **+0. 0. )*( *$*)* /(0 (%((((/(/1(. (%(()*,,,*+1 (%((((-*).)(%((+)/1/*)+ (%(+1).+.1)0 (%((((/10+1( (%((((1*(0)( (%((())0.1,( (%(((/*)*)*+ (%((**00/)0) (%(((-+0)),1 (%((0)0)+.0/ (%(,-00-.(+(%(((,-/*)), (%((((1+),-(%(((*.//*.0 (%((((++((() (%((()(-+0/(%((((1+.//0 (%((()(.10,+ (%(((*./)1,(%((()*00(.1 (%((()-)).)0 (%(())(.(+.+ (%(((*)--.-+ (%(().0(0//) (%((((..(((* (%((((),1(++ (%(((+.//1)/ (%((((0-).). (%((()(((.,1 (%(())0-0/-+ (%(((-/((-((%(()000,-0(%(((,,--(). (%(((*+010,/ (%(((*1,0/*( (%(()*+/-(,(%((),.1-.11 (%((*-(,0)-. (%(((./())-, (%((()))*,*+ (%((,/.,/1). (%(((,/,*,+/ (%((())1/-0(%(((*(-,-*, (%((((,-//,, (%((((.+0/)* (%(())//+-1) (%(((+/.0,() # & # $ & ' + & $ &$ # % # # #& # # #$ #! $ 6/0 0)635 /)102 550 032 0)066 /0)721 420 3/7 1)77. 2/1 153 /3. /)246 5)/43 23. /0)060 61. 050 /0. 40/ 361 /).23 4/ 335 4.0 /.).73 /).22 0)/62 070 13)/71 /51 0)56. /)22/ 062 335 /.3 413 0)124 375 455 0/0 06)142 244 //3 //7 17 1)132 354 45)041 .*...210/73/ .*../30.4447 .*...5.25/01 .*...2/.7.25 .*.../13/72. .*../0/56/.7 .*..4667.2/2 .*...12/5/.7 .*...0540207 .*..0/015/53 .*...0/76012 .*.../773753 .*....57617. .*...56/1355 .*..16/1421. .*...0173/5. .*..43150/53 .*...22/5536 .*.../225525 .*....4165/0 .*...11.3113 .*...1/.1.54 .*...3340//5 .*....102457 .*...0742466 .*...10.20.3 .*..3151/426 .*...3334573 .*..//402337 .*.../332/77 .*./651/6044 .*....70.6/. .*../2574606 .*...5447645 .*.../3//4/6 .*...0742466 .*....336651 .*...115763/ .*../026460. .*...1/55370 .*...14.12.. .*...//0617/ .*./3.75.01. .*...026.110 .*....4/0.77 .*....411167 .*....0.536/ .*../5630../ .*...1.436/6 .*.136./2.31 $ $! ( # '% ( & %& % % &% ' # # $ $ & $' ( ) % % $ 1+/08 470 648 0+537 145 850 336 176 620 347 78 1+/71 332 1+464 630 0+5/4 1+178 0+882 160 4/0 0+782 330 144 0+17/ 175 1+138 1+474 082+413 628 0+/28 3+134 83 053 6+216 0+067 177 658 736 1/1 4 00+466 0/+207 866 2+231 0+028 3+004 73 01+234 1+455 0+000 /,//0/63522/ /,///2/81320 /,///3/28743 /,///7660534 /,///0251475 /,///4004/08 /,///12681/1 /,///0416475 /,///278/710 /,///1326640 /,////362600 /,//00/70542 /,///1246801 /,//026/4584 /,///2833/36 /,///7431662 /,//01072321 /,//0/5/6831 /,///0331314 /,///1555512 /,//0//64571 /,///1236156 /,///0246152 /,///5701817 /,///0411153 /,//0086/417 /,//02647810 /,0/2//4/757 /,///28223/0 /,///442/071 /,//11483327 /,////4//213 /,////7618/5 /,//27887580 /,///516//12 /,///04218/8 /,///3/82/7/ /,///34/7131 /,///0/64054 /,/////15502 /,//50508631 /,//43807477 /,///41//07/ /,//0667702/ /,///5/51331 /,//108/14// /,////336/87 /,//546/6388 /,//02546681 /,///48023/8 A R e a d e r ’s C o m p a n i o n To the B lue Ri bbon C om m i ttee on High way F inance Re po r t 59 APPENDIX D APPENDIX D City Turnback Factors, cont’d #$ #* ) ,!+# , # $ #!#, !) !)# +, #"# $ %)# %* ! ( ! &! ! %#!$ !!# !#! !##%! !##$! ) !) % !) %$ % !) %# ! !) % ! !) % !) % + !) % )# )##, )##$!#! $* +# +"!#% ! $ !#!# !# !#"% !#%(! #!* #!*%$ * #!) 3.577 3.3:8 39.385 4.456 648 ;8 3.94; 3:8 6.43; 8: 738 8:4 3.:6: 7.959 524 547 5:; 3.42: 32; 582 3.723 ;.689 576 359 438 8.989 86 3.298 636 367 34.66: 992 4.96: 853 3.877 3.863 6.849 3.398 9.:9; 8; 733 59: :66 84.526 58; ::; 85 454 3:2 482 A R e a d e r ’s C o m p a n i o n 2/2229434345 2/2228534826 2/22;35739:8 2/2233:;28:; 2/222448964: 2/2222732;92 2/222;424998 2/2222;;2226 2/2244678272 2/2222583;59 2/2224968684 2/2225852235 2/222;:58387 2/2252757979 2/2223829647 2/222394;:67 2/22242926;3 2/222864;923 2/22227:2385 2/2223;38358 2/2229;:;445 2/22725:;277 2/2223::6422 2/222294;3;8 2/222336;8:4 2/225823:257 2/2222562868 2/222794933: 2/2224425778 2/2222993999 2/2288477948 2/22262;:624 2/2236848727 2/222557:783 2/222::2:;25 2/222:9565:9 2/2246849893 2/222847;59: 2/2263;58988 2/222258947; 2/222493;:6; 2/2224233;65 2/22266;4497 2/255383;49; 2/2223;8625; 2/22269539;4 2/2222557546 2/2223456:65 2/2222;7:28: 2/22235:5:98 * $ & & ! ! % %# %" ! " "# !" " # % " " % ! " " % To the Blue R i bbon C ommi t t e e on Hi g hw ay F ina n c e Re po r t 60 City Turnback Factors, cont’d .61 .14 .(/5. .36 45. 4(424 3452 0(351 35. 3-. /3(..0 0(20/ /44 .(.-2 31 12/ 1(461 .02 /1. /4/4/ .(130(516 ../ 16(-50 /05 3-5 016 5/3 3(3-5 /// 104 10/(505 4/ /61(050-2 0(/63 //. 43/ /-/ 14..5 .(644 .(/64 .1. 123 .(011 -)---.-0/251 -)----45/1// -)---35.5/2. -)----5662.6 -)---1.2362. -)--1./541-6 -)---0233.1/ -)----12/1/. -)--.63-5126 -)---03/136. -)---0.65550 -)-.05656-24 -)--.54661/1 -)---.14103-)---255.140 -)----01-313 -)---/1-25.2 -)--/22.3212 -)----4.522. -)---./5/414 -)---.104.-/ -)---.114414 -)---444-663 -)--/-153355 -)----263.0. -)-/3./16.5/ -)---./33446 -)---0/03.1. -)---.524254 -)---1063135 -)--02.4.41/ -)---..5.3.4 -)---/0/2643 -)---//554.5 -)--.2.-2206 -)----050//4 -)---.210221 -)--/00./656 -)---.3/0060 -)--.4210/6-)---..43/62 -)---1-225/. -)---.-42.32 -)---/2-.3// -)----3/5-34 -)--.-2//45-)---36-01./ -)----42-154 -)---/1/4.-3 -)---4.20242 ! !% ! !" " % # # % % " " ! # ( ( ( (! % #% ! ! ! !! !! ! ! # % $ # 200 ,,/ 00'41/ ,43 /3-1, 1, -,1 -2'4-+ ,'1.0 /0+ --/ --'303 ,0.',/. /'1+. 3/ -4'0-. -4, ,3, ,0'+.4 ,'310 23 ,+/-2 14'242 32 -.+ -0+ ,.,,. ,'14. -'-2/ 34, .+003 4'.-1 02,/4 /01 0,, 1+/ ,43 243 011 -4'4,4 /+2 --0 0/ -/+ -'/1+ A R e a d e r ’s C o m p a n i o n +(+++/+,301. +(++++1+1221 +(+-4232.44/ +(+++,+0.320 +(+++-010/4. +(+++,.34,44 +(++++.-/124 +(+++,,/413+(+,/31+1441 +(+++32+-/0, +(+++-.40,2+ +(+++,,4--1+(+,-,11.44/ +(++++3+4+.0 +(++,12-34.+(++-//444-3 +(++++//2+43 +(+,02,.4,-/ +(+++,0/3322 +(++++41..4, +(++3++/103. +(+++44-11/4 +(++++/,0,1. +(++++0/-4+0 +(+++--2-20+ +(+.2,0+,0-, +(++++/1.+11 +(+++,--/,43 +(+++,..+10+ +(++++2+-03. +(++++1+,/0/ +(+++4+,,,1+(++,-,+.04. +(+++/2/-/.2 +(+++,1+2/-0 +(+++-42++,, +(++/41.3014 +(+++.+//0-2 +(++++24.+12 +(+++-/-2,+1 +(+++-2,43/4 +(+++.-,/30+ +(+++,+0.320 +(+++/-/2/.0 +(+++.+,-04+(+,04-/132. +(+++-,11-43 +(+++,,42030 +(++++-32/-+ +(+++,-22/-/ +(++,.+4.041 $ " " " " " $# %& % " #! ! " "! ! ! ! ! !! !# !% ! # ! ! ! $ ! ! ! # % # 0,3 2'-/. ,'31//3 ,3+ 1,0 ..0 21,2+ ,3. --'24, 32 .2 .'3,0 ..2 -00 1, ,'.2.'1,3 /'34+ /'+12 1'++. ,3+ -,, 2,1 20 -'.,2 -1'-/0 ,30 .3/ .00 40'0-1 20/ -2. .3 20 ,00,, 00+ 4+. .2/ ,12 .4, ,431+ -',,/ 3'.12 ,'-+/ ,+. ,'323'23, +(+++-202,+2 +(++.300,04. +(+++44,+13, +(+++-.3/0-0 +(++++403+13 +(+++.-2..44 +(+++,23.+2, +(+++/+003-, +(++++4+/3/+(++++42/+.1 +(+,-,.+2.3+ +(++++/1.+11 +(++++,414.1 +(++-+.+02-+ +(+++,24.2,1 +(+++,.02-1. +(++++.-/124 +(+++2.+-1+2 +(++,4-02,12 +(++-1+-20,0 +(++-,1/2+,0 +(++.,40,014 +(++++403+13 +(+++,,-.+14 +(+++.3,+43+(++++.44,40 +(++,-..-/10 +(+,.414,1/+ +(++++43/13, +(+++-+/.323 +(+++,3340-. +(++++/34124 +(++-4/,-133 +(+++/+,.-/, +(+++,/0.+2+ +(++++-+--04 +(++++.44,40 +(++++3+4+.0 +(+++-2,43/4 +(+++-4-2/.+ +(+++/3+1.+3 +(+++,44+10+(++++33332/ +(+++-+3,,.2 +(+++,+-,4.4 +(+++/022/.1 +(++,,-0,422 +(++//0./,40 +(+++1/+3/,, +(++++0/3--3 +(4444444443 A R e a d e r ’s C o m p a n i o n To the B lue Ri bbon C om m i ttee on H i ghway F i n an ceTo Rep the or tB lue Ri bbon C om m i ttee on High way F inance Re po r t 61 A R e a d e r ’s C o m p a n i o n To the Blue R i bbon C ommi t t e e on Hi g hw ay F ina n c e Re po r t 62