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State transportation officials are considering charging drivers by the mile to make up for ever dwindling gas tax revenues. (AP image)

Are you willing to pay by the mile?

BY Josh Kerns  on December 5, 2012 @ 10:52 am (Updated: 11:27 am - 12/5/12 )

Every time you fill up, you're paying the 9th highest gas tax in the country, but Washington State Secretary of Transportation Paula Hammond says the state's tank is running on empty.

"Since about 2007, those of us who watch our transportation revenues and what's happening on the highways and byways recognize that gas tax isn't keeping up," Hammond says in an interview with KIRO Radio's Ross and Burbank.

So the state is considering a controversial new way to pay for the roads: charging drivers by the mile.

An advisory committee has just issued a report finding a mileage tax, commonly called a 'road user charge,' is a "feasible" way to wean the state off ever dwindling gas taxes. Hammond says it could even replace gas taxes altogether.

It's a tough sell. Although widely used in Europe, the idea has met plenty of opposition when it's been talked about in the past. So Hammond says the first step is taking the pulse of the people.

"We're going to start engaging with the public and try and understand what people think about the risks, the opportunities, and some of those things," she says.

Transportation officials will ask the Legislature for about $3.5 million in the coming session to study whether it's worth pursuing.

The report says implementing the idea is fairly easy. A number of devices already exist to track mileage, from in-car GPS units and smartphone apps to sensors that detect engine run time.

Critics have complained about the notion of the government tracking their every move. But Hammond says most of us are already monitored constantly by our phone companies anyway. And there are a number of easy ways to protect people's privacy.

"We know it's feasible, the technology is there. But is it desirable?" Hammond says.

Drivers don't have to worry about it happening any time soon. Hammond says it would take five to ten years to implement, and the idea could get scrapped altogether if there's too much opposition.

Josh Kerns, MyNorthwest.com Reporter
Josh Kerns is co-host of KIRO Radio's Seattle Sounds (Saturday nights 7-8) and a digital content producer for MyNorthwest.com.
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Comments (85)


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  • Oly80 wrote...
    well, one thing's for sure...
    December 5, 2012 11:23 am
    this will, undoubtedly, require SEVERAL expensive studies and proposals be compiled and stewed over for AT LEAST 10-15 years. once we've spent...hm...at least a billion dollars on the IDEA of doing this, then we should scrap it!

    isn't that how these things work?

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  • bmaddy wrote...
    Your right
    December 5, 2012 12:04 pm
    thanks for clearing that up!
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  • ekingmom wrote...
    How many times will we pay?
    December 5, 2012 11:43 am
    If this happens, in addition to the intrusion into our daily travels, we'll probably have to pay 3 times for the pleasure of sitting in traffic: once at the pump, again via their monitoring device, and yet again when we pay higher prices for goods trucked to their locations. This is a can of worms they shouldn't open -- we're 9th in the state already for gas taxes.
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  • GoHomeTeaBaggersYou'reDrunk wrote...
    Uh, No.
    December 5, 2012 11:48 am
    We already have a mileage tax. The tax is added to the per gallon rate of gas! . And a state official saying it's no big deal because cell phone companies already do it? We AGREE to those terms when we use/buy the phones. We can opt out. . This is hogwash.
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  • Sean wrote...
    Right on, GoHomeTeaBaggers
    December 5, 2012 12:23 pm
    ...and that tax is far more fair. We're Washington, though -- we'll bend over and take another, and another, and another....
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  • bmaddy wrote...
    Really
    December 5, 2012 11:50 am
    "Transportation officials will ask the Legislature for about $3.5 million in the coming session to study whether it's worth pursuing" 3.5 Million to see if it's worth pursuing! What are they smoking down there? How the does a study possibly cost that much!
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  • deltta wrote...
    bmaddy
    December 5, 2012 12:00 pm
    I've been wondering the same thing? Maybe Olympia doesn't know the states broke.
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  • Pressman wrote...
    I'll-
    December 6, 2012 2:17 am
    Do it for 1,750,000.00 . Holy crap- type out 3.5 million- 3,500,000.00- no S++T- Tell ya what- a million cash, and "No-Shootem" letter signed by the chiefs of the local departments...
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  • zounds wrote...
    This is similar to that Progressive Insurance device
    December 5, 2012 11:58 am
    The one that "Flo" pushes on the on the tube.

    We could get rid of all the traffic cops, they could just mail you a ticket instead of actually catching you doing something wrong.

    Could you imagine being tracked day and night?

    Meet a friend at the motel for a quicky, the state would know it.

    The administrative cost of this would be enormous.

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  • HLC wrote...
    I would think this would have to go through the legislature.
    December 5, 2012 12:09 pm
    If it is a user fee it should also be paid by cyclists. Right, they get a free ride now. Political suicide. I would almost vote for it just to make the Spandex Warriors pay their share for once.
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  • 1999thelastgoodyear wrote...
    As another commenter said....
    December 5, 2012 12:09 pm
    OVER MY DEAD BODY!!!!! This is just one more way bureaucrats are trying to tell us where we should live, work and how much we can travel. This is NOT right for Washington State.
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  • deltta wrote...
    Thinking on this more......
    December 5, 2012 12:09 pm
    It's wouldn't be tough to reflash the cars computer to think it has a different size tire.....
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  • zounds wrote...
    Except if it used a GPS
    December 5, 2012 12:14 pm
    Tire size would not matter
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  • ron prevost wrote...
    Wonderful. Does the left still have any actual civil libertarians?
    December 5, 2012 12:10 pm
    A wonderful side benefit for government is that IF they can track your every mile, they can track exactly where you've been.

    And if that data is only used to advance the nanny state, we should call ourselves lucky. ........... Unconstitutional as heck, but that's never stopped 'progressives' before.

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  • calapete wrote...
    why not tolls?
    December 5, 2012 12:14 pm
    They create jobs and are fair.

    I am not opposed to this, but it seems tolls accomplish the same thing.

    either way, I rarely drive, I use the bus.

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  • messiah101 wrote...
    GREAT NEWS
    December 5, 2012 12:50 pm
    In 2007 Oregon did a report on the per mile tax.Its available on the internet. Oregons Mileage Fee concept and road user fee pilot project.So lets use that study and save the millions needed to do another study
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  • messiah101 wrote...
    A quick glance shows
    December 5, 2012 12:54 pm
    This is a way of getting lost gas tax revenue from Hybrids and high MPG vehicles
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  • ron prevost wrote...
    Somehow, messiah, you would be the one in favor of this.
    December 5, 2012 2:36 pm
    Not to scare you, but your team won't be the ones in charge forever.

    And even if they do stay around, what makes you think YOU might not be suspect for your travels?

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  • messiah101 wrote...
    Ron P
    December 5, 2012 4:32 pm
    If you think I'm for it your miles off.By reading the Oregon study (not in depth) Its obvious that the State fears the loss of tax revenue as Fed MPH standards increase and vehicles start using less taxable gasoline.Also federal hiway dollars are going to get lower as the budget is cut and it will be up to the individual states to take on more of the expense of maintaining the state roads.my thoughts are that this would be a nightmare(costly) to police. The Oregon study brought up the possibility of charging drivers more for certain times of the day so that traffic can be lessened at busy times of the day.This would bring a burden on lower income people who still need to get to work.No I'm 100% against this type of deal and I would not allow a penny to be spent on this study that will likely mimic the in depth study already done over a 6 yr period in Oregon
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  • ron prevost wrote...
    Dang - coulda foold me.
    December 5, 2012 6:06 pm
    Especially "This is a way of getting lost gas tax revenue from Hybrids and high MPG vehicles." ..... Maybe that's the problem. What you say isn't always what you mean.

    But, even at that, your objection is just cost and logistics - not the violations of civil liberties.

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  • messiah101 wrote...
    Ron P
    December 5, 2012 8:12 pm
    "violations of civil liberties"You need to do better then that.Many folks (myself include) use their credit card or costco card to buy gas.I mentioned hybrids and high MPG cars as an example as why gas tax revenues are shrinking. Face it something needs to be done to pay for the up keep and expansion of our existing hiway system . Have you got any suggestions as to how the lost revenue can be made up or are you just another whiner?
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  • ron prevost wrote...
    That's OK, messiah. for the world of the wonderful new left,
    December 6, 2012 2:54 am
    the ACLU is now a right wing nut job organization.

    But, just WHAT does buying gas with a credit card have to do with this invasive plan ???

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  • messiah101 wrote...
    Ron P
    December 6, 2012 11:33 am
    Using a CC to pay for gas leaves a trail ,so the government has a way along with the huge numbers of cameras at every intersection to track your daily activities.
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