You are here
The Road to Equity: Concerns and Analysis of RUC Pricing Mechanisms
By Zully Juarez - Just Solutions Collective, December 2022
As states, regions, and cities aim to transition to a clean energy future, many search for new transportation strategies and funding mechanisms. Pricing mechanisms like gas tax revenues or the Highway Trust Fund revenues are decreasing due to the energy efficiency of modern cars and the growing uptake and adoption of electric vehicles. Planning and transportation agencies across the U.S. are looking to replace their gas tax revenue with other pricing mechanisms like road user charges (RUC). However, any cost can highly impact low-income commuters already dealing with a lack of affordable public transit and affordable housing that causes them to live further from cities and rely on cars to go longer distances. Many low-income families have no option but to drive to work. Furthermore, any reliance on regressive taxes, meaning those with lower incomes pay more, will add to their challenges to make ends meet. Equity and tax progressivity considerations need to be a part of any road pricing conversation, to transform the way regions raise revenue for transportation and ensure equitable and progressive transportation funding during the phase-out of fossil fuels.
The following analysis aims to inform and better prepare community-based organizations (CBOs) and state advocates to participate more confidently in the conversations on road user charges and pricing mechanisms as they are discussed from state-to-state. If thoughtfully developed and implemented, these transportation funding mechanisms and strategies can also address climate, health, economic, and social equity in communities historically and disproportionately burdened by transportation inequities.
Disclaimer: The views expressed here are not the official position of the IWW (or even the IWW’s EUC) and do not necessarily represent the views of anyone but the author.
The Fine Print I:
Disclaimer: The views expressed on this site are not the official position of the IWW (or even the IWW’s EUC) unless otherwise indicated and do not necessarily represent the views of anyone but the author’s, nor should it be assumed that any of these authors automatically support the IWW or endorse any of its positions.
Further: the inclusion of a link on our site (other than the link to the main IWW site) does not imply endorsement by or an alliance with the IWW. These sites have been chosen by our members due to their perceived relevance to the IWW EUC and are included here for informational purposes only. If you have any suggestions or comments on any of the links included (or not included) above, please contact us.
The Fine Print II:
Fair Use Notice: The material on this site is provided for educational and informational purposes. It may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. It is being made available in an effort to advance the understanding of scientific, environmental, economic, social justice and human rights issues etc.
It is believed that this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have an interest in using the included information for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. The information on this site does not constitute legal or technical advice.
This site is not the official webpage of the Industrial Workers of the World.