Transportation experts, lawmakers and others gathered Aug. 26 in Boise to discuss issues at the Transportation Funding Conference, hosted by the Idaho Transportation Department.
More people and driving, aging infrastructure, the economy and less federal money have contributed to problems for Idaho’s roads, including the fact that officials have estimated the state needs a $240 million annual increase in transportation funding to alleviate the growing deficit.
Chairman of the Idaho Transportation Board Darrell Manning said that 20% of Idaho highway miles is deficient. Nineteen percent of state bridges are older than their 50-year lifespan.
To pay for transportation needs, the state depends on gas taxes and registration fees—which haven’t increased since the late 1990s, Manning said.
The committee discussed possible solutions to the funding problem like increased fees and taxes. Rep. Ken Roberts suggested removing the cap on vehicle registration fees and a “propulsion energy tax” that would raise money through the sales of various kinds of fuel, including biodiesel, ethanol and electricity.
