Gas Conservation Threatens Road Funding

WASHINGTON — The House passed legislation that would steer $8 billion to highway projects next year, in a prelude to a broader debate over how much to invest in roads, bridges and other transportation infrastructure.

The bill passed Wednesday is essentially a stop-gap measure designed to plug a gap between fuel-tax revenue flowing into the federal Highway Trust Fund and funding promises Congress has made to the states. But it also spotlights a long-term problem confronting policymakers as consumers drive less and use more fuel-efficient vehicles.

Conservation means less gas-tax revenue is going into the Highway Trust Fund, which Congress taps every year to send transportation funding back to the states. Current estimates indicate the trust fund will take in at least $3 billion less than Congress planned to spend next year, and that deficit is expected to widen substantially in the years ahead.

Wall Street Journal