EricDJ

Who lives in a country where cars are taxed by motor size? How well does this work?

This country seems to try more and more to advertise how powerful ones motor is. Hemi this, v8, v12 that.

Sadly no matter what strides are made in one direction, they'll just turn around and tax something else to make the money up. above stated mpg/tax ratio shows it. If you rely on no gas, they still want to get you based on miles that electric car goes.

Brian

Missouri residents pay rego based on engine size. Or they did when I lived there anyway.

ItsJustMe

The roads are provided for the use of the public, in the interest of the public good. It is not up to the users to determine who has the "right" to use them, based on any criteria. All members of the public have right to use the public roads in legally allowed manners.

Human and animal powered transport - everyone has an irrevocable right to this. Nobody can be ordered to not walk (or bicycle, but that's debateable), or to ride a horse, on public roads. Exceptions are made for limited access highways, IN THE CASE that there are acceptable alternative routes.

Motorized vehicles - people are granted revocable rights to operate, based on having shown competence and paid taxes (registration, etc). These taxes are NOT paying for a "right of use" - they support the registration system (which is used by law enforcement), and to some extent usage enforcement and similar items. Rights to operate motorized vehicles are therefore less than the right to human and animal powered transport.

Public roadways have been built and maintained by the government since Roman times, or before. This is done for the public good, to spur commerce and other ends. Where the government acquires the funds to pay for roadway construction and maintenance has nothing whatsoever to do with the "rights" people have to use the roadway in any manner allowed under the law.

As others have pointed out, it's silly to believe that any one funding source pays for the roadways. Even if, on paper, that were so, it's more convoluted than that.

For example, technically, the Lotto in Michigan goes towards education. However, every dollar that goes towards schools from the Lotto was in turn robbed from education and put back into the general fund. Instituting the Lotto didn't give schools an extra dime, but it allowed for the funding of many other things. So, does the Lotto fund schools, or does it fund all those other things?

If they didn't earmark gas taxes to road repair, they'd still repair the roads, they'd just use some other funds to do it, and put the gas taxes towards something else.

Calling a funds earmark a justification to exclusive use of the roads by the generator of that fund is just plain silly.

Ritehsedad

We all believe in "Share the Road". However, lets be realistic, regardless of who, what where or how they are paid for, what would our paved road infrastructure be if we were still in the horse & buggy era (and today's population base)?

genec

Well since cyclists got the first roads paved... and since cycling was quite popular at the turn of the last century... the roads might have been narrower, without the wide interstates, parking lots would have only had to contain bicycles and buggy wagons, so would probably be smaller.

The air would be cleaner, but the roads probably dirtier (what with all the droppings from the horses). Folks would live closer as walking would be considered a primary method of transportation....

The population would not be as wide... generally speaking as most would get more exercise...

Overnight delivery would not exist... and the pace of life would probably be a bit slower.