Raise gas tax, not sales tax, for roads

Last month, the Broward County Commission voted to place a referendum on the November ballot that, if adopted, would increase the county sales tax one percent for the next 30 years. The additional revenue — about $350 million per year initially — would go into a trust fund for transportation projects.

I’m voting “no” on this measure. You should, too. Here’s why.

You don’t have to spend much time on the roads here to notice massive traffic problems that worsen each year. There are too many cars, not enough roads, traffic lights are out of sync, and public transit options are limited.

Current plans for the trust fund money include widened roads, synchronized traffic lights, and more buses and sidewalks. The centerpiece of the plans — and the one slated to consume most of the early funds — is a light rail system running east-west along Broward and Sunrise Boulevards, with spurs along parts of 441 and University.

Now, some of these projects have merit. But ridership on the existing public transportation system has dropped 27 percent in the last five years. Further, the current system already receives a subsidy of about $2.50 per ride.

The largest problem with this proposal, of course, is that it does not address current issues. We need cars off the road — now. We need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions — this minute. We need to step toward a better future — starting today.

A 1-percent increase in the sales tax, while efficient in raising revenue, does not ameliorate these problems.

Another form of tax increase, however, would work. I suggest hitting the problem at its source: impose a 50-cent per gallon local tax on gasoline, diesel, and other liquid fuels.

Coincident with this, take additional steps:

1. Provide free bus service to young people under 18, seniors, and the disabled.

2. Begin an advertising campaign to encourage carpooling and ride sharing. Look around as you drive. How many cars have just one person inside?

3. Since half of all vehicle-miles driven are trips of under three miles, run smaller buses more frequently on heavily traf- ficked corridors.

Light rail has proved elsewhere to be a foolish use of resources, unless population density is greater than we have here in Broward. Further, light rail systems usually just move people off of buses and onto the rail system. They do not reduce vehicular traffic.

The proposed sales tax increase is for 30 years. Within 10 years we will have autonomous commercial vehicles, and within 20 (it is already happening with Tesla) most cars will be driverless also. Studies show that autonomous vehicles will double the capacity of existing roadways.

Yes, we need more sidewalks, better synced traffic lights, and more shortrange buses. But the appropriate method to fund those efforts is a fuel tax. We can revisit the issue in five to 10 years to see where things stand.

Hopefully our friends in Miami-Dade and Palm Beach Counties will join us in this modest solution.