Thread: State Considers Charging Drivers on How Much They Drive

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - Among ideas suggested to replenish South Dakota's depleted road-building fund is a plan to tax drivers on the basis of how many miles they travel.

State Rep. Shantel Krebs, R-Sioux Falls, said such a formula is being tested in Oregon and may work in South Dakota.

A legislative committee is studying the state's highway needs and funding.

The state gas tax brought in almost $121 million for the fiscal year that ended June 30. That's a 4 percent increase, but doesn't meet the state's needs for highway funding.

The tax can't carry the load in the future, the vice chairman of the study panel says.

"We have to make some major changes in the way we pay for roads," says Rep. Gordon Pederson, R-Wall. "Two or 3 cents more a gallon on the gas tax isn't going to cut it."

Krebs said taxing motorists for each mile they drive would ensure that those who use roads the most are paying their fair share of the wear and tear.

Three-fourths of South Dakota's road-building money comes from the federal government, but the future of those funds is in doubt.

The needs study comes in at a time when the federal highway trust fund runs a multibillion-dollar shortfall, the state's highway reserves almost are gone, and state gas tax revenue has been all but flat for much of the decade.


"Every state, and the federal government, is being hit with the same problem, one way or another," Pederson said. "We can't rely on somebody else to solve it for us."

Study committee member Rep. Dan Ahlers, D-Dell Rapids, said the Oregon vehicle-miles tax plan worries him.


"Sometimes that vehicle is part of the business, so when you raise the cost, that means the cost of goods goes up," he said.

He wants the committee to hit upon a funding plan that "puts the cost out to the broadest base possible, and we need to make sure that the people using vehicles that do the most damage are paying more for the roads. What the end product is, I don't know yet."

The problem isnt that they need more money to pay for the roads and maintain them, its that they need to use the road tax money being collected for the roads. Its insane that they (state and federal) collect the taxes they do and still cant make ends meet.

I get so tired of hearing this. Me and my family cant stroll into our employers office and say "Well we didnt budget very well and we want to do some things extra this year so you have to give me a raise". No, when we dont budget well or want to do something extra we have to either cut expenses or save money.

Why is this such a hard concept for the state and federal government to grasp? Why do people run to the voting both and vote for tax increases when they are the ones going to be hurt by it and then dont require the people taking their money to spend it wisely and to budget accordingly?

i dont see how they can logically tax people more by how much they drive. how are they going to know?

You'd probably have to go get your odometer certified every year, something along the lines of the state inspections. Got, they record your odometer, certify it, come back next year and do it again. No sticker saying your odometer is certified and recorded, then you get pulled over, ticketed and then have to pay like the maximum fee for road use that year.

Problem with that scenario is that is going to pop up a bunch of people finding ways to hack the odometer without anyone knowing it. I know the odometers are supposedly tamper proof, but when has there been any such thing that someone was not able to find a work around for it?

^^^^^^^thats an EASY fix.

HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!


then again these new computerized cars have the mileage stored away in the PCM......they might just scan the cars....

but then again...all the farmers out there.... may still be on the cable driven speedos...

My speedo is programmed digitally.

I'm from south Dakota and I don't kno why we need more money there's hella constuction in this state...you can't go very far without seeing it...

Why not just convert all the highways to tollways??

Originally Posted by 02BlueGT

Why not just convert all the highways to tollways??

bite your tongue!! I think Oklahoma has the most toll roads of any place in the country. Friggin everytime they want to build a new road they talk about making it a toll road long enough to pay for it then open it up, which has never happened here that I am aware of.

You would think toll roads would be absolutely pristine, but they are no better than any of the other roads around here.

Originally Posted by SyntheticShield

bite your tongue!! I think Oklahoma has the most toll roads of any place in the country. Friggin everytime they want to build a new road they talk about making it a toll road long enough to pay for it then open it up, which has never happened here that I am aware of.

You would think toll roads would be absolutely pristine, but they are no better than any of the other roads around here.

I think it cost like three or four dollars to drive one way from Wichita Falls, TX to Oklahoma City. That was almost a year ago. Once on I-40 East there were no tolls, thankfully.

I think your about right on that Sabrewings. I drove from OKC to Wichita Fall TX in Feb. Hell if you're ever in the area again, i'm like 3 miles away from where the toll road starts there by Newcastle, look me up!

BTW, there are easy ways to get around the mileage stored in PCM and digital ODO on cars, trust me, I know a guy that "changed" a few cars here and there. LOL. Its not that hard really, illegal as hell though...

lemme just spin these numbers back a few times "or buy a new speedo" lmao

1 toll.... JUST ONE of many leading into chicago on I90, or I88, is 1.90........

Talk about SUCKS!!!! but, magicly if you buy an Ipass.....it drops to 90cents....

What about out of state drivers and the commercial truckers who really do the most damage to the roads when their trucks are overloaded. Are they going to charge per mile and size of vehicle or just mileage. Definitely see some lawsuits waiting to happen!

I agree, and very good point.