Too many funds take detour

0 Comments | USA TODAY, June, 2004 | by Ronald Utt

Today's debate: Improving U.S. roads

Opposing view: Congress uses large portion of gas tax for non-road-related projects.

Anyone who has been bounced around on a pot-holed interstate or stuck in worsening congestion can't help but suspect our roads could use some more spending on repair and new capacity. But those who suggest that raising gas taxes is the way to do it fail to recognize that each year governments divert substantial amounts of the fuel taxes motorists already pay to projects other than roads. In fact, at the federal level, less than 65% of what motorists pay goes toward road investment.

The rest is siphoned off by underutilized transit programs (20% of transportation spending, serving only 2% of travelers), national parks, Appalachia...