As electric vehicles make up a greater share of cars on the road, fewer drivers are paying Vermont's gas tax, which is used to repair the state's roads.
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The Vermont Agency of Transportation says that one-third of the state's transportation dollars come from taxes on gas and diesel.
The annual deficit of gas tax revenue is projected to grow as we reach climate goals around EVs. To offset this, VTrans is considering a mileage-based user fee on plug-in EVs. The agency says they are trying to be proactive about maintaining their budget.
VTrans Sustainability and Innovations Project Manager Patrick Murphy says that the new system would be targeted toward exactly how many miles people have traveled in their vehicles.
In order to be implemented, the new system would have a public comment period and would need to be voted on by the Legislature.
