Good day,
The I-95 Corridor Coalition is moving forward with research that will help it determine whether a mileage use tax is the right approach to taxing in Pennsylvania and Delaware, according to NBC 10 Philadelphia.
The Coalition, made up of over 100 departments of transportation, port authorities, tolling agencies and other groups along the East Coast, will use a $1.16 million Federal Highway Administration grant to study the proposal.
According to the news organization, “the program will take 50 vehicles in Delaware and Pennsylvania – with drivers who travel various distances – and monitor driving habits over a year’s time (or longer) starting in 2018.”
“”We’re really trying to get as broad a swath of users as possible,” Delaware DOT Community Relations Director Charles McLeod said.
Colorado-based CH2M will manage the program.
Did you know?
Freightliner is the top selling heavy-duty truck brand in the U.S., topping 72,000 units in 2016, according to Ward’s Auto data.
Quotable:
“We want to explore the feasibility of a mileage-based usage fee as a long-term solution for funding our transportation system. How will we ensure that we will have a well-functioning transportation system in 15 to 20 years from now?”
– Dr. Patricia Hendren, executive director of the I-95 Corridor Coalition, to Philadelphia NBC 10, on a proposal to study mileage-based taxation.
In other news:
Transplace sold to equity firm
In a deal valued at close to $1 billion, private-equity firm TPG Capital is acquiring transportation management firm Transplace from Greenbriar Equity Group. (Wall Street Journal)
Navistar ordered to pay $31M to carrier
Milan Supply Chain has won a $31 million judgement against Navistar Corp. over the truck and engine OEM’s failure to disclose problems with its MaxxForce engines. (Wall Street Journal)
Is oil demand declining, or is energy in general declining?
Are we in an era of a shift to renewable forms of energy, or is society simply in a time of declining energy use? That was the debate in a recent symposium, title Pathways to a Post-Carbon Economy. (Insurge Intelligence)
Insurance industry looks to blockchain
Led by reinsurance giant Swiss Re, European insurance companies are joining forces to evaluate the benefits of blockchain in the industry. (Swiss Re)
Target acquires technology firm focused on same-day delivery
Target has acquired San Francisco-based technology firm Grand Junction, which has been working on a same-day delivery pilot for the retailer. (Star Tribune)
Final Thoughts
The news that the I-95 Coalition plans to test mileage-based fees in two states is a step forward for that movement, but several states in the coalition backed out of plans to test similar programs for budgetary reasons. So it’s really one step forward, two steps back for proponents.
Hammer down everyone!
