News Release

   

April 16, 2008

Virginia Miller
(202) 496-4816
vmiller@apta.com

(Download In Adobe PDF format)

With the summer construction season nearly upon us, now is not the time to suspend the federal gas tax that pays for a major portion of construction of our country’s highways and public transportation systems.  To suspend the gas tax from Memorial Day to Labor Day would result in only making our economic situation worse, causing more Americans to lose their jobs.

While we need new ideas for economic growth and prosperity, the gas tax elimination proposal is a short term band-aid that would have little impact on the average American, who, according to the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), would only save $28, while costing highway and transit construction budgets more than $9.9 billion.

The Congressional Budget Office projects that the Highway Trust Fund, which finances the highway and public transit infrastructure, could become insolvent as early as next year.  A suspension of the gas tax this summer would force the Highway Trust Fund to go into deficit sooner and deeper.

Having thousands of construction jobs vanish is not good for America or American workers.

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APTA is a nonprofit international association of more than 1,500 member organizations including public transportation systems; planning, design, construction and finance firms; product and service providers; academic institutions; and state associations and departments of transportation. APTA members serve the public interest by providing safe, efficient and economical public transportation services and products. APTA members serve more than 90 percent of persons using public transportation in the United States and Canada.

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