Hippies Are Trying To Outlaw Vehicles
San Francisco Could Tax Cars Daily
The streets of San Francisco could become even less hospitable to cars if a proposal by one city official takes effect. The San Francisco Examiner says that the chairman of the San Francisco Transportation Authority, Jake McGoldrick, wants his agency to study a toll zone in the city's downtown. Drivers would be charged each day they use the roads in the zone. The goal would be to cut traffic congestion and to provide more funding for the city's transportation system. The tax would be modeled after a similar fee charged in the City of London, where cameras are used for enforcement of the rules.
Tax By The Mile in Oregon, Too?
In Oregon, the plan to reduce congestion and emissions and generate revenue could come from the skies, too - in the form of GPS units that would capture distances driven by cars and tax them by the mile. A team of researchers from Oregon State University, CBS News reports, is testing such a system, which could also be used to weight charges higher during rush hour or on congested freeways. The Oregon Department of Transportation says it's received interest from other states in the study: Jim Whitty of the ODOT says, ironically, "They're watching what we're doing."
Maryland Wants $750 Tax on SUVs
Big sport-utility vehicles would be charged an extra $750 at the registration counter, under a new plan proposed by one Maryland Legislator. Delegate Bill Bronrott (ed note: Democrat) wants the surcharge applied to drivers who register SUVs weighing more than 6000 pounds, which would include vehicles like the Lincoln Navigator and HUMMER H2. "This bill is ... about the largest, heaviest passenger vehicles that are the least fuel efficient and the most toxic to our air, land, and water," Bronrott told the state House, according to the AP. Predictably, auto dealers are against the move, but Maryland citizens already pay a surcharge on vehicles weighing more than 3700 pounds.
Hattip: The Car Connection