‘Yafa #4’
courtesy of ‘Chris Rief aka Spodie Odie’
It doesn’t seem fair, but somehow Metro might end up retrieving revenue generated via a raise in the city’s gas tax. WTOP reports that councilman Jim Graham introduced a bill Tuesday that would raise the current gas tax of 23.5 cents/gallon to 33.5 cents/gallon and then give Metro the money made from the increased tax – making DC gas tax the ninth in the country.
This, of course, is a result of Metro facing a $189.2 million budget shortfall as originally proposed in this year’s operating budget.
Luckily, WTOP also mentions that “the bill is unlikely to pass because the tax would only take effect if the Maryland and Virginia jurisdictions that govern Metro would enact the same increase.”
Rachel moved to DC in the fall of 2005 to study Journalism and Music at American University. When she’s not keeping up with the latest Major League Baseball news, she works on making music as an accomplished singer-songwriter and was even a featured performer/speaker at TEDxDupont Circle in 2012. Rachel has also contributed to The Washington Examiner and MASN Sports’ Nationals Buzz as a guest blogger. See why she loves DC. E-Mail: rachel@welovedc.com.
I’m not sure why you describe funding Metro through a gas tax as “unfair”. Everyone who uses rail or bus to get where they’re going is one less car on the road, which makes driving in DC much faster and more workable than it otherwise would be.
Thank goodness my work pays for my metro to/from work
Saves me a LOT of money and the gas prices are still out-of-control