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Sophie Hiatt
Mr. Davis
Government 4
October 26, 2016
The Clear Highways Act
With worsening traffic problems causing congestion on our nations roadways, we need
to begin charging fees for road use. Construction of the interstate highway system began in the
1950s (Weingroff). It has attempted to keep up with a burgeoning US population, marked
increase in automobile use for transportation and shipping, and costs associated with its use. Our
current model for funding roads through federal gas tax has fallen well short of the costs for
construction and maintenance. A toll system that can fund its own upkeep, increase funding for
transportation, and help alleviate gridlock is needed. The Clear Highways Act will create a
congestion-based toll in high traffic areas of affected metropolitan areas designated as having the
worst traffic. The Clear Highways Act will cut down traffic congestion, create a reliable form of
highway funding, and decrease the impact of fuel use on the environment.
The Clear Highways Act seeks to cut traffic congestion on the nations busiest highways.
The data show that travel delays due to traffic caused drivers to waste more than three billion
gallons of fuel and kept travelers stuck in their cars for nearly seven billion extra hours in 2015
(Davenport). By creating a more steady flow of traffic throughout any given day, wasteful fuel
consumption will decrease. Daily commuters will see fewer delays in traffic which will allow for
many more productive hours spent at work. The resulting clearer highways will also increase the
hours of home life and hours spent serving in communities.

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Loss of gas tax revenue from better fuel efficiency and electric vehicles creates
challenges to road and transportation funding. The federal rate has remained the same since
1993 which has led to a decrease in the purchasing power of the revenue over time $0.184
buys only 60% today of what it did in 1993 (Davenport). Without the ability to adjust the federal
gas tax rate according to inflation or as a percentage of fuel cost, the ability to fund needed
expansions and repairs of the interstate highway system will continue to decline. Since 1993, the
number of vehicle miles traveled has increased by more than 30%, but the number of lane miles
(a measure of road capacity) has only increased by 6% (Schleith). As miles driven continue to
increase so dramatically, the rate of construction has failed to keep up. This is in part due to lack
of funding. The current gas tax does not adequately pay for our highway system. The Clear
Highway Act will create a reliable stream of tax revenue independent of vehicle type to help
fund construction and maintenance.
Congestion tolls both encourage efficient use of autos as well as encourage use of other
forms of transportation. Widespread public transportation has many benefits, including making
transit more affordable and available for people with physical and economic limitations
(Recommendations). Idling, single driver cars drive up fuel use and negatively impact air
quality. In addition, annual waste of six billion gallons of gasoline amounts to significant carbon
pollution. Even if the numbers of vehicles in a given day remains the same, moving vehicles
require less fuel and less waste. Congestion pricing keeps traffic moving and benefits people and
the environment.
Many feel that congestion pricing creates more problems than it solves. The use of
congestion pricing for traffic control has been limited with some mixed results. Some feel that

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such a tax is a larger burden on the poor and middle class. It is suggested, That charging more
to drive is elitist policy, pricing the poor off of roads so that the wealthy can move about
unencumbered (Cervero). Vouchers allowing poorer drivers to be subject to lower fees or
waivers can be instituted to offset many of these concerns. Bus travel may also be more
attractive as roadways are clearer for mass transit. Businesses within a congestion zone have
been concerned on the negative impact less traffic may have on their customer base. In London
where a congestion fee has been in place for the last decade there was a decrease in shopper
numbers by 11.3% in the congested zone after the implementation of the congestion charge
(Alassaf). Congestion fees that make entrance into an area prohibitive would need only over a
limited set of hours. This shouldnt create global issues for most businesses whose hours of
operation would most likely be much longer than those set hours. The challenges to congestion
charges are solvable. Perceived negative effects can be offset with price relief for the poor and
limiting toll increases to peak hours of traffic to lessen the impact on businesses.
Supply and demand pricing works in multiple different industries. No one expects to get
a bargain hotel price at the Disneyland Hotel in July. Sometimes many people want to be at the
same place at the same time. At rush hour, everyone wants to use the same roads at the same
times. Like hotel price fluctuations that vary according to season, the Clear Highways Act will
encourage some to drive at alternative times while others pay for travel at prime time. Let price
help clear bottlenecks in traffic. Supporting the Clear Highways Act is an essential step toward
improving traffic as well as the quality of life for millions of Americans.

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Works Cited
Books
Cervero, Robert. The Transit Metropolis: A Global Inquiry. Washington, D.C.: Island, 1998.
Print.
Periodicals
Alassaf, Mohammed. "Congestion Charge and Its Alternatives." Thesis. Pomona, 2015. Web. 17
Oct. 2016.
https://broncoscholar.library.cpp.edu/bitstream/handle/10211.3/157295/AlassafMohamm
ed_Project_2015.pdf?sequence=3
Websites
Davenport, Rick. "Home." Urban Mobility Information. Texas A&M University, 2016. Web. 17
Oct. 2016.
"Recommendations." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention, 04 Nov. 2011. Web. 18 Oct. 2016.
Schleith, Kevin. "Implications of Electric Vehicles on Gasoline Tax Revenues." Dec. 2015. Web.
17 Oct. 2016.
http://www.fsec.ucf.edu/en/publications/pdf/FSEC-CR-2011-15.pdf
"Table 1-6: Estimated U.S. Roadway Lane-Miles by Functional System(a) | Bureau of
Transportation Statistics." Table 1-6: Estimated U.S. Roadway Lane-Miles by Functional
System(a) | Bureau of Transportation Statistics. US Department of Transportation, n.d.
Web. 18 Oct.

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2016.http://www.rita.dot.gov/bts/sites/rita.dot.gov.bts/files/publications/national_transpor
tation_statistics/html/

Weingroff, Richard. "Highway Existence: - 100 Years and Beyond." Public Roads. US Dept of
Transportation, 1993. Web. 17 Oct. 2016.
https://broncoscholar.library.cpp.edu/bitstream/handle/10211.3/157295/AlassafMohamm
ed_Project_2015.pdf?sequence=3