Proposed Road Usage Charge plan

The Washington State Transportation Commission met December 7, 2012 to review Traffic and financial reports and toll rate schedules for both the Tacoma Narrows Bridge and State Route 520. With the Toll fees bringing in a good amount of money they turn to the shrinking income from the gas tax. They discussed how to work a possible plan and budget which would introduce a Road Usage Charge (RUC) and in place of a gas tax. The RUC was proposed by the Road Usage Charge Steering Committee which is recommending a full investigation from 2013 to 2015 on how a the RUC work. The Commission’s study is assessing the feasibility of a future transition from the gas tax to a system that would charge drivers by the miles of road traveled, rather than by fuel consumption.