– The Washington Times
States are advancing plans to monitor your mileage and eventually limit how much you drive.
Soon, blue-state governments could begin tracking your odometer in a bid to lower tailpipe emissions, reduce traffic and raise revenue.
Massachusetts lawmakers are weighing a bill that would move the state closer to a net-zero carbon emissions mandate by expanding public transportation and developing a plan to reduce car trips.
The Freedom to Move Act calls for the Bay State to track emissions and car miles traveled and develop “a reasonable pathway” to statewide vehicle mileage reduction goals that would be developed by an interagency committee headed by the state’s transportation secretary.
“Now is the time to pursue new strategies, additional strategies, for reducing transportation emissions,” said state Sen. Cynthia Creem, a Democrat and sponsor of the legislation.
State data shows that the transportation sector is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Massachusetts.
The bill does not specify how miles would be tracked or how car trips would be reduced. Wary residents view the legislation as a scheme to eventually curb car trips with an odometer tax or other restrictions to keep personal vehicles off the roads.
The Massachusetts proposal, according to Ms. Creem’s summary of her bill, is based on laws and regulations in Colorado and Minnesota, where Democratic-led legislatures have passed bills to reduce transportation sector emissions, including targeted reductions in tailpipe emissions, to align with climate goals.
New York state legislator Andrew Gounardes, a Democrat who represents Brooklyn, introduced a similar bill this summer. It called for establishing “clean energy goals” that would require reducing vehicle miles traveled in the state by 20% by 2050.
Minnesota tracks vehicle miles traveled with roadside sensors and data modeling.
The state is also experimenting with technology that could be used to implement a mileage-based user fee to reduce car traffic and raise revenue “to close the highway funding gap and ensure everyone is paying their fair share,” the Minnesota Department of Transportation said.
Minnesota is among dozens of states researching or piloting programs to charge fees based on a driver’s vehicle mileage. Many state programs are aimed at making up for gas tax revenue lost by the increase in electric vehicles, which are heavier than gas-powered automobiles and put more stress on roads, bridges and other infrastructure.
Oregon, like Minnesota, seeks to reduce vehicle miles traveled by prioritizing public transit spending over roads, developing communities that are less dependent on cars, and considering usage charges and congestion pricing.
It also allows electric vehicle owners to enroll in a pay-per-mile system instead of an annual flat fee of about $115.
California is considering a bill as “a potential replacement” for the gas tax that would instead tax all drivers based on the number of miles they drive.
Massachusetts is weighing additional legislation sponsored by state Sen. Mike Barrett, a Democrat, that would require electric vehicle users to pay a tax based on their vehicle mileage. Drivers would be required to pay an annual charge based on the miles driven. Their odometers would be monitored during annual state vehicle inspections.
The state planned to begin banning the sale of gas-powered cars in 2035 but paused enforcement of the rule after Congress blocked a similar mandate in California.
“The bottom line is Massachusetts politicians don’t want you driving, all in the name of their net-zero 2050 mandate,” said the conservative group Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance.
The Washington Times reached out to Ms. Creem, who represents the affluent Wellesley and Brookline areas near Boston, and Mr. Barrett, who represents the wealthy suburbs of Concord, Lincoln and Weston.
They face pushback from residents who complain that the legislation would penalize people without access to public transportation and families that cannot use buses or the subway to bring children to school and appointments, or who plan to take their cars on vacation.
“This is just a money grab. Massachusetts politicians need a way to fill their and their friends’ pockets,” Sterling, Massachusetts, resident Josh Ross fumed on a Massachusetts community Facebook page.
In a statement to The Washington Times, Ms. Creem said her bill would ensure that the state invests in all transportation options to align with its net-zero goals.
“It does not in any way limit people’s choices about how to get around. It does not impose fines, penalties or taxes on drivers. In fact, it gives people more choices,” she said.
• Susan Ferrechio can be reached at sferrechio@washingtontimes.com.
