“The Indiana economy thrives because of our ability to move goods, services, and people easily throughout the state,” writes Jeff Rea, president and CEO of the South Bend (Indiana) Regional Chamber of Commerce, in a post to his “Talking Business” blog. The post focuses on the funding conundrum Indiana faces as gas taxes continue to dwindle amid stark inflation in the construction industry. “From 2020-2022, construction materials increased by 36%, and labor costs increased by 16%,” Rea notes, in addition to providing figures on specific material costs that spiked by as much as 113 percent. With state purchasing power so drastically curtailed, and gas tax revenue shrinking, Rea stresses that state leaders need to prioritize identifying new sources of transportation funding. Among other options available to the state, he cites tolling of key arteries. Rea maintains it “could get a lot of consideration, especially given how much traffic just passes through the State, uses our roads, but doesn’t contribute to the maintenance and upkeep of those roads.”
