In addition to declining gas tax revenues and higher construction costs, New Hampshire DOT is facing a budget crunch due to debt service payments on bonds that funded an expansion of I-93, WMUR reports. In recent years, the state legislature has rejected proposals to shore up transportation funding with mechanisms such as road use charging, fee hikes, or charges that increase with vehicle weight. However, it recently passed House Bill 1631 to establish the Commission to Study Revenue Alternatives to the Road Toll. (The state’s gas tax is dubbed the “road toll.”) As the article points out, several possible solutions already are on the table. “They just involve things many lawmakers don’t want to vote for – namely, new or increased fees or taxes.”
