Rather than looking for ways to pay for the crisis, it can make more sense to include the cost of maintenance with the fees that are associated with using various aspects of the infrastructure.

Stan Caldwell, executive director of the Traffic21 Institute at Carnegie Mellon University, said, “Traditionally, transportation has been funded in the United States with user fees such as tolls, fuel tax and vehicle registrations. User fees seem fair, as the more you use the system the more you pay, but [they are] actually considered a regressive tax since a lower income individual pays a disproportionately high portion of their income.

“Companies who are dependent on shipping, such as retail and manufacturers, do fund transportation through user fees such as tolls, fuel tax and vehicle registration, but a corporate income tax would also generate revenue from companies in the service and finance sectors,” he said.
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