HNTB Study Finds U.S. Drivers Pay Less than $25/month for Transportation Infrastructure

Industry News / Infrastructure Funding

January 14, 2020

HNTB Study Finds U.S. Drivers Pay Less than $25/month for Transportation Infrastructure

Compared to what they pay for electricity, water, and broadband, American drivers get a great deal on transportation infrastructure, according to a recent report by HNTB.

The average driver pays $274.69 per year in federal and state gas taxes, while the average annual household electricity bill is $1,340, a year of broadband cost $794.04, water bills averaged $844.68 annually, and cell phone costs about $1,200 a year.

“Think of it this way: the bills we pay monthly for critical services like electricity and water largely go to the utility companies and municipalities that provide these services,” said John Barton, senior vice president and national DOT practice leader for HNTB. “That is not so when it comes to transportation. Transportation is a utility and should be viewed as such. Mobility providers—the governments that build and maintain roadways, bridges, paths and transit systems so we can get to work or school, feed our families, supply our homes and enjoy our communities—see only a fraction of what Americans pay on average at the pump to deliver such an essential service. Typically, less than 20% of what we pay at the pump actually goes to fund our transportation system.”

Barton added: “The low fuel taxes we pay are simply not enough to maintain our systems, let alone build or improve capacity

Click here for more information on the study.

Click here for an infographic from the study.

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