Could Paying Gas Taxes Become a Thing of The Past for Illinois Drivers?

Two Illinois senators have proposed legislation that would charge drivers per mile to help fund road infrastructures. Could this lead to the end of Illinois' fuel taxes?

'Road Usage Charge' Proposed in Illinois

The other day I came across a headline from NBC Chicago that brought up a lot of questions. It said; "Illinois to explore taxing drivers by mile rather than by gallon of gas".  Excuse me, what?

My initial gut reaction was that this idea would not be great for Illinois drivers, but is that actually true? Let's find out.

The Purpose of Illinois' Proposed 'Road Usage Charge'

Before we get to some of the biggest questions surrounding the proposed Road Usage Charge legislation, let's figure out why it's a thing.

Basically, Illinois is losing money to fund improvements on roads, bridges, and public transportation throughout the state because more people are driving electric and  fuel-efficient cars which means less money spent on fuel/fuel taxes. Charging drivers a tax per mile driven could potentially make up for lost fuel tax earnings.

Now for the big questions...

Will Tollway Miles Be the Only Ones Taxed?

Honestly, I could not find any source that specifically said what miles would be taxed under this new legislation. Would it only be tollway miles driven or ALL miles driven in Illinois? I'm starting to think we would be taxed on every mile we drive.

Will Illinois Drivers Still Have to Pay Tolls?

I think the straight answer here is; yes.

Marc Poulos, executive director of Operating Engineers Local 150 (who supports this proposed legislation), told NBC Chicago;

On Illinois toll roads , drivers pay approximately seven cents per mile. With a mileage-based system, drivers could expect to pay three to four cents per mile. That would come on top of any tolls already being paid, similar to the gas tax.

Will Illinois Drivers Still Have to Pay Fuel Taxes?

NBC Chicago's article says; "In Illinois, the charge likely wouldn’t raise enough revenue to allow eliminating the motor fuel tax:, so I guess we'd still be paying a fuel tax at the pump AND a tax for every mile we drive? Not cool.

This proposed legislation is still in the early stages, and a pilot program would need to be started to see if it's even worth the change. \

Several other states like New York, Pennsylvania, and California have already implemented programs similar to this, and it seems to be working well for them?

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