Supporters say Massachusetts’ Freedom To Move Act could cut car use and aid 2050 net-zero goals
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- Massachusetts lawmakers are looking at taxing drivers based on the number of miles they drive.
- A proposed Freedom To Move Act would establish a council to investigate ways to cut car use.
- The state needs to reduce vehicular miles traveled to meet its net-zero emissions target by 2050.
Drive more, pay more: Americans all over the country already do that via taxes on gasoline, but one state is considering taking the concept to a whole new level. Some Massachusetts lawmakers think drivers should be taxed directly according to the number of miles they drive, and a new bill could be the first step.
Related: California Considers Charging Drivers Per Mile As Gas Tax Dwindles Due To EVs
If the Freedom to Move Act becomes law, it won’t immediately kick-start a mileage-based tax program, but it will give lawmakers a framework that might make those kinds of taxes a reality further down the road.
Cutting Emissions Means Rethinking Car Dependency
Asking high mileage drivers to pay more isn’t just a money-making scam, advocates say. They think the US state needs to radically reduce car use if it’s to meet its tough emissions targets. Massachusetts has pledged to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 and experts think that’s not going to be possible unless some radical steps are taken.
The bill would establish a council tasked with developing strategies to help cut the public’s dependency on the car. Some of those strategies would involve improving the access to, and desirability of, alternative methods of moving around the city by putting extra resources into public transport and making it easier and safer for people to walk or cycle.
Mileage-Based Tax Still on the Table
Mileage-based taxes could also figure in those plans, though Senate Majority Leader Cynthia Creem said the bill “doesn’t impose restrictions on how much Massachusetts residents can drive,” CBS News reports.
But not everyone is keen on the idea, and not just because they think climate change is a hoax. Some are concerned about government overreach and the potential impact on business that may find themselves financially penalized for the miles they have no choice but to cover.
Inevitably, some people have also expressed worries about how the mileage data will be collected and stored, though it’ll be years before any such scheme becomes law, if it ever happens. For now, the debate signals a growing interest in rethinking how states fund transportation and how they tackle emissions in the process.
