This final report of the National Surface Transportation Infrastructure Financing Commission responds to the congressional directives contained in Section 11142 of Public Law 109-59 (the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users). In general, the Commission was tasked with:
• Making a thorough investigation of revenues flowing into the federal Highway Trust Fund (HTF) under current law
• Considering the impact on likely revenues under current law of possible changes in vehicle choice, fuel use, or travel alternatives
• Considering alternative approaches to generating revenues for the HTF
• Considering highway and transit investment needs and determining what additional federal revenues would be required to meet those needs
The analyses and findings contained in the report-particularly those presented in Chapters 2 and 3-address these items in detail. Specific recommendations relating to them appear in Chapter 8.
In addition to these general tasks, the Commission was specifically directed to examine certain other matters:
I. Consider a program that would exempt all or a portion of gasoline or other motor fuels used in a state from the federal excise tax on such fuels if the state elects not to receive all or a portion of its federal surface transportation funding (commonly called an "opt out" program)
ii. Determine what levels of revenue are required by the HTF in order for it to meet the investment needs to maintain and improve the condition and performance of the nation's highway and transit systems
III. Determine what levels of revenue are required by the HTF in order to ensure that federal levels of investment in highways and transit do not decline in real terms
IV. Determine the extent, if any, to which the HTF should be augmented by other mechanisms or funds as a federal means of financing highway and transit infrastructure investments
Because of their specificity in the Commission's authorizing statute, these matters are addressed in order below in summary fashion. As with the more general issues, items ll-IV are thoroughly discussed elsewhere in the report, especially Chapters 2, 3, and 8.