During the July 15th virtual Washington State Transportation Commission (WSTC) meeting, WSDOT Secretary Roger Millar described how he would implement a Road Usage Charge (RUC). As it turns out, Millar’s vision for a RUC fundamentally contradicts and undermines what the Commission has recommended.

According to the agency, the RUC is intended to serve as a replacement for the gas tax, charging motorists for every mile they drive rather than for every gallon of gas they purchase at the pump.

However, some officials and transit activists want the RUC to serve as a general mileage tax that can be diverted from roads to subsidize transit, bike and pedestrian projects. To make matters more complicated and political, some officials, like Secretary Millar, advocate that the RUC should be layered with different functions – not just charging people per mile driven, but making it more expensive to drive during peak commute hours, or charging different rates on different roads.

These proposals intentionally make the RUC more burdensome on drivers and allow politicians to use the money for whatever they decide is best.