The Maryland state senate approved the first increase in the state’s gas tax in 20 years, acting to replenish a transportation fund that is rapidly running out of money. The legislation, which transportation officials say would yield $4.4 billion for new projects over the next six years, passed the Maryland House of Delegates last week and now goes to Gov. Martin O’Malley (D), who introduced the bill, for his signature.
Motorists can expect to pay between 13 and 20 cents more per gallon by mid-2016, according to legislative analysts. The increase would be phased in, with the first bump of about 4 cents a gallon coming in July.
The vote came just a month after a transportation plan was approved in Virginia. The two plans share some features, including a new wholesale tax on gas that is intended to keep pace with the price of fuel.
(more on Maryland's new transportation construction plan . . . )
