Washington is about to get the second highest gas tax in the nation — an increase of 4.9 cents kicks in on July 1 that will push the state surcharge to 49.4 cents per gallon– making it second only to Pennsylvania.
The hike is the final installment of a nearly 12 cent increase, part of a package called Connecting Washington, approved by the state legislature last year.
Department of Licensing spokesman Brad Benfield says it will fund specific projects over the next 15 years -- everything from highways to bike paths and walkways, all over the state.
“Fuel taxes in our state are the primary funding mechanism in our state for the entire highway system. And that includes our state highways, local county roads, city roads, ferry system. All of the whole transportation system is funded largely through gas taxes,” Benfield said.
That’s due in large part to the fact that Washington has no state income tax.
Also going up on July 1 are vehicle registration fees, which increase by $15 to $35 – depending on weight. And the price for a six-year enhanced driver license or ID card, which can be used in place of passports at some border crossings, will nearly triple, to $54.
Owning an electric car in Washington is about to get more expensive as well. Starting July 1, drivers will have to pay $150 a year for their registration, a $50 increase.
That hike comes despite the fact that Washington state is working hard to encourage the use of electric cars. Most of them can be purchased without paying any sales tax,which amounts to thousands of dollars in savings up front.
But at the same time, this year the state is increasing the registration fees and extending them to cover plug-in hybrids as well as pure electrics. The reason once again, says DOL’sBenfield, is to help pay for highways and other infrastructure as more and more people switch over – since there is no other source of revenue from these drivers.
“They’re out there and people are driving and we need capacity for them, but because these owners pay little or no fuel taxes, we need a way to have those owners pay their fair share.”
About 16,500 electric and plug-in hybrids are currently registered in Washington. That number has been climbing steadily since 2010, when only eleven were on file. Governor Inslee has set a goal of reaching 50,000 by 2020.
