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SEATTLE– New polling released today by Washington Policy Center reveals steep opposition to replacing the state gas tax with a pay-per-mile tax. Further, opposition remains solid even if the revenues generated were to be dedicated exclusively to build and repair Washington's roads, highways and bridges.
The statewide poll of 500 Washington voters asked:
Would you support or opposing replacing the state gas tax with a pay-per-mile tax, where drivers are taxed on miles driven?
65 percent oppose
25 percent support
9 percent don't know
Respondents were then asked:
If you knew that the revenues generated by a pay-per-mile tax system would be dedicated exclusively to build and repair Washington's roads, highways and bridges, would you be more likely or less likely to support a pay-per-mile tax?
45 percent more likely
42 percent less likely
13 percent said they don't know.
The poll was conducted via landline and cell phone interviews, and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 4% at the 95% confidence level.