Chamber: Higher Gas Taxes Are Key To Fixing Boston Traffic

Ride-share? You might end up paying a steeper fee.

Boston traffic is some of the worst in the nation. Coupled with a crippling cost of living, many have flocked to New Hampshire, and even Maine. However, it's still tough to shake the Boston commute. Many business leaders believe the answer to much of the city's traffic problem lies in raising taxes.

According to Boston.com, raising gas taxes and fees on ride sharing services like Uber and Lyft are both options backed by the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce. The recently released transportation policy agenda states "we must get more people out of cars and into public transportation or other shared ride options, and second, we should use pricing to influence behavior, not just raise revenues."

Per the agenda, the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce supports a 15-cent per gallon gas tax hike, phased in over three years with a 5-cent annual increase. Let's say you ride-share instead. You're still getting dinged. The chamber proposes increasing fees for ride-sharing companies from 20-cent tax to “between $1.20 and $1.70 along with surcharges for luxury vehicle rides and rides during peak congestion periods.” You want to roll up in a Bentley? That's gonna cost ya.

There could be even more taxes on top of that. Per the agenda, they also support a 10-cent-per-gallon fee for drivers at the gas pump, which would be separate from the gas tax. This is under a program designed by the Transportation Climate Initiative, a coalition of 12 East Coast states and Washington D.C. working to reduce transportation-related carbon emissions.

So, about that cost of living raise?