DelDOT officials are looking to boost the cost of heavy truck permits to cap off a contentious infrastructure revenue package forged in the final hours before state lawmakers recessed last month.
The agency plans to double some oversize vehicle permits and triple superload permits to net another $1.5 million in October on top of the nearly $24 million earned from increasing several DMV fees.
“Those fees haven’t been increased since the early ‘80s and since we’re actually aiming at vehicles that are heavy vehicles that do the most damage to our roadways, we thought that that was only fair to increase some of those fees as well,” said Secretary Jennifer Cohan.
DelDOT can boost those permit fees administratively, with the proposal is going through a public review process.
Cohan says that money will most likely go toward repair and maintenance rather than new projects.
Officials made a similar move last year by hiking weekend tolls on Del. 1, with state lawmakers dedicating that money strictly for paving.
Coupled with $150 million in borrowing, DelDOT will have $330 million to spend to chip away at a $780 million project backlog over the next six years.
Cohan says the new cash will completely fund critical safety needs that totaled $180 million.
Republicans have called for more money spent on operating costs to be shifted out of the Transportation Trust Fund in the future, with the General Assembly moving $5 million June 30.
Those conversations will happen over the next few months, according to Cohan, while DelDOT prepares its proposed fiscal year 2017 budget for a public hearing this winter.
“All we’re doing is taking a hole from one place to another. It’s got to be done, it’s got to be done responsibly and I think those are the conversations that are going to be had over the summer and into the fall.”
Despite a key Republican lawmaker, Senate Minority Whip Greg Lavelle (R-Sharpley), saying he would vote for an increase to the gas tax to pay for further road projects, DelDOT officials say they’re not likely to lobby for it in January.
“We’re content with what we have at the moment,” said Cohan. “It does not solve our long term issues, but I think we’re probably going to spend the next year working on spending these dollars and doing it appropriately.”
