Continue to raise gas taxes; public transportation is the future

Instead of trying to track people’s driving miles with a method other than seeing how much gas they use, the state should continue to raise gas taxes as people buy fewer and fewer gallons [“State will look into levying road tax by a mile,” NWThursday, Jan. 10].

Gas is still much cheaper in the U.S. than elsewhere, and if we’re serious about protecting the environment, it should be made as expensive as possible.

Better yet, let’s levy a progressive income tax and build world-class public transit systems with the proceeds. We’ll all gain in commuting time saved and less toxins ingested. The future needs trains, subways and frequent buses, not mileage-tracking devices for everyone’s cars.

--Julia Deak Sandler, Seattle