Senate president nixes interstate fee proposal

Senate President Therese Murray Oct. 3 shot down a proposal that would charge Bay State residents five cents per mile to ride on interstates.

The plan, which would require residents to install a GPS tracker in their vehicles, would likely lead to a costly lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union, Murray said.

The proposal was suggested by a special legislative commission with the hopes of helping close a $1 billion-per-year transportation deficit. The commission also suggested an 11.5-cent increase in the gas tax.

Murray has not discounted the gas tax suggestion, though she said any gas tax hike would have to be at least 15 cents to have the desired effect. She said she wants to examine all options before even considering such an increase.