Earlier this summer, the Blue Ribbon Commission on Transportation Funding recommended raising the gasoline tax by 15 cents per gallon and other fees to raise $800 million for transportation projects in our state. While I have not accepted this recommendation, I understand that a modern economy requires modern investments, and if we are going to protect our recent progress and move our state forward, we have to be honest about the choices we face.

That’s why, yesterday, I announced that we will pursue a balanced approach to end the current sales tax exemption on gasoline. We are proposing to phase this in over three years, and estimate, in year three, that it will provide $613 million to fund critical transportation projects throughout our state that will create thousands of jobs.

To give you an idea of what types of projects could be impacted, we’ll be sending out one project from every county and Baltimore City every half hour for the next 12 hours starting with the upgrade of US 220 between I-68 and WV line in Allegany County.

Martin O'Malley is the Governor of Maryland. He writes a regular blog for his official website.