Washington gas tax increases today

The gasoline tax is going up a penny and a half to 37.5 cents a gallon in Washington.

A state Department of Licensing spokesman, Brad Benfield, said today’s hike is the last step of a 9.5 cent increase that has been phased in since 2005. It was approved by the Legislature to help fund nearly 300 projects over 16 years.

Of the $8.5 billion that new transportation taxes will raise over that period, nearly $3.5 billion will be spent on major Seattle-area projects: a downtown elevated highway, a floating bridge, and work on I-405.

Other projects include more bridge repairs, reducing congestion, highway safety improvements, improving freight mobility and $152 million for the North Spokane Corridor.

With the way gasoline prices have been going up recently, Benfield says the tax increase is “not going to be real noticeable” because it’s a diminishing component of the overall price.