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According to a , gasoline consumption in Oregon and Washington has been 鈥渆ssentially flat鈥� since 1999, though there have been some small yearly variations.

In the study, Sightline Programs Director Clark Williams-Derry forecasts that gasoline consumption will remain stable or decline for the foreseeable future, an issue of concern because gas taxes are a main source of funding for transportation infrastructure.

鈥�Gas tax money is critical to the ability of the state to maintain the highway system,鈥� said Oregon Department of Transportation spokesman Don Hamilton. 鈥淎s it drops, it reduces the ability of ODOT and local governments to do the work that’s needed to maintain the system.鈥�

Hamilton said that while a decline in gasoline consumption does indicate that fewer people are using the roads and thus wear and tear is declining, that decline in work does not even out with the negative effects of a loss of gas tax revenue.

鈥淲e want to do what we can to maintain a safe and effective roads system, and how we do that is through the gas tax,鈥� Hamilton said.

The study, titled 鈥淧eak Gas?鈥� and authored Williams-Derry, states that per-capita gasoline consumption has been declining since 1989.

鈥淭oday’s shaky economy is only part of the story, since gas consumption fell flat long before the recession began,鈥� said Williams-Derry in a statement. 鈥淚t’s a trend that has crossed economic booms and busts alike.鈥�