Since there's no crude oil coming through the Keystone pipeline why would transportation costs be increased from what they are now other than inflation?
And the Federal gas tax should go up. It hasn't been increased since 1993 and the highways and bridges are being neglected.
IF we buy gas from up north and ship it by rail, then it will be more expensive than a pipeline.
Yes, our roads are awful, but the gas tax doesn't fix it.
There are two parts to the gas tax - the federal tax (about 18 cents) that goes to the highway trust fund and the state portion that goes to all sorts of places (DMV, law enforcement, public transit) including things that have nothing to do with any sort of transportation (schools for example). The state tax is far higher than the federal tax.
The 25 billion the feds take in doesn't come close to funding roads and bridges.