Kentuckians are paying slightly less taxes on gas.

Since July 1st, the state motor fuels tax has dropped 1.4 cents per gallon.

Kentucky lawmakers and transportation officials say that tax decrease, plus increased fuel efficiency, means less money for state and county road projects.

There's also this this issue of Cafe standards, big picture long term.

You know, as cars become more and more fuel efficient over time or as they're projected to be, so then they have to fill up with gas less often, which means a direct impact at the pump.

So that's also impacts our ability to fund our programs.

You know, miles driven is way up, not way up.

Miles driven continues to increase every year.

But usage stays the same because of fuel, additional fuel efficiency.

So I think we're paying the we're collecting the same on our formula is generating the same amount of, of cents per gallon, the $0.26 as we did in 2011.

That's correct.

You'll get tired of hearing me say that, but I just want to emphasize why we're not locked up and repairing all the rural and secondary roads that put her that way, that we should.

Kentucky's road fund is still healthy.

Transportation officials reported more than $61 million in surplus road funding this past fiscal year, but the funds revenues have lagged behind in recent years, and lawmakers say inflation means road dollars don't go as far as they used to.