New 'Road Charge' Would Cost San Diegans 4 Cents For Each Mile They Drive
By Rebekah Gonzalez
June 21, 2021
A proposed plan drafted by the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) could implement what they called a 'road charge."
According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, the $160-billion Regional Transportation Plan relies heavily on the road charges to expand rail, bus, and other transportation services in San Diego.
The fee would charge drivers a set price for every mile traveled within California.
The Union-Tribune has explained SANDAG's proposed per-mile fee: "The San Diego agency expects the state to levy a tax on drivers of roughly 2 cents a mile, onto which it would tack a regional 2-cent charge for a total of 4 cents per mile driven."
Local Republicans have expressed frustration with the plan, saying the fee is unfair to drivers who don't use public transportation.
“Usually, when you pay a user fee, it’s to pay for what you’re actually using,” said San Marcos Mayor Rebecca Jones. “What’s being proposed by SANDAG is using the fee to pay for a new mass transit system.”
How SANDAG will collect those fees is still being discussed under a state pilot program that may run until 2026.
According to the Union-Tribune, the plan for the per-mile fee is to replace the gas tax before electric vehicles make it obsolete in the future.