STATE — A state pilot program regarding a road-user charge wrapped up in January, and now the data is being analyzed for potential next steps.
Caltrans conducted its pilot from August 2024 through January as the state looks to tackle declining gas tax revenue as a result of the growing use of electric vehicles. Now, the California Department of Transportation is analyzing the data.
The road-user charge would implement a per-mile fee motorists would pay, although the specifics on how the state could, or would, execute the RUC is still up for debate. However, the program is controversial and was abandoned by the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) in 2023 after years of contentious battles between board members.
The RUC has been proposed as a way for the state to meet its ambitious climate goals, which include requiring all new vehicle sales to be zero-emission vehicles by 2035 for light-vehicle and by 2040 for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, according to an executive order signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom nearly five years ago. According to the Legislative Analyst’s Office, transportation accounts for 40% of greenhouse gas emissions, while state sources amount to one-third — $14.2 billion — of California’s transportation funding in 2023-24.
The LAO released a report in 2023 detailing the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) scoping plan and assessing the state’s climate policies. The pilot program was first authorized in 2014 and extended through 2027 under Sen. Scott Weiner’s (D-San Francisco) Senate Bill 339. SB 339 requires Caltrans to file its final report to the legislature no later than the end of 2026.
“Specifically, compared to current levels, ……
