Caltrans seeks 5,000 motorists for mileage fee pilot program
By Dan Weikel, Los Angeles Times
Caltrans is seeking 5,000 volunteers for an experimental program that will charge motorists a fee based on how far they drive — a proposal that could replace the state gas tax as a way to fund highway maintenance and repairs.
Volunteers will participate in the California Road Charge Pilot Program, which was created by the Legislature in 2014 to test the feasibility of so-called mileage-based user fees.
The dry run is scheduled to begin this summer and last for nine months. Participating motorists will test various mileage reporting methods, but they won’t be charged fees for the distances they drive.
Almost every gallon of gas that’s purchased is for a motorized vehicle. Except for a small percentage for gas powered tools such as annoying leaf blowers. Why does the state want to investigate ways to charge us per mile when they’re already charging tax for every gallon we buy? There’s no more efficient way than the way we’re already taxed. It sounds to me like the legislature had TOO MUCH MONEY and they needed a boondoggle to spend some of it on. “The gas tax is outdated” — HUH? Unless the Legislature is planning on double dipping — taxing gasoline AND drivers who use the gas — this “pilot program” seems ridiculous. And if they are planning on double dipping it’s disingenuous to set up a phony program like this probable “tax you twice starter kit.”
Sure, I’ll step right up and volunteer to help the State find new and better ways to take more money from us! You bet!
In whose best interest is THIS nonsense? Apparently taxing the gas alone ain’t cuttin’ it, since they started requiring extreme fuel efficiency from auto makers. Maybe they ought to start demanding the same efficiency from their own departments!
This pay for what you use vs pay tax on gas is to get dollars from those who drive on the roads but do not use gas to do it, electric and natural gas vehicles. Theses cars place wear and tear on the roadways but are not paying taxes via gas purchased to help repair the aging roadways they use.
RTFA. Too many prius and Tesla buyers in the blue counties. They don’t contribute to the gas tax, which means they aren’t paying their share. If I read this right, they’re talking about getting rid of the gas tax in favor of this mileage plan.
It will be in addition to. Fed gas tax won’t be gone, nor will all the state gas taxes that have passed votes.
When does any tax go away?