In response to conservative opposition to a proposed road user charge, San Diego's regional planning agency is proposing other revenue sources including a tax on ride-hailing and three sales tax increases.

The San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) is scaling back its long-term transportation plan due to opposition from conservative leaders who disagree with a proposed road user charge, reports Andrew Keatts.
Opponents claim that the agency doesn't have the legal authority to enforce the charge, putting the programs that would depend on funding from it at risk. According to Colin Parent, Democratic councilman from La Mesa, "unlike a sales tax ballot measure, there’s no legal authority to do it, and unlike a ballot measure there’s no historic precedent for having done it – either locally or elsewhere." Planning for projects funded with a new source of funding that requires new legislation, argues Parent, means the agency is planning work it might never have the revenue for.
Meanwhile, the plan does propose some more traditional funding sources:
- Three sales tax increases to fund transportation improvements.
- Per-ride fees on ride-hailing companies. In addition to bringing in a projected $1.3 billion, the fee is designed to discourage the "emissions-intensive" trips.
- Managed toll and bus lanes on the region's highways, which could bring in over $19 billion. To create the new managed lanes, the agency plans to convert existing lanes as well as expand freeways to build new ones.
FULL STORY: The Other Big Tax Expectations in SANDAG’S New Plan

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.

The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs
The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.

Trump Approves Futuristic Automated Texas-Mexico Cargo Corridor
The project could remove tens of thousands of commercial trucks from roadways.

Austin's First Single Stair Apartment Building is Officially Underway
Eliminating the requirement for two staircases in multi-story residential buildings lets developers use smaller lots and more flexible designs to create denser housing.

Atlanta Bus System Redesign Will Nearly Triple Access
MARTA's Next Gen Bus Network will retool over 100 bus routes, expand frequent service.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)