SANDAG Plan Retreats on Road Usage Charge, Proposes Other New Taxes

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.