California’s roads are deteriorating at a faster rate than they can be fixed.  The state’s transportation infrastructure is no longer able to keep up with the system’s needs.  Using a large, statewide study, the California Transportation Commission (CTC) will be looking at driver data to consider whether a road user fee is a sustainable long-term alternative to the current gasoline tax.

The California Road Charge Pilot program is seeking 5,000 volunteers representing California’s diverse drivers for a nine-month study launching this summer.  Volunteers will have a variety of options for tracking and reporting their mileage to the study.  Participation is free, and no actual fee will be collected during the study.  Instead, participants will submit simulated payments.  Interested participants can sign up at www.CaliforniaRoadChargePilot.com.

As California’s roads, bridges and highways continue to deteriorate rapidly, a new option to pay for transportation infrastructure is needed.  The main source of funding for road repairs is the 18 cents per gallon gasoline tax which was last raised over 20 years ago in 1994. Today, adjusted for inflation, it is only worth about 9 cents per gallon.  This comes to about $762 annually per driver and will lead to a multi-billion dollar shortfall in funding.

This information provided courtesy of the League of California Cities.