As freeway funding dwindles both in California and across the nation, a host of transportation officials and experts are slated to discuss a controversial funding proposal that’s been gaining momentum statewide.
The idea is to charge drivers based on how much they actually use California roadways, amid dwindling revenues from gas taxes.
At a half-day workshop in Glendale on Tuesday, officials and experts plan to discuss the proposal, known as a “mileage-based user fee.”
Speakers include Caltrans Director Malcolm Dougherty; Adrian Moore, vice president at the libertarian think tank The Reason Foundation; and Lucy Dunn, vice chair of the California Transportation Commission and CEO of the Orange County Business Council.
The workshop is sponsored by the Mileage-Based User Fee Alliance and hosted by Caltrans and the Southern California Association of Governments.
The proposal has been criticized by some as violating privacy rights.
“Do we need our government to know every time I go to the bathroom?” asked Supervisor Janet Nguyen in a recent debate for her state Senate run.
Supporters, meanwhile, say the details of the possible system still need to be worked out but that it’s extremely unlikely to involve location tracking.
Tuesday’s workshop runs from 12:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Embassy Suites hotel in Glendale. Click here for registration details.
You can reach Nick Gerda at ngerda@gmail.com, and follow him on Twitter: @nicholasgerda.