California drivers could face new $52-a-year fee

A motorist avoids potholes on Potter Street en route to the I-80 on-ramp in Berkeley. A motorist avoids potholes on Potter Street en route to the I-80 on-ramp in Berkeley. Photo: Paul Chinn / The Chronicle Photo: Paul Chinn / The Chronicle Image 1 of / 7 Caption Close California drivers could face new $52-a-year fee 1 / 7 Back to Gallery

SACRAMENTO — California drivers would pay a new “road user” fee to help fund $2 billion in annual road repairs under a plan unveiled Wednesday by state Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins.

At about $52 per year per car, the road user charge would generate an estimated $1.8 billion a year. Atkins said it has not yet been decided how the fee would be collected.

A road charge advisory committee is working on recommendations for the best method of collecting new revenue for roadways as taxes collected at the pump drop due to more fuel-efficient cars. Alternative ideas include per-mile charges, vehicle license fees or fees on car insurance bills.

“California cannot have a strong middle class or a thriving economy if our roadways are congested and people and goods cannot move efficiently throughout the state,” said Atkins, a Democrat from San Diego. “The Assembly is stepping up and proposing $10 billion for transportation infrastructure — $2 billion per year over the next five years — starting in 2015-16.”

The road user charge would use $1 billion of its estimated revenue to repay transportation bond debt. That debt is now paid for with commercial truck weight fees, which would instead be spent on road repairs.

The additional $800 million from the new fee would go toward roads and highways.

The plan also calls for the state to accelerate repayments of loans made during the recession to the state’s general fund from transportation accounts, which would provide another $200 million per year for transportation.

“Every year we don’t invest in the roads, the cost of repairing our roads due to lack of short-term investments exponentially rises,” said Assemblyman David Chiu, D-San Francisco, who is the Assembly’s representative on the California Road Charge Pilot Program Technical Advisory Committee debating the best way to collect a new road fee.

“A tiny pothole today becomes a huge sinkhole tomorrow,” Chiu said. “That has literally happened, often in San Francisco.”

Gov. Jerry Brown said in his inaugural speech in January that deferred maintenance of the state’s roadways can’t be put off much longer. Much of the state’s highway system was built between 1950 and 1970. Brown said California has accumulated an estimated $59 billion backlog in upkeep and maintenance for roads and bridges.

“This is an important issue and the speaker is tackling it head on,” Brown said Wednesday. “We look forward to working with the Assembly and Senate — Democrats and Republicans — to address California’s transportation needs.”

Several groups — including the California Alliance for Jobs, Transportation California and California Business Roundtable — praised Atkins’ plan.

Melody Gutierrez is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail mgutierrez@sfchronicle.com