Faced with erosion of motor fuel tax revenues over time, and the need for the state to explore alternative revenue sources that may be implemented in lieu of the antiquated gas tax structure, the California State Legislature passed (and Governor Brown signed) SB 1077, creating the Road Charge Pilot Program as well as a 15-member volunteer “Technical Advisory Committee” (TAC) to study, gather input and make recommendations on the parameters of the pilot.

The TAC was made up of members that represent the telecommunications industry, highway user groups, data security and private industry, privacy rights, advocacy organizations, the equity community, regional transportation agencies, national research and policymaking bodies, including members of the Legislature and other relevant stakeholders. The TAC engaged in a yearlong process to solicit feedback and input from a broad and diverse group of stakeholders. The TAC and pilot program are creations of SB 1077, which directed the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) to study and explore road charging. During its process the TAC:

Held 12 public meetings throughout the state

Reached out and asked for feedback and input from over 400 stakeholder groups and every elected official representing California

Conducted public surveys and focus groups to gain a better understanding of the public’s views and opinions of the current condition of California’s roads, perceptions of how transportation is funded, and to gauge public reaction to road charging as a replacement for the gas tax

Briefed reporters and newspaper editors in every major news media outlet to elicit help in broadcasting the work of the TAC to the general public

The Legislature also directed that a statewide pilot program be conducted to test various road charging policies, technologies and payment approaches. At a minimum, the pilot program intended to accomplish all of the following:

Analyze alternative means of collecting road usage data, including at least one alternative that does not rely on electronic vehicle location data

Collect a minimum amount of personal information including location tracking information necessary to implement the California road charge program

Ensure that processes for collecting, managing, storing, transmitting, and destroying data are in place to protect the integrity of the data and safeguard the privacy of drivers

Who designed and implemented the California Road Charge Pilot?

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) officially launched on July 1, 2016 the statewide pilot program to explore road charging. At the conclusion of the pilot, an independent third party evaluatde the pilot results, and CalSTA submitted a report to the Legislature by March 2017 that includes those findings and summarizes the pilot volunteers’ experiences and the stakeholder input received throughout all phases of the process.