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Comment 23 for Comments on regional targets for SB 375 (sb375-targets-ws) - 1st Workshop.
First Name: Michael
Last Name: Bullock
Email Address: mike_bullock@earthlink.net
Affiliation: TransportationChairSanDiegoSierraClub
Subject: ComprehensiveRoadUseFeesToReduceVMTsWhileStillEncouragingEfficientVehicles
Comment:
CARB needs to work for a more equitable approach to road use funding. By giving people more choice over how they spend their own money for transportation, they will choose to drive less. The Chair of the California Transportation Commission has written that gas taxes now pay almost nothing towards new construction costs and only cover about half of road maintenence costs. Pavley 1 and 2 are mandating that every year less money will go into our gas tax accounts per mile driven. These facts mean that our state must reconsider road use pricing. This is crucial if we are to have any chance against global warming. If we love our grandchildren, it is time to be brave and tell the truth. The following facts should help you see your way toward constructive action. 1.) On July 11, 2009, Sierra Club California passed the following resolution: The California Nevada Regional Conservation Committee of the Sierra Club hereby augments its current support for increasing the state gas excise tax by supporting a comprehensive road-use fee pricing system including environmental and health costs. The pricing system, which could still include a gas tax, must mitigate impacts on low-income users and protect personal privacy. 2.) On November 14th, 2009, the Environmental Caucus of the California Democratic Party passed a resolution that contained the following words: THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the California Democratic Party supports a state-funded study of a design of a road-use fee pricing system that (1) would pay for all road-use costs including the environmental and health costs caused by driving, (2) could still include a fuel tax or fee, (3) would mitigate impacts on low-income users and protect privacy, (4) would include congestion pricing when that technology becomes feasible, (5) would keep the per-mile price incentive to drive energy-efficient cars at least as large as it is with today’s fuel excise tax, and (6) could be accompanied by tax reductions sized to achieve either net-revenue neutrality or near-net-revenue neutrality. 3.)Skymeter, a Canadian company is designing and installing a variable and comprehensive road use fee, to replace the gas tax, in the Netherlands by 2014 and Denmark by 2016. This is estimated to decrease GHG by 10% in the Netherlands, even though the gas tax that will be dropped is equivalent to $3.50 per gallon. Skymeter would be glad to install such a system in California and could get this done well before 2020. 4.) It should be noted that in all these cases, it will cost a lot more per mile to drive a Hummer than it will to drive a Prius. 5.) For more detail on what a comprehensive road-use fee pricing system would look like, I have attached the so called "Reference Document" that was considered an example and was in fact referenced in the background material of the July 11th, 2009 "Comprehensive Road-Use Fee Pricing System" that was passed by Sierra Club California and is shown in Item 1 above.
Attachment: www.arb.ca.gov/lists/sb375-targets-ws/49-resolutionreferencedocument.doc
Original File Name: ResolutionReferenceDocument.doc
Date and Time Comment Was Submitted: 2010-07-27 18:05:34
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