A study on how to enact tolls on Bay Area freeways is entering its second phase of community feedback, with the Metropolitan Transportation Commission continuing to assess ways to decrease traffic congestion and demand long term.
The three options on how to enact regional tolls were presented earlier this year, in addition to a “no pricing” option that would not introduce additional tolling. The potential paths could include tolls heading into San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose downtowns; tolls in all lanes of roads that have express bus services or existing or planned regional rail; or all-lane tolls in highways as well as highly-trafficked parallel roads. Tolls would vary by place and time for all options, and there would be no cost if no congestion was present.
The Next Generation Freeways Study began in early 2022 in partnership with Caltrans and will be a yearslong initiative to boost alternative modes of transportation aside from driving.
According to a presentation to the commission in June, existing pricing schemes — such as bridge tolls and express lanes — incentivize transit use, carpooling and help fund improvement projects, but they do not necessarily manage traffic demand in the way that highway tolls would.
Based on the first round of community feedback last year, Bay Area residents expressed a desire for less traffic and better public transit systems, but they also voiced concern over an added financial burden, especially for lower-income individuals and families. Some residents and commissioners, such as MTC board Chair Alfredo Pedroza, also expressed the importance of boosting frequency, safety and infrastructure of public transit systems prior to enacting tolls.
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But staff are seeking another round of input, which includes two public webinars on Tuesday, Nov. 7, and Wednesday, Nov. 8. MTC spokesperson Alex Eisenhart said these presentations will have more details on various strategies and approaches, taking into account the feedback they’ve conducted over the last several months.
“The goal was to get feedback on the draft goals of the study. Those goals help drive the analysis and scenario planning,” he said. “Now we are in position to provide a cleaner glimpse of what freeway tolling could look like … the first round of engagement was much more high level and provided more education.”
Staff will also deepen their examination into possible uses of toll revenue, which include heightened investment in public transit and discounts or subsidies to maintain affordability.
“This really is an exploratory study first and foremost. It’s trying to understand what the potential is. It’s not a policy exercise. … By no means, at the end of the study, will tolling be decided,” said Eisenhart, who is leading public engagement for the study.
Qualified corridors and paths will be identified for further study by early 2024, but a pilot program won’t be enacted until at least 2030, according to the June presentation. The first webinar will take place noon Tuesday, Nov. 7, and the second will be held the next day at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 8.
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