California Drivers Volunteer for GPS Tracking Program
2 Aug 2016Given California’s economic and ecological climate, more efficient transportation systems are vital to the wellbeing of the state’s residents.
Currently, there is a gas tax in place that is intended to provide aid for improving infrastructure; however, the tax is outdated. And many Californians are driving more fuel-efficient vehicles, like electric and hybrid cars. While those fuel-efficient vehicles are great for the environment, they still cause wear-and-tear on the state’s roadways. Since these cars are using less gas, less money is being collected via the gas tax, which means less funding for roadway repair.
The solution? The California Road Charge Pilot Program.
This pilot program is a 9-month field trial that was recently launched (July of 2016) by the California Department of Transportation. The goal of the program is to explore the effectiveness of road charging; i.e. – if it will make a difference in obtaining the funding that is necessary to maintain and repair California roads.
Drivers who choose to participate in the program track the miles they drive, via a variety of reporting options, including:
- Purchasing a permit for a set amount of miles
- Manual odometer readings
- A GPS tracker that plugs into the participant’s vehicle
- An app tracker for smartphones
- Built-in GPS tracking
Those who volunteer to participate in the pilot program will not actually pay taxes; rather, they will make simulated payments during the 9-month trial period. At the conclusion of the pilot program, an independent third party will assess the results that are gathered and the California Department of Transportation will send a report to different state bureaucracies by July of 2017 and will share its findings and recommendations with the Legislature in its annual report in December of 2017.
Legislature will then decide whether or not the program will make a difference in maintaining and repairing roadways. If it is found to be effective, the Legislature will determine the best way to enact a full-scale permanent road charge program.
An estimated 5,000 California drivers have opted to participate in this pilot program. Each type of reporting method will be used to compare the effectiveness of their performance and how each one measures against a specific set of criteria. Drivers’ information is well protected, thanks to the strictly enforced data security and privacy requirements that it employs.
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