The 30 year, $160 billion Regional Transportation Plan was approved on Dec.10 by the San Diego Association of Governments, but questions surrounding it's funding remains.
The transportation plan includes no-cost transportation and a 200-mile, $43 billion regional rail network that was heavily supported by Democrats and opposed by Republican SANDAG board members. Staff members of SANDAG's board of directors were instructed to find solutions to the four-cents-per-mile road usage tax proposal and two half-cent regional sales tax proposal for 2022 and 2028.
Last week, San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, along with National City Mayor Alejandra Sotelo-Solis and Encinitas Mayor Cathrine Blakespear were in favor of seeking alternatives in funding the proposed regional transportation plan. Over 1,500 comments were made by the public on SANDAG’s draft 2021 Regional Plan, many critical to the proposed tax increases. The plan envisions free transit for all riders within a decade.
“I have long supported SANDAG’s Regional Transportation Plan, as it aligns with my vision of giving San Diegans more sustainable ways to get around our region. However, the inclusion of a road usage charge is unnecessary, and we will be asking SANDAG staff to find alternative funding sources,” San Diego Mayor and Vice-chair of SANDAG’s Board of Directors Todd Gloria, said.
The state of California flirted with road usage tax pilot programs in recent years by charging around 2 cents per mile. It unclear how exactly SANDAG plans to report by-mile usage.
“It is essential that we work to have a plan that takes all funding options into account and doesn’t cause concern. We need to capitalize on the opportunity for leveraging federal-level funding, and at the end of the day, we must have tools in the toolbox that strengthen and implement our equity statement and board core values. These efforts must be reflective of the needs of the entire region, including those from working-class communities,” second vice chair and National City Mayor Alejandra Sotelo-Solis said.
According to SANDAG chief economist, Ray Major, the plan’s potential to raise more than $34 billion through 2050 would change once the scope was narrowed to implementation of the proposal in 2030.
“The Regional Plan remains our key document in the quest to build more transit, maximize the road network for better efficiency and provide more bike and pedestrian paths that serve our community’s hunger for opportunities to travel outside our cars. We can, and should, have a visionary, historic, green transportation plan without the road usage charge.” Chair of SANDAG’s Board of Director and Encinitas Mayor Catherine Blakespear said.
According to a Circulate San Diego report on the Regional Transportation plan, it is unlikely that SANDAG currently has the legal authority to enact a local road use charge. SANDAG was created by state statute, and is specifically authorized to enact sales taxes to generate revenue for transportation projects
A Central Mobility Hub is highlighted in the plan, which aims provide direct connection to the San Diego County Airport, relocating the train tracks on the Del Mar Bluffs into a tunnel, building a connected biking and walking network and increasing the route frequencies of public transportation. SANDAG has estimated that the entire cost of a Central Mobility Hub, and it’s associated projects, would cost up to $4.7 billion.
With the plan's approval, resources will be spent on frequency improvements to current transit lines as soon as 2025 according to Circulate San Diego's report. Although there has been a lot of focus on the 2021 Plan, most of the outlined projects are not scheduled to be completed until 2050.
