San Francisco Begins Investigating Cost-Per-Mile Driving

The San Francisco Bay area will investigate a proposal to implement cost-per-mile driving, as a way to raise money for public transit and road repair while reducing pollution and congestion. MercuryNews.com reports that "…drivers could be required to install GPS-like odometers or other devices in their vehicles and pay from less than a penny to as much as a dime for every mile driven. The idea could take a decade or more to be launched." The proposed mileage-based revenue collection would add an estimated $15 million per day to Bay Area coffers. Other proposals, like road tolls, HOV lanes and expanded public transit in suburban counties. Before the Bay-Area stereotype diatribes begin, it's worth noting that Atlanta has already investigated cost-per-mile driving…as well as locales in Oregon and Washington. Concerns about privacy and government monitoring were denied by one transit official, who was quoted by MercuryNews as stating "the last thing we're interested in is where you go and what you do…", but that's unlikely to soothe any concerns about unnecessary surveillance. As unpalatable as cost-per-mile driving is, this won't be the last we hear of it, and it won't be for the purposes of reducing greenhouse gas emissions - how do you think our roads will get repaired if people start using EVs or alternative fuel vehicles, and gas tax revenues plummet? from The Truth About Cars http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com

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