Impacts to Key Communities

California has worked with academia and our other state partners to study the potential impacts of a switch from the gas tax to a road charge on key communities.

• Awareness and Perceptions of a Road Charge System Among Low-Income Individuals in California

  Caltrans contracted the Foundation for California Community Colleges to research the priorities and concerns of low-income individuals, including their awareness of transportation funding in California; perceptions of a potential road charge; and privacy concerns related to how information may be gathered as part of a road charge implementation.

• Financial Impacts of RUC on Super-Commuters Study

  The RUC America report provides insights related to the financial impact of a transition from fuel taxes to a road charge on super commuters – workers that commute more than three hours per day round trip. It explores how different groups of super-commuters could be impacted by the change.

• Advancing Road User Charge (RUC) Models in California: Understanding Social Equity and Travel Behavior Impacts

  A research team for the University of California Berkeley partnered with Caltrans to examine how elements of a road charge system could impact statewide underserved communities. The study investigates and examines the potential social equity implications of a shift from a gas tax to a RUC system in California across various socio-demographic and geographic dimensions by examining key trends in road use, vehicle ownership, fuel consumption, use of RUC-related technologies, and attitudes/opinions related to RUC adoption.

• 2022 RUC America Update and Expansion of Financial Impacts of RUC on Urban and Rural Households Study

  One of the first questions people ask when introduced to the concept of a road charge is, “How does this impact rural drivers?” This question is of interest across states large and small, as rural drivers generally drive longer distances for day-to-day activities and have limited access to transit alternatives. RUC America aimed to address that question through this research effort with detailed, state-specific numbers.

• Equity Analysis of Commercial Vehicle Road User Charges

  What are the equity implications of a road charge on commercial vehicles? This study on an economic and distributional impact analysis of Road Usage Charge on heavy duty vehicles was conducted by USC’s Pacific Southwest Region University Transportation Center. Key research questions addressed include: How would various rate levels of a California road charge affect the costs of the industry? Would a road charge on commercial vehicles be passed onto consumers? Are there industry segments that are less likely to be able to pass on any additional costs? If the costs are passed to the consumers, what are the impacts on the prices of different types of goods and services? Are there certain price inelastic goods critical to disadvantaged communities that are likely to face a large price increase?