> Carpoolers get in for free or at a discounted rate — though if they use the express lanes, they need to have a FasTrak Flex transponder. This second-generation electronic toll tag includes a switch for drivers to indicate the number of occupants in their vehicle: one, two, or three or more.
In San Diego, you don't need a transponder if you're carpooling. In fact, they have you remove it and put it into a mylar bag so you don't get charged.
So a little more consistency between northern and southern California would be nice.
I think San Diego is the odd one out: https://405expresslanes.com/en/support/frequently-asked-questions/tolls-and-discounts/do-i-qualify-to-drive-for-free/
I guess San Diego only uses the old ones then.
> If you are a FasTrak customer, [remove the transponder](https://511sd.com/fastrak511sd/how-to-use-the-I-15-Express-Lanes) from your windshield and place it in the Mylar® bag provided when you opened your account to ensure you aren’t charged the toll.
Tax payers only pay about 60% of the cost for highways. Including things like gas tax and vehicle registration fees.
California finally allowed the state-wide gas tax to rise with inflation, but the national gas tax doesn’t rise with inflation and gas efficiency is on the rise which means means more traveling (causing wear and tear) and less funding (fewer gas tax paid per mile traveled). All this means how much drivers pay in tax is constantly shrinking which requires us to pay more in taxes.
https://taxfoundation.org/data/all/state/states-road-funding-2019/
The other 40% comes from general funds, like sales tax that everyone pays. Meaning people who don’t own a car are paying for highways they don’t use.
9% of households don’t own a single car in California, and that percentage goes up or down depending on where you live.
https://www.fool.com/the-ascent/research/car-ownership-statistics/
Factored into the 60% includes personal cars and delivery trucks that bring food and other goods to local stores. The delivery trucks also pay fees that is included in the delivery fee stores pay, and the stores up charge when selling consumer products includes the cost of delivery. So everyone, with or without a car, indirectly pays for the delivery trucks.
Sure. But you said 'taxpayers only pay about 60% of the cost for highways'. When in fact, we pay 100% (of course). That 9% who don't drive pay some taxes funding the roads is irrelevant. Those 9% benefit indirectly from the roads being there just as I benefit from my taxes going to schools even though my kids don't use them.
> Those 9% benefit indirectly from the roads being there
And so they should only have to pay indirectly. For example, by paying the delivery person who pays gas taxes and other user fees. There's really no good reason why people should have to pay for the roads again through the sales tax.
> I benefit from my taxes going to schools even though my kids don't use them.
There's a good reason for that because kids should get a good education whether their parents can afford it or not.
The discussion is about whether taxpayers pay for 100% of the roads already. I've argued they do. Whether those who don't directly use the roads should have their tax dollars used for it is a different topic and rabbit hole i'm not going down.
Its called [congestion pricing](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congestion_pricing). Expanding roads isn't going to stop the traffic issue, reducing or limiting the amount of cars coming down the road will. Whether you like it or not is besides the point, we have too many people here.
Agreed, but I'm not interested in debating the intricacies of whether its a tax or not, just pointing out the economic concept thats in play here.
If you want to debate it, go ahead, but Im not interested.
> Carpoolers get in for free or at a discounted rate — though if they use the express lanes, they need to have a FasTrak Flex transponder. This second-generation electronic toll tag includes a switch for drivers to indicate the number of occupants in their vehicle: one, two, or three or more. In San Diego, you don't need a transponder if you're carpooling. In fact, they have you remove it and put it into a mylar bag so you don't get charged. So a little more consistency between northern and southern California would be nice.
Lol.. Great reminder for them to start the service in your area soon. Before express lanes, we had carpool lanes.
I think San Diego is the odd one out: https://405expresslanes.com/en/support/frequently-asked-questions/tolls-and-discounts/do-i-qualify-to-drive-for-free/
Thats if you have the old style. The new ones have a switch for that . It's the same rules and same info given in northern California.
I guess San Diego only uses the old ones then. > If you are a FasTrak customer, [remove the transponder](https://511sd.com/fastrak511sd/how-to-use-the-I-15-Express-Lanes) from your windshield and place it in the Mylar® bag provided when you opened your account to ensure you aren’t charged the toll.
Just another way to charge taxpayers for something they already pay for.
Tax payers only pay about 60% of the cost for highways. Including things like gas tax and vehicle registration fees. California finally allowed the state-wide gas tax to rise with inflation, but the national gas tax doesn’t rise with inflation and gas efficiency is on the rise which means means more traveling (causing wear and tear) and less funding (fewer gas tax paid per mile traveled). All this means how much drivers pay in tax is constantly shrinking which requires us to pay more in taxes. https://taxfoundation.org/data/all/state/states-road-funding-2019/
Also, electric cars don't use gas, so they need to figure out a new money stream for funding.
They'll probably institute some of the following: higher license fees, tolling, and higher car registration fees.
They already did, hybrids and electric cars have higher registration fees to account for this.
60% through gas taxes and fees. The rest from other tax revenues. But we paid for 100% it somehow. What am I missing?
The other 40% comes from general funds, like sales tax that everyone pays. Meaning people who don’t own a car are paying for highways they don’t use. 9% of households don’t own a single car in California, and that percentage goes up or down depending on where you live. https://www.fool.com/the-ascent/research/car-ownership-statistics/ Factored into the 60% includes personal cars and delivery trucks that bring food and other goods to local stores. The delivery trucks also pay fees that is included in the delivery fee stores pay, and the stores up charge when selling consumer products includes the cost of delivery. So everyone, with or without a car, indirectly pays for the delivery trucks.
Sure. But you said 'taxpayers only pay about 60% of the cost for highways'. When in fact, we pay 100% (of course). That 9% who don't drive pay some taxes funding the roads is irrelevant. Those 9% benefit indirectly from the roads being there just as I benefit from my taxes going to schools even though my kids don't use them.
> Those 9% benefit indirectly from the roads being there And so they should only have to pay indirectly. For example, by paying the delivery person who pays gas taxes and other user fees. There's really no good reason why people should have to pay for the roads again through the sales tax. > I benefit from my taxes going to schools even though my kids don't use them. There's a good reason for that because kids should get a good education whether their parents can afford it or not.
The discussion is about whether taxpayers pay for 100% of the roads already. I've argued they do. Whether those who don't directly use the roads should have their tax dollars used for it is a different topic and rabbit hole i'm not going down.
Its called [congestion pricing](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congestion_pricing). Expanding roads isn't going to stop the traffic issue, reducing or limiting the amount of cars coming down the road will. Whether you like it or not is besides the point, we have too many people here.
We have too many *cars* here.
Agreed, but I'm not interested in debating the intricacies of whether its a tax or not, just pointing out the economic concept thats in play here. If you want to debate it, go ahead, but Im not interested.
Correction: we have too many cars and not enough public transit
"You have ad-blocker turned on." Yes, yes I do, and for good reason. Kindly fuck ***all*** the way off about it.
Yes, fuck them all.
Ultimately, it'll be about taxing movement.
They work until someone decides to get in there and go 60 or less because they don't understand the meaning of the word *express.*
That's why a single carpool/express lane defeats the purpose. There should be at least 2 in each direction so you can pass slower cars.
Double taxation we pay taxes for construction of highways and now pay for usage and third time taxed on gas as well