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Why it is important: We have answers to some of your most common concerns, but remember that road pricing is a concept that is still being researched and developed.

Vehicle size: Among other things, Janice Cimbalo asked LAist if the program takes into account the size of a vehicle. Lauren Prehoda, program manager at Caltrans, said it depends on which fare group you are placed in under this year’s pilot.

Miles out of state: John Shilling, who lives in South Lake Tahoe and travels to Nevada regularly, asked LAist how the pilot program tracks the number of miles driven in neighboring states. Prehoda said it depends on which option you choose for the pilot program.

What’s next: Even if you don’t like the idea of ​​a road toll or are concerned about how it will work, you should still sign up to participate in the program, Prehoda said.

Go deeper: Read more about the road usage pilot project and why it could replace the gasoline tax.

California is considering replacing the gasoline tax with a more sustainable source of funding for the transportation sector, and LAist readers and listeners had many questions about the Pilot program.

We have answers to some of your most common concerns, but remember that road pricing is an idea that is still being researched and developed. The pilot program is one way to use your opinion to influence whether and how it is implemented, so these answers will likely change to reflect the results.

Lauren Prehoda, a program manager at Caltrans, told LAist that even if you’re uncomfortable with the idea of ​​a road toll or have concerns about how it works, you should still sign up to participate in the program.

“We want to hear from everyone,” she said.

So let’s start answering your questions…

Do countries charge the same amounts for large trucks as for small cars?

Janice Cimbalo asked LAist if the program takes into account the size of a vehicle. Prehoda said it depends on which rate group you are placed in under this year’s pilot.

Participants are randomly assigned to one of two groups: a fixed per-mile rate where everyone pays the same price, or an individual per-mile rate based on the vehicle’s fuel economy in miles per gallon.

“So for one rate group, no matter what car you own, you have to pay 2.8 cents per mile,” Prehoda said. “But for the other rate group, it really depends on what kind of car you drive, because the rate that the legislature sets for that group is based on the energy efficiency of your vehicle.”

Essentially, she said, each car will have its own tariff, depending on how fuel efficient the vehicle is. In general, however, she said, the government has tried to introduce a uniform tariff for all passenger cars “so that everyone pays the same price for using the road.”

What about drivers in rural areas and people with long commutes?

In response to Alberto Plantilla’s request for TopicsPrehoda said the state has done a lot of research on this “really important” issue, some of which you can find Here.

She said that on average, rural drivers would actually save money by charging for roads, as they tend to drive less fuel-efficient vehicles.

“That means they’re currently paying more for road use than their fellow city residents because of the gas tax,” Prehoda said. “So switching to a road toll could balance that out and they’d end up paying less.”

She added that they are trying to address these drivers directly and the last toll pilot The focus is specifically on rural and tribal communities.

How does the program account for out-of-state miles?

John Shilling, who lives in South Lake Tahoe and travels to Nevada regularly, asked LAist how the pilot program tracks the number of miles driven in neighboring states.

Prehoda said it depends on which option you choose for the pilot.

You have three options for reporting mileage: you can keep it simple and upload a picture of your odometer each month, you can have a device delivered to your home that plugs into the vehicle and shares GPS location data, or you can set up vehicle telematics in newer models that have a connected account from Tesla, BMW, Hyundai and other manufacturers.

If you agree to share your location data and choose that option, Prehoda says the program can recognize where you’re driving so you won’t be charged for miles driven outside of California.

However, if you ultimately rely on the odometer or the vehicle’s telematics does not pass on this information, they say you must assume that all miles were driven in California and pay appropriate fees.

“So it ultimately comes down to what works best for you,” Prehoda said. “If you feel like you’re driving out of state a lot, you might want to choose the option that says what state you’re in. However, if you don’t like the idea of ​​sharing your location information, that’s fine too. You can choose any of the other options, it’s totally up to you.”

Do you have any further questions?

If you are wondering how much the road toll would be for you and your vehicle, you can The Caltrans calculator for a cost estimate.

And if you have more pressing questions or concerns, you can connect directly to the program Here.

“We answer all of these questions and keep a log of all the questions and feedback that people send us, even the ones that are full of swear words,” Prehoda said.