The new agency is called CARTA, Capitol Area Regional Tolling  Agency. This agency, if approved by CTC, will  meet during the day at the  downtown Sacramento office of SACOG.  SACOG does not offer either voice or email public comment or zoom in public comments. This means in the future only in -person public comments will be taken unless CTC decides otherwise.

The proposed plan is dynamically raising (and lowering) the  toll on the new  lane  to in effect “auction  off”  capacity to the highest bidding driver.”  This means tolls will be set high enough to  limit which drivers use the lane, so these drivers who are willing and able to pay the toll are never inconvenienced by congestion. Toll Rates will change over the course of the day based on congestion, as usually the freeway has excess capacity.  

However, at  peak at times when the lanes are most needed the tolls will be quite high. YoloTD director Autumn Bernstein has stated in a  KDRT interview that she expected the toll on these17 mile of  lanes to be $1 a mile, which means at peak congestion about $10 for a one-way  Davis to Sac commute.  Kathleen Hanley, principal planner for the new agency, has also affirmed this in a presentation that  the toll will be between 50 cents and $4 a mile. She suggested  Davis commuters might have to pay $40 to use the lane in a commute to Sacramento sometimes.

Information on Toll Agency Hearing

The public hearing will take place on Tuesday, April 9 at  5:30 pm at the West Sacramento public library at 1212 Merkley Street near city hall.  It was not well publicized: No press release was given to the Davis Enterprise according to Sebastian Ornate the editor.   There has been  no posting on social media. Hearing is at 5:30 so Davis residents coming home I-80 may find it difficult to zoom in- or attend.  For more information on actual proposal, go to this webpage and use the “Hearing” drop down.

The event  flier does not say  they want written public comments, or give a deadline for receipt of input, but they should be sent to:

• Chair Carl Guardino and members, CTC [email protected],
• Kathlee Hanley, Planner SACOG/CARTA [email protected]
• YoloTD Chair Josh Chapman and members,  [email protected]  

The official meeting agenda and instructions can be  viewed here.

Below are some observations you might want to share in your comments.

1. Governing Practices May Limit Public input on Toll Setting

The new Capital Area Regional Tolling Agency, CARTA will be staffed and run out of SACOG, so it looks like the tolling board  will hold meeting at their Sacramento offices even though the only toll lanes it will manage for foreseeable future are in Yolo County.  SACOG meeting are during the day and  do not take zoom or phone message public comments- you must go in person to comment. Should CTC guarantee that the new  agency  for Yolo80 lanes, be required to meet in Yolo County, at more convenient times, and provide a way for remote public comments by the public?

2. Three Free Tolling Policy favors Recreational Tahoe Traveler

Part the tolling plan, per YoloTD Board,  is to let -three plus carpool use the  lane toll free. This would seem to  favor Tahoe recreational travelers over local commuter and workers.-It would fit larger regional plan to allow 3-free on planned future extension of I-80 toll lanes all the way to Roseville- thus optimizing Tahoe travel.  The transportation reason for this is unclear, as according to Caltrans figures offering  discount for carpool uses would make encourage less 3% more people to carpool. (I-80 CMCP  table 5.3 pg. 97)  And if there are three adult in the car, the tolls per person are already cut by 2/3.  However, the 3-Free policy this would cut by  60% the  revenue available to fund transit alternative in Yolo county and cut fare/improve capitol corridor rail service.  It currently cost $9 one-way to take the train from Davis to Sacramento- or $27 for a party of three adults. Aren’t there already  enough incentives to carpool? And consider induced demand, do we want to courage more Tahoe travel?

3. Three-Free Policy Drives up Tolls for Other User- Is this social equity?

The managed lanes work by “auctioning off” the excess capacity in the toll lane to the highest bidder. If the toll lane is partly or largely  filled by Three-Free users than there is less capacity  to be auctioned-off to   one or two person cars, thus driving up the toll they pay.   This would seem to increase social equity issues of toll lanes.

4. Unfunded Social Equity Promises

It has been noted that everyone pays the same gas taxes that are funding building  these new lanes, but we are  auctioning off their use in a way that  favors the rich- who already have 2-5 times the carbon footprint as the poor. This has raised concerns about both climate justice and social equity.

In response to public concerns about social equity of toll lanes staff members has made vague  promise of a future having a “social equity” program. But what his means has not been defined anywhere, much less have any guarantee funding identified other than promise toll revenue will be used.  

This promise of funding of social equity is particularly problematic as, according CEQA law mitigation of environmental impacts, i.e. GHG/VMT (Vehicle Miles Traveled) mitigation must be funded  before social equity. Per the  DEIR (page 2-143-2-148) the plan is to fund mitigate 30%  of the increased  VMT, 57mil miles/year increase in driving created by the widening project. . Again, the plan and costs here are vague. But we can ball -park estimate the cost of mitigation plan to - reducing driving by  57M miles/year  by shifting traveler  to other modes:  YoloBus subsidy  is over  $1/ passenger-mile, so an estimate of the mitigation program for 57mil  mile/year cost is likely over $57mil/year,  Yet the on-going toll revenue from the toll lane is estimated to  be only $9.6mil/year per.  Thus, there seem to be insufficient money to fund the promised mitigation efforts, much less a social equity program. Should not the CTC ask for honest assessment of what  CARTA can accomplish in its agency application? .

5. Social Equity is regional, not Yolo County issue.

The social equity programs discussed by YoloTD seem to only consider help for those in Yolo County, even though over 90% of drivers this section are from Solano, Sacramento and places other than Yolo.  Should not CTC ask that any social equity program be addressed to all users, not Yolo County?

6. Who Takes Three - Free Discount Is Not Enforceable

One of the issues with HOV lanes in general , and especially on the 3-Free user of the lane,  is the high level of illegal use. On HOV2+ lanes on highway 99 between Elk Grove and Sacrament a recent study showed as many as 46% of users of that lane were illegal single occupancy vehicles. This for 2+ riders where lack of a second  passenger in front seat can be  determined visually.  Determining if there are 3 in a car is nearly impossibly visually - and even more difficult given it is legal to 100% black out  back and back-side window. Advocate for the 3-free program promise some future technology to address but has no  specific examples  even  30 years after the first HOV 2+ lane was opened.

YoloTD  Bernstein has in fact acknowledged in a KDRT interview the lack of enforceability, stating claiming the 3+ ride free discount   will  be on the “honor system.”. CTC should scrutinize the 3+ program viability for this and the  many reasons listed here.

Because the toll level of the is set by balancing supply and demand, if people illegally use the toll lane for free it drives up the cost for toll paying drivers.

7. Three Free Policy Threaten Mitigation promise made in I-80 EIR.

It is notable in the $9.6mil toll revenue  estimate for the lane assumes only a 10% violation rate. This number is not based on not actual data given violation rate in HOV 2+ are much higher.

Comparing “Three Free” vs  “Everyone Pays” revenue forecast (DEIR alternative 5 vs 4) the three-free policy cut net toll revenue by 60%.  ($9.6M/year vs $23.6m/year).(YoloTD Board meeting 12/11/23 slides 18-20)

Who is accountable to pay for mitigation program and a  social equity program promise by YoloTD and Caltrain in the EIR?  How will a  new  separate  tolling authority become  does accountable  maximize revenue to  fund the promises.

Table 5.3 from from I-80 full corridor plan (2022 I-80 CMCP pg 97 ) showing how adding a new lane with different tolling/HOV policies has no effective vehicle occupancy-i.e. car pooling. Compare scenario HOT3+ being proposed for Yolo80 to “base line” and existing to see offering “toll free use of the lane” as a car pool incentive does not affect travel behavior. Segments 6 & 7 are Yolo80 but this is true of all segments.