Isn pricing inequitable towards low-income motorists?
Results from surveys conducted for projects in operation show that drivers of all income levels use priced express lanes. Although many low-income users don’t choose to use the tolled facility every day, they support having the option. For instance, a low-income parent racing to avoid the financial penalty associated with being late for pick-up at a day care facility, or for work, is often pleased to have the option of paying a fee to bypass gridlock in the regular lanes. In fact, a high level of support for San Diego’s HOT lanes comes from the lowest income users (70 percent support). Moreover, low-income bus riders may benefit significantly from toll-financed transit improvements. Finally, a well-designed value pricing plan can be less burdensome to low-income citizens than current systems that are based on regressive taxes, such as car registration fees, sales taxes and the gas tax. For example, a proposal for pricing the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge included life-line discounts
