Driving in San Francisco will get very expensive if a new plan is approved.
City transportation officials are considering charging drivers tolls to drive around downtown and to cross into the city from San Mateo County, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. The tolls could cost drivers up to $1,560 per year.
The tolls are designed to ease congestion and raise revenue for increased bus service, pothole repairs and improvements for bikes and pedestrians.
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors has completed a study on three different congestion pricing options, according to ABC 7. One option would involve charging drivers $3 when coming into or out of the northeast section of the city during morning and evening peak times. A second option would charge a $6 fee only when leaving that same area during the evening commute. The last option would charge drivers $3 in both directions when crossing into the city from San Mateo County during morning and evening commute times.
After the board goes over and approves a plan, the proposal will then need to go to the state legislature for approval. It is unclear whether voters will have a say. If they do, the proposal might face a difficult time at the ballot box, as a two-thirds majority vote will be required after the passage of Proposition 26 last week, according to the San Francisco Examiner.
The earliest the tolls would go into effect would be 2015, as a six-month to one-year experiment to gauge effectiveness and public reaction.
