The Bay Bridge and the San Francisco skyline including the Salesforce Tower are seen in this view from the bay on Monday, March 9, 2020. (Jane Tyska/D

San Francisco considering congestion tax on high-earning drivers

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2021-07-26 21:30:04

The Bay Bridge and the San Francisco skyline including the Salesforce Tower are seen in this view from the bay on Monday, March 9, 2020. (Jane Tyska/Digital First Media/East Bay Times via Getty Images)

SAN FRANCISCO - The San Francisco County Transportation Authority is once again eyeing a tax on drivers in the busiest parts of the city's downtown, and has launched a study into a so-called "congestion pricing" plan as traffic begins to pick up following 2020's pandemic-induced lull.

While the pricing plan is still three to five years from being hammered out and requires the approval of both San Francisco's Board of Supervisors and California's legislature, the SFCTA already has an idea of how hard the potential fees might hit commuters and tourists.

The authority's Downtown Congestion Pricing Study team is still weighing different options, but all three of the scenarios currently being considered would charge a $6.50 fee to enter the congested pricing zones during weekday rush hours for folks who make $100,000 or more, with discounts for lower-income individuals, drivers with disabilities, and people who live in the areas impacted. The San Francisco Chronicle reported that commuters making less than $46,000 would not pay a fee at all.