Don’t Single Out South County Drivers for Tolls

State Route 125 stretches from Otay Mesa to Santee and provides a vital connection for South County residents to the regional freeway network. In 2011, the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) purchased Route 125 from the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) with taxpayer dollars in an effort to relieve itself of an obligation to expand I-805, which saved SANDAG millions. To recover the costs of purchasing Route 125, SANDAG instituted a toll system for the use of the road.

As the District 8 council member in the city of San Diego, and as a South County resident, I have been concerned for years about the basic inequity of this system. Most users of Route 125 live in South County and rely on this road to get to their jobs. No other part of San Diego County is treated this way. Those utilizing the other 13 local state routes do not pay a toll. South County residents who use Route 125 should be treated the same as everyone else in the county.

On Oct. 7, an independent audit of SANDAG exposed long-standing issues with the management of the Route 125 toll system. The audit detailed the lack of due diligence that led to a $28 million flawed contract for management of the Route 125 toll system with an outside vendor that failed to correct problems identified in a previous contract, basically leading to the same issues that the new vendor was hired to fix. The road that South County residents are forced to pay for has been mismanaged in a major way, the cost of which is ultimately borne by those who pay the toll.

Everyone who utilizes Route 125 is essentially being double charged: Taxpayer dollars were used to purchase Route 125, and users of the road are then charged again with a toll every time they use it. The cost of the flawed outside contracts, combined with millions of dollars in lost revenue and inaccurate charges to drivers, highlight a fundamental question: Why should South County residents continue to pay for a service that has so consistently failed them for years? These revelations, coupled with the rising cost of living in San Diego, makes one thing crystal-clear: Route 125 should be made toll-free.

Rather than persisting with a broken system, it is time for SANDAG to eliminate the tolls entirely. Making Route 125 toll-free would not only restore public trust in SANDAG, but also provide immediate benefits to residents. First, it would relieve financial pressure on South County commuters, many of whom are from hard-working families who rely on the road to get to their jobs. By removing the tolls, SANDAG would promote equity and greater access to affordable transportation.

Second, a toll-free Route 125 could help alleviate congestion on nearby freeways like I-5 and I-805. By eliminating the toll, more drivers would be incentivized to use the road, dispersing traffic more evenly across South County’s highway system. This would lead to a more efficient flow of traffic, reduced travel times and less pollution, critical goals for a region already facing significant traffic and environmental challenges.

Lastly, making the road free aligns with SANDAG’s broader mission of creating sustainable and accessible transportation options. If SANDAG wants to regain the public’s trust, it needs to demonstrate that it can manage its infrastructure effectively without unfairly burdening South County residents. Removing this inequitable toll on Route 125 is a clear step in the right direction.

While some might argue that the toll revenue is essential for maintaining bond payments, SANDAG’s history of mismanaging these funds shows that the benefits of the tolls have not outweighed the costs. The agency should explore alternative funding models.

SANDAG must take ownership of the mistakes it has made in managing Route 125 and begin to correct the course in a transparent and equitable way. Making Route 125 toll-free, as other state routes in San Diego County are, is necessary in regaining the public’s trust. I strongly call on SANDAG to take this critical action now.

Vivian Moreno | January 3, 2025 | San Diego Union-Tribune, Opinion

Moreno represents District 8 on the San Diego City Council and lives in San Ysidro.

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