California Gas taxes go up on Wednesday by 12 cents

CONCORD, Calif. (KGO) -- Gassing up at your local service station will cost more starting next week.

RELATED: California assembly passes gas tax hike

Starting Wednesday the state's tax on gas will rise 12 cents per gallon as part of an infrastructure improvement project championed by the governor and approved by the legislature.

"The tax will raise about 54-billion dollars for road repair and improvement," said Caltrans spokesman Bob Haus.

He added that some road repaving has already begun in anticipation of the new revenue.

Dr. Dan Kammen at UC Berkeley's Energy Institute says road maintenance is essential, but he hopes that the extra cost will spur more Californians to buy less polluting electric vehicles and also to drive less to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, which contribute to climate change.

But, one motorist we talked to in Concord asked, "What happened to all the money we've spent on road repairs in the past?"