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Gas prices going up this week after new statewide gas tax goes into effect on Wednesday

Posted at 9:04 AM, Oct 30, 2017
and last updated 2017-11-01 21:02:21-04

Expect gas prices to go up this week due to the new gas tax officially going into effect on Wednesday. 

The tax is going to raise gas prices by 12 cents a gallon for gasoline and 20 cents for diesel.

Legislators say the extra cost at the  pump is going to translate into roughly $52 billion of revenue for the state over the next decade. That money will go to road programs, public transit and traffic congestion projects.

One of the goals is to have 98 percent of the state highway pavements in good or fair condition by the end of 2027.

The tax is just the beginning of some cost increases when it comes to your car. On Jan. 1, 2018, there will be a new annual fee based on a car's worth, and starting in 2020, there will be a $100 annual fee on electric cars.

This gas tax isn't entirely new; California is just one of more than 20 states that have passed gas tax increases over the last five years to help with road repairs.