Transportation Funding
Streetsblog California
Gas Tax Holiday Is a Stupid Idea that Will Hurt Transit Riders, Advocates Say
A ‘gas tax holiday’ does little to help people most hurt by rising prices, takes revenue away from needed road and transit investments, and completely contradicts climate goals. It could also have a negative impact on transit agencies' bond ratings, which means higher borrowing costs that would need to be paid back with higher fares.
March 29, 2022
Opinion: Alternatives to California’s Pro-Car Giveaway
Of the myriad motorist giveaways now being rushed into place around the U.S., none sting like California’s.
March 29, 2022
Newsom Tries to Thread a Political Needle With Problematic Gas Tax Relief Proposal
Newsom's proposal also includes some money for "free public transportation" and active transportation, but that is dwarfed by the offer to vehicle owners. And he's still proposing a pause in the scheduled gas tax adjustment.
March 23, 2022
Legislative Report Says: Align Transportation Money with Climate Goals. Now: How?
Last year's A.B. 285 called for a study of how California's transportation investment programs support the state's climate goals. The programs under the microscope work fine, say the results. But all the other programs need to reprioritize spending as well.
March 10, 2022
Much-Needed Transit Assistance Announced
The American Rescue Plan will give California transit agencies another $632 million for operations
March 4, 2022
Induced Demand Is Hard to Explain – But It’s Crucial to Get It
For the last fifty years, road builders have tried to solve congestion by building more lanes, and it hasn't worked. Yet they still don't connect expanding capacity with increasing congestion.
March 2, 2022
Sec. Buttigieg Won’t Push Back on States that Ignore Equity, Climate Guidelines
The U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary doesn't look like he's up to fight GOP lawmakers over the Biden climate and systemic racism agenda.
March 2, 2022
Caltrans Officially Embraces “Safe Systems” Approach
Prioritizing safety on California roads needs much more than a reliance on enforcement and education. A safe systems approach lowers the incidence of major injuries by assuming people will make mistakes and designing roads to reduce consequences.
February 24, 2022
Report: CA’s Historical Focus on Highway Construction Must Change
Legislative report on state transportation investments concludes that, if funding at every level is not reprioritized, climate goals will not be met, equity will suffer, and CA will fall short of other goals including reliable, efficient movement of people and goods.
February 23, 2022
Solis Motion Would Re-Re-Affirm that Metro North 710 Money Really Does Go to Multi-Modal Projects
Hilda Solis motion reiterates that, for the N. 710 MIP (Mobility Improvement Projects), "new mobility improvement[s] are eligible as both standalone projects and as components of larger projects," specifically including "bus priority infrastructure... bikeway projects... Sidewalk improvements, [and] Pedestrian safety improvements."
February 23, 2022
