Can the nation's largest state department of transportation, long oriented to building highways and fighting congestion, be brought into the modern, multi-modal era? The State Smart Transportation Initiative's report for Caltrans may do just that.
"An independent review of the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) released Jan. 30, called for sweeping reforms of the department to improve mobility in the face of environmental challenges and a decline in the number of miles driven by Californians," writes Charles Piller.
While the review was ordered last year by Gov. Jerry Brown "following news that the Bay Bridge bolts might not be working properly and could delay the bridge's opening," reported KXTV News 10 Staff last May, the focus of State Smart Transportation Initiative (SSTI) was not on the Bay Bridge but with "Caltrans reorganization and taking a fresh look (at the department)" the governor said.
In the California State Transportation Agency's press release (PDF), the new state agency where Caltrans has been located since July 1, CalSTA Secretary Brian Kelly supported the findings in the 89-page SSTI report (PDF) and its call for modernizing the state DOT that "led the nation during construction of the interstate system after World War II, but has not adapted to modern trends in transportation..."
“Climate change puts new demands on the state transportation system,” said Kelly. “More transportation choices, efficient land use, highway preservation, sustainable movement of people and freight—these now are the order of the day. Caltrans must modernize its mission and describe its vision to deliver on these demands.”
Now it is up to CalSTA and Caltrans to develop the skills and resources needed in the "modern, post-Interstate building era", as the report states it its executive summary.
SSTI includes a network of nineteen state department of transportation directors with a small staff that is part of a research center at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. They have produced evalautions for other state departments of transportation and transportation issues found here and here.
FULL STORY: Independent review calls Caltrans ‘out of date’ and cites ‘culture of fear’
City Liable For Cyclist's Death Due to Poor Road Design
Road diets, whereby the number of traffic lanes are reduced to better accommodate cyclists, can be controversial. But what of the opposite—adding lanes to better accommodate motorists? A cyclist died after such an "improvement." A lawsuit followed.
Compromise Transportation Funding Plan Floated by California Gov. Jerry Brown
With five days left in the legislative season, Gov. Jerry Brown halved the fuels tax increases proposed in the Democratic bill as a sweetener to tax-averse Republicans, though they haven't show any willingness to date to compromise.
California Transportation Spending Gets Boost from Budget Revision
A short term increase in spending hides California's annual structural deficit of almost $6 billion—money needed to maintain the state's roads and bridges.
Planning for Congestion Relief
The third and final installment of Planetizen's examination of the role of the planning profession in both perpetuating and solving traffic congestion.
Minneapolis Housing Plan a Success—Not for the Reason You Think
Housing advocates praise the city’s move to eliminate single-family zoning by legalizing triplexes on single-family lots, but that isn’t why housing construction is growing.
‘Mega-Landlords’ Threaten Housing Stability for Renters
As institutional investors buy up a larger share of single-family homes, the families renting them are increasingly vulnerable to rent increases and eviction.
Short-Term Rentals Vex Dallas City Council
Residents complain that vacation rentals exacerbate the city’s housing shortage and bring traffic and noise to residential neighborhoods, calling on the city to impose—and enforce—stricter regulations.
Traffic Fatalities Set Records as Pandemic-Era Road Carnage Shows No Signs of Stopping
An estimated 42,915 people died in automobile crashes in 2021, according to recent federal data. The increasing fatalities continue a trend that began with the outset of the pandemic.
Driver Shortage Undercuts the Potential of L.A.’s Recent Bus System Redesign
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority implemented a complete overhaul of its bus system in three waves over the course of 2021. A shortage of drivers for the system has made it impossible to implement that vision.
County of Sonoma
City of Malibu
EMC Planning Group Inc.
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Harvard GSD Executive Education
City of Redwood City
City of Rohnert Park
City of Hot Springs
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Hand Drawing Master Plans
This course aims to provide an introduction into Urban Design Sketching focused on how to hand draw master plans using a mix of colored markers.
