Caltrans

Every dollar spent on widening highways right now is a dollar not spent on better, cleaner, safer, and more sustainable alternatives. It is also a dollar that will require future dollars to be spent in order to maintain what it is building today. Widening highways now is a way to keep the status quo in place for years into the future, when we need to change that status quo.

The post California Transportation Commission Chair: “Widen Freeways for the People” appeared first on Streetsblog California.

California is still spending billions of dollars on highway and interchange expansions that increase reliance on driving, drain household budgets, and make traffic worse. Governor Newsom should step in.

The post More Than 60 Organizations Urge Governor Newsom to Intervene at Caltrans appeared first on Streetsblog California.

A new analysis from the Natural Resources Defense Council found that California allocates less than twenty percent of available transportation funding to low-carbon modes - despite climate and livability goals to increase walking, biking, and transit as modes of choice. At the same time, the state is still investing in highway expansion.

The post California Spends Too Little on Environmentally Friendly Transportation Options appeared first on Streetsblog California.

But somewhere along the way, highway interchanges - roads crossing and going under and over freeways and highways - were exempted from the guidelines

The post Caltrans Readies Guidance for Complete Streets, with a Big Exemption appeared first on Streetsblog California.

"People aren't used to thinking of freeways as fossil fuel infrastructure, but they are." And once built, there's no going back, no making up for the extra driving by trying to convince people that a bus or train might be a better choice - we're stuck with it.

The post California Has to Stop Building Freeways. Now. appeared first on Streetsblog California.

And then turns around and says: oh, but new freight truck traffic induced by new highway capacity doesn't count! Really, Caltrans?

The post Caltrans Explains Why VMT – Vehicle Miles Traveled – Is Such a Concern appeared first on Streetsblog California.

Why was one of Caltrans' most staunch advocates for sanity within Caltrans "reassigned"?

The post Caltrans “Shakeup” Is a Bad Sign appeared first on Streetsblog California.

And what state and regional agencies plan to do about it

The post How Can Buses Be Sped Up? appeared first on Streetsblog California.

California's Climate Action Plan for Transportation Investments calls for putting state funding towards projects that reduce vehicle miles traveled. But CTC approved several VMT-inducing projects anyway.

The post California Will Continue Funding Projects that Induce Driving, Despite State Policy appeared first on Streetsblog California.