Project Summary
California transit agencies are investing billions of dollars in major transportation projects to reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT). Yet these projects are often hundreds of millions of dollars over budget and years behind schedule, compared to similar projects in other advanced economies. This report seeks to answer why California agencies are often unable to control costs and build these projects on schedule and why some projects have more success. It will draw on existing research as to why some countries have better track records than California and the U.S. in delivering major projects on-budget and on-time.
Berkeley Law’s Center for Law, Energy and the Environment (CLEE) will conduct five (5) detailed, comprehensive case studies of representative VMT-reducing transportation projects throughout California to glean lessons learned. The projects will cover recent (past 5-10 years) heavy rail, light rail, and bus-rapid transit, with diverse cost and timeline outcomes, and from representative parts of the state. CLEE will construct a detailed narrative history of each project, to identify the key decisions, regulatory and planning processes, and other law and policy factors that determined outcomes. Based on this analysis, CLEE will offer recommendations for California transportation agencies on ways to more reliably deliver major transportation capital projects.
