policy brief

Lessons from Transportation Agency Participation in Regional Conservation Initiatives

Publication Date

February 1, 2018

Associated Project(s)

Lessons from Transportation Agency Participation In Regional Conservation Initiatives

Author(s)

Jaimee Lederman

Areas of Expertise

Infrastructure Delivery, Operations, & Resilience

View policy brief

Abstract

Transportation agencies often struggle to balance wildlife habitat preservation with infrastructure development, leading to challenging approval processes for transportation projects in sensitive environments. The Endangered Species Act (ESA) requires that public and private project developers mitigate any harm to endangered species and receive a permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). Transportation projects are typically permitted individually, which can be time-consuming and expensive. The ESA’s Regional Habitat Conservation Plan (RHCP) is a tool to help agencies protect the environment while streamlining the permit process for infrastructure development. By addressing environmental issues on a regional scale, RHCPs allow one permit to cover projects in multiple jurisdictions for up to 75 years. RHCPs are popular with transportation agencies, but they require unique collaboration with other stakeholders. Researchers at UCLA examined 21 RHCPs to better understand the nature of these institutional collaborations and ways to maintain them over time

Related Publications

dissertation, thesis, or capstone

Lessons from Transportation Agency Participation In Regional Conservation Initiatives

policy brief

Can Smog Repairs Create Social Justice? The Tune In & Tune Up Smog Repair Program in the San Joaquin Valley

Publication Date

February 1, 2018

Associated Project(s)

Falling Transit Ridership: California and Southern California

Author(s)

Gregory Pierce, Rachel Connolly

Areas of Expertise

Safety, Public Health, & Mobility Justice Zero-Emission Vehicles & Low-Carbon Fuels

View policy brief

Abstract

High levels of car travel contribute to poor air quality in California’s San Joaquin Valley (SJV), but car usage is unlikely to decline in the near future, as the region is not dense enough to support an effective transit system as an alternative for personal travel. The region’s air quality presents a significant environmental justice concern given the high percentage of minority and low-income residents in the Valley. To combat the harm caused by high-emitting vehicles, the SJV Air Pollution Control District and the nonprofit Valley Clean Air Now (Valley CAN) started the Tune In & Tune Up (TI&TU) program, providing SJV residents with free emission testing and vouchers for smog repair at a series of publicly-held events across the Valley. Since 2012, the program has distributed more than $12 million in redeemed vouchers.UCLA researchers evaluated the TI&TU program’s efficiency, environmental, and equity outcomes, and considered its relevance for expansion and adoption in other regions. Their findings are not only relevant to regional and state policymakers in California’s transportation planning and air quality fields, but to practitioners and scholars studying policies to support transportation equity and environmental justice more broadly

Related Publications

research report

Estimating Health Benefits, Cost-Effectiveness and Distributional Equity from California's Vehicle Emission Reduction Initiatives: Lessons from the San Joaquin Valley's Tune-In & Tune-Up Program

policy brief

Falling Ridership Trends in Southern California

research report

Falling Transit Ridership: California and Southern California

policy brief

Falling Ridership Trends in Southern California

Publication Date

January 31, 2018

Associated Project(s)

Falling Transit Ridership: California and Southern California

Areas of Expertise

Public Transit, Shared Mobility, & Active Transportation

View policy brief

Related Publications

research report

Estimating Health Benefits, Cost-Effectiveness and Distributional Equity from California's Vehicle Emission Reduction Initiatives: Lessons from the San Joaquin Valley's Tune-In & Tune-Up Program

policy brief

Can Smog Repairs Create Social Justice? The Tune In & Tune Up Smog Repair Program in the San Joaquin Valley

research report

Falling Transit Ridership: California and Southern California

dissertation, thesis, or capstone

Commodity Based Freight Demand Modeling Framework using Structural Regression Model

Publication Date

January 1, 2018

Associated Project(s)

Modeling Freight Corridor Movements Using a Mass Balance Approach

Areas of Expertise

Freight, Logistics, & Supply Chain

View dissertation, thesis, or capstone

research report

Falling Transit Ridership: California and Southern California

Publication Date

January 1, 2018

Associated Project(s)

Falling Transit Ridership: California and Southern California

Areas of Expertise

Public Transit, Shared Mobility, & Active Transportation

View research report

Abstract

In the last ten years transit use in Southern California has fallen significantly. This report investigates falling transit use. We define Southern California as the six counties that participate in the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) – Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura and Imperial. We examine patterns of transit service and patronage over time and across the region and consider an array of explanations for falling transit use: declining transit service levels, eroding transit service quality, rising fares, falling fuel prices, the growth of Lyft and Uber, the migration of frequent transit users to outlying neighborhoods with less transit service, and rising vehicle ownership. While all of these factors probably play some role, we conclude that the most significant factor is increased motor vehicle access, particularly among low-income households that have traditionally supplied the region with its most frequent and reliable transit users.

Related Publications

research report

Estimating Health Benefits, Cost-Effectiveness and Distributional Equity from California's Vehicle Emission Reduction Initiatives: Lessons from the San Joaquin Valley's Tune-In & Tune-Up Program

policy brief

Falling Ridership Trends in Southern California

policy brief

Can Smog Repairs Create Social Justice? The Tune In & Tune Up Smog Repair Program in the San Joaquin Valley

research report

The Potential for Shared Use Mobility in Affordable Housing Complexes in Rural California

Publication Date

December 1, 2017

Associated Project(s)

The Potential for Shared Use Mobility in Affordable Housing Complexes in Rural California

Author(s)

Caroline Rodier, Jose Martinez, Susan Pike

Areas of Expertise

Public Transit, Shared Mobility, & Active Transportation

View research report

Abstract

There is very little research on the unmet needs of transportation alternatives for low-income households in California. A survey of low-income residents at affordable housing complexes in the San Joaquin Valley of California was conducted to explore unmet transportation needs, willingness to use shared mobility services, and the potential to reduce household vehicles and parking spaces. The survey also examined awareness of public financial incentive programs aimed at reducing vehicle emissions in the Valley. The analysis of the survey results suggests the following conclusions: survey respondents successfully marshal their limited transportation resources to travel to activities that are essential to the current or future economic well-being of their households; respondents indicate a strong willingness to use ride-sourcing and carsharing services located at their affordable housing complex; analysis of the use of respondents’ current vehicles and stated willingness to use ride-sourcing and carsharing services suggests some potential to reduce parking in the affordable housing complexes; barriers to paying for carsharing and ride-sourcing services include lack of credit cards and bank accounts; carsharing and ridesharing programs in these communities should include a call center with staff who speaks both English and Spanish; and survey respondents lack knowledge about public incentive programs that seek to reduce vehicle emissions in the San Joaquin Valley.

research report

Shared Mobility Policy Briefs: Definitions, Impacts, and Recommendations

Publication Date

January 1, 2018

Associated Project(s)

Shared Mobility Policy Briefs: Definitions, Impacts, and Recommendations

Author(s)

Adam Cohen, Susan Shaheen

Areas of Expertise

Public Transit, Shared Mobility, & Active Transportation

View research report

Abstract

In 2017, researchers from UC Berkeley’s Transportation Sustainability Research Center and the Institute of Transportation Studies produced eight policy briefs on shared mobility. Shared mobility – the shared use of a vehicle, bicycle, or other travel mode – services are experiencing rapid growth and expansion. This is, in part, due to the launch of innovative business models across California, and their use of the smartphone as a way to enable on-demand transportation options. There is a need to clarify emerging terms and best practices for policymakers amidst the fast-paced developments of the field. Fluency in data-sharing opportunities and standards, funding options, and equity considerations will be needed to implement flexible, forward-thinking policies. These topics are covered in the briefs that follow. Each brief includes a presentation of research findings, a description of the research approach, and recommendations for the California Legislature. Policymakers and legislatures can refer to these briefs for digestible explanations of research findings and suggestions of ways to apply research to improve California’s transportation system

research report

Exploring the Costs of Electrification for California’s Transit Agencies

Publication Date

December 1, 2017

Associated Project(s)

Exploring the Costs of Electrification for California’s Transit Agencies

Author(s)

Alissa Kendall, Hanjiro Ambrose, Nicholas Pappas

Areas of Expertise

Public Transit, Shared Mobility, & Active Transportation Zero-Emission Vehicles & Low-Carbon Fuels

View research report

Abstract

The California Air Resources Board is considering regulatory changes to require an increasing share of public transit buses to produce zero emissions by 2040. This report attempts to identify and assess critical drivers of electric bus adoption costs, characterize uncertainty in forecasting agency transition costs, and provide an approach to support agencies’ assessment of strategic investments in new vehicle technologies. While current purchase costs for electric buses are 40% higher compared to conventional diesel or clean-natural gas buses, by 2030, electric buses are likely to become the most cost-effective option. Taking total cost of ownership into consideration, replacing a bus fleet by 2030 with a 100% electric fleet is estimated to decrease overall costs by $0.1 to $3.6B compared to replacing the current fleet. Results are likely to vary depending on agency size as small and rural agencies have orders of magnitude smaller fleets than the largest agencies and the estimates take into account current subsidies for purchases of electric buses. The report concludes that total costs of ownership for electric buses are likely to be lower than current fleets and that agencies need better tools to be able to evaluate integrated technology and systems planning, particularly as it relates to transit bus electrification.

research report

State-Level Strategies for Reducing Vehicle Miles of Travel

Publication Date

September 1, 2017

Associated Project(s)

State-Level Strategies for Reducing Vehicle Miles of Travel

Author(s)

Michelle Byars, Susan Handy, Yishu Wei

Areas of Expertise

Travel Behavior, Land Use, & the Built Environment

View research report

Abstract

California adopted a statewide target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 40% below 1990 levels by 2030. To meet these goals, the state must achieve a 15 percent reduction in total travel by light-duty vehicles by 2050 compared to expected levels. Under current state policies, reductions of this magnitude are likely. This report explores the evidence for strategies to reduce vehicle miles of travel in pricing, infill development, transportation investments, and travel demand management programs. For each category, the report outlines programs from other states that, if adopted, have the potential to reduce (vehicle miles traveled) VMT and thus greenhouse gas emissions.

Related Publications

policy brief

State-Level Policies for Reducing Vehicle-Miles Traveled

research report

PRSM Review Year 1 Report A: Review of PRSM Use at Caltrans

Publication Date

September 1, 2017

Associated Project(s)

PRSM Review Year 1 Report A: Review of PRSM Use at Caltrans

Author(s)

Iris Tommelein, Nigel Blampied

Areas of Expertise

Infrastructure Delivery, Operations, & Resilience

View research report

Abstract

The California Budget Act of 2016 included a provision to “complete a post-implementation review of the Project Resourcing and Schedule Management (PRSM) information technology system upgrade completed by the Department of Transportation.” The PRSM system referenced is Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) software deployed at Caltrans in 2014 and intended to enable Caltrans to effectively plan State employee and consultant time spent on activities related to projects in its Capital Outlay Support (COS) program. In this Part A report, the researchers studied PRSM as implemented and in practical use, based on a Caltrans document review and interviews conducted with sample groups of Caltrans staff. The result is this factual, non-judgmental description of how PRSM is used and what it is used for. The researchers’ initial sense from the PRSM review meetings is that over the course of three years of deployment, PRSM has become a well-established project management system for approximately 3,000 Caltrans users with read/write access and many others with read-only access, yet PRSM is not yet fully living up to its title. While PRSM is an acronym for “Project Resourcing and Schedule Management,” Caltrans is only using it for project resourcing, especially for annual budgeting, and is not using PRSM’s scheduling functions to their potential.