Director's Corner

OK'd legislation helps make this an exciting time

These are exciting times for transportation and for California! The state Legislature and the Governor last month enacted the landmark Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017, which is expected to raise $54 billion over the next decade for state and local entities to catch up on years of unfunded maintenance needs.

It is the largest investment in California’s transportation needs since the fuel tax was raised to 18 cents a gallon in 1994. And, significantly, it is also the first time that tax has been raised since then.

These new funds will allow us to fix our roads, repair aging bridges, reduce traffic congestion and improve the movement of goods. It’s a tremendous responsibility – and because of all the success we’ve shared in years past under more fiscally tight years managing previous bonds, I know that we are up to the challenge.

By 2027, we are committed to fix 17,000 lane miles of pavement, 500 bridges and 55,000 culverts. In addition, we will make 7,700 improvements to our Transportation System Management and Operations, including ramp meters, traffic cameras, highway message signs and sensors. 

We are also committed to incorporating our Complete Streets concepts on the state highway system, making the state’s highways intermodal and safer for pedestrians and bicyclists and improving rail and transit. Additional resources will be spent on improving our trade corridors – the heavily traveled routes used daily by freight movers – keeping the world’s sixth-largest economy on the move.

While the game-changing revenue doesn’t start flowing in until November, Caltrans is getting to work now. We are already identifying the projects statewide that need the most attention, including bridges that we can expedite to repair by the summer of 2018. We will also be working closely with our local and regional partners, who will receive a full half of that $54 billion, so you will see our cities and counties hard at work, too, taking care of the delayed maintenance on their local roads.

Expectations are high and we recognize we have an even greater responsibility to deliver for the people of California. But through it all, we cannot lose sight of our primary responsibility – the health and safety of everyone on the state highway system, including our employees. This is indeed a great time to be at Caltrans. Let’s make it a safe time as well.