Director's Corner

Focus on our Four Foundational Principles

Greetings, Caltrans colleagues. Thank you to those who have come together to show support for the family of Ali Shabazz, a District 6 civil engineer who, tragically, was killed in a vehicular crash on Aug. 8 in Fresno County. Please read about Ali in this e-newsletter, and consider making a donation to the Ali Shabazz Memorial Fund that was created by the California Transportation Foundation (CTF).

Please also take the time to look over the rest of this latest issue of CT News. I look forward to connecting with you on a regular basis in this space, complementing my department-wide, monthly emails. Both messages speak to my commitment as director to provide transparent, valuable updates directly and consistently.

The Director’s Message updates will mostly focus on our Four Foundational Principles: Safety, Equity, Climate Action and Economic Prosperity in our Communities. As I have emphasized before, these tenets are not abstract concepts, but rather the concrete framework guiding all our plans and projects.

Recently, I introduced the fourth principle—Economic Prosperity in our Communities—by stressing that the confluence of jobs, housing, safety, a clean environment and access helps deliver the substructure necessary for a community to thrive economically. Here at Caltrans, we must endeavor to plan equitable, sustainable and safe projects that provide meaningful access for all Californians regardless of ZIP code. Caltrans has already made tremendous strides in helping our communities. Through funds generated by Senate Bill 1(SB 1), we have completed 4,000 projects and have another 4,500 planned or in progress, and we can point to the creation of more than 200,000 jobs. Governor Newsom’s 2022-23 state budget includes $1 billion General Fund dollars for Active Transportation Program projects that encourage the increased use of active modes of transportation—such as walking and biking—and increase the safety and mobility of non-motorized users.

 And our year-old Clean California program is making a profoundly positive difference in our communities. So far, we have collected more than 750,000 cubic yards of trash, and before year’s end that total should grow past 1 million. The progress we are making is evident and, by design, highly beneficial to all.

My next monthly director’s message will spotlight our Equity principle. When equity is built into culture, project plans, and all related action, it sets in place a level playing field that every person deserves in their daily life. This is an area in which we, as a transportation department, play a tremendous part.

Many good things are happening on multiple fronts, and I am grateful for all you are doing to make Caltrans the nation’s top transportation department. Let’s continue to focus on our 4 Foundational Principles and, from this important cornerstone, achieve even more on behalf of all Californians.